Intimidators Stadium
Intimidators Stadium is a baseball stadium in Kannapolis, North Carolina. It was most recently the home venue for the Kannapolis Intimidators, the Class A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.
The Cannon | |
| |
| Former names | Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium (1995–2012) CMC-NorthEast Stadium (2012–2016) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2888 Moose Road Kannapolis, NC 28083 |
| Coordinates | 35°30′28″N 80°33′59″W |
| Owner | Rowan County and City of Kannapolis |
| Operator | Smith Family Baseball (maintenance by Rowan County) |
| Capacity | 4,700 (seated) |
| Field size | Left Field: 330 feet Left-Center: 375 feet Center Field: 400 feet Right-Center: 375 feet Right Field: 310 feet |
| Surface | Natural Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | October 19, 1994[1] |
| Opened | April 8, 1995[2] |
| Construction cost | $6.8 million (including adjacent property) ($11.4 million in 2019 dollars[3]) |
| Architect | Lescher and Mahoney |
| Services engineer | Brittain Engineering, Inc.[4] |
| General contractor | Wayne Brothers, Inc.[5] |
| Tenants | |
| Kannapolis Intimidators (SAL) 1995–2019 Charlotte 49ers (C-USA) 2003, 2007 Queens Royals (SAC) 2019 | |
History
When the Intimidators franchise (then known as the Piedmont Phillies) began play in 1995, the stadium's construction was not complete. The field and seating areas were ready for the team's first game in April of that year, but the concession stands, restrooms, luxury boxes, and box office were not complete until that winter. The stadium was named Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium for the Fieldcrest Cannon Corporation, the textile giant that built the mill town of Kannapolis and operated it until the city was incorporated in 1984.
In addition to home games for the Intimidators, Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium is also used for several local high school baseball games each spring in addition to select Amateur Athletic Union events throughout the year.
The stadium was the home of UNC Charlotte 49ers baseball team during the 2003 season while their on-campus facility's playing surface was being redone.[6] The 49ers played in Kannapolis again for the first part of the 2007 season while their stadium was undergoing a $6 million renovation.[7]
The Queens Royals baseball team of Queens University of Charlotte played their 2019 season at Intimidators Stadium as they made their debut in the South Atlantic Conference (NCAA Division II) while awaiting the construction of Tuckaseegee Dream Fields in Charlotte.[8]
Improvements
A new scoreboard was installed in center field for the 2005 season, replacing the original board that the stadium used when it opened.[9]
A new downtown ballpark is scheduled to open for the 2020 season, replacing Intimidators Stadium.[10]
Naming Rights
On April 3, 2012, it was announced that Carolinas Medical Center-NorthEast purchased the naming rights to the stadium, adopting the new CMC-NorthEast Stadium name for the upcoming season. Per club policy, terms were not disclosed.[11]
For 2016, the naming rights deal was quietly dropped, with the team referring to the stadium as Intimidators Stadium again.[12]
References
- "Officials Break Ground on Ballpark". The Charlotte Observer. October 20, 1994. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
- "Kannapolis Brings Back Baseball to Full Stadium". Wilmington Morning Star. April 10, 1995. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
- Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved January 1, 2020.
- "Clients & Projects". Brittain Engineering, Inc. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
- "Builder of the Year". The Charlotte Observer. February 13, 1997. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
- "Baseball Moves All C-USA Home Games To Kannapolis". Charlotte49ers.com. University of North Carolina at Charlotte Department of Athletics. March 12, 2003. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
- "Charlotte Releases 2007 Baseball Schedule". Charlotte49ers.com. University of North Carolina at Charlotte Department of Athletics. January 10, 2007. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
- "Queens University of Charlotte to play 2019 Home Games at Intimidators Stadium supported by Atrium Health". WBTV. January 30, 2019. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- "2005 Intimidators: The Remaking of a Team, New Owners, Skipper Have the Roster Stocked with Fresh Players, Many of Them Green". The Charlotte Observer. April 7, 2005. p. 1K.
- "$300M Development Pitched Adjacent to New Kannapolis Intimidators Ballpark". Ballpark Digest. January 22, 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
- "Name Game: Welcome to CMC-NorthEast Stadium" (Press release). Kannapolis Intimidators. April 3, 2012. Retrieved April 3, 2012 – via Milb.com.
- "Intimidators Stadium". Kannapolis Intimidators. Archived from the original on July 6, 2015. Retrieved June 21, 2016 – via Milb.com.