This 102-year-old Minor League ballpark kept its historic charm through major upgrades
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Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Asheville, N.C. offers an abundance of outdoor activities, a robust arts scene and more breweries per capita than anywhere else in the country. In addition to these entertainment options, an Asheville tourist's itinerary should include the Asheville Tourists.
Despite sporting a moniker that implies transience, the Tourists -- High-A affiliate of the Houston Astros -- are one of Minor League Baseball's most enduring franchises. The first team officially named the Tourists took the field in 1915 (the nickname was first used by sportswriters, referencing a club roster that predominantly featured non-local players). Nine years later the team moved into McCormick Field, named after pioneering bacteriologist Lewis McCormick.
One-hundred-and-two years later, the Tourists still play at this ballpark, nestled within a hilly landscape in an otherwise residential neighborhood. This season represents a new era, however, as Minor League Baseball’s third-oldest stadium has undergone extensive renovations and been renamed HomeTrust Park. The changes will be immediately evident to those familiar with the facility, but a distinct throwback charm remains.
A handy rule of thumb for determining what's what throughout the ballpark is that its black structures are new, standing in contrast to the classic red brick exterior that remains a core part of the aesthetic. Fans approaching the main entrance, located on the first-base side of the ballpark, are greeted by a new welcome sign, ticket office and Tourists Trap team store.
"[Fans] used to come into a little tiny opening. It was about 10 feet wide, we had to get 4,000 people in," said Tourists president Brian DeWine. "The old ticket office was actually inside the gates. It made no sense, obviously."
New murals, painted by local artist Amar Stewart and incorporating white paint that glows in the dark, enliven the concourse (which was widened as part of the renovations).
A small picnic area has been added along the first-base line, carved out of what had been foul territory, but there was otherwise little room for expansion within HomeTrust Park's seating bowl.
HomeTrust Park is surrounded by hilly terrain (goats used to do the landscaping on its unruly vegetation), and its tight footprint necessitated famously short dimensions that remain unchanged. It is just 297 feet to the right-field foul pole, while the deepest part of center field is 373 feet away. Home plate has remained in the same place since April 3, 1924, when the ballpark first opened its doors for an exhibition game against Ty Cobb and his Detroit Tigers.
A new videoboard, the first in the ballpark's history, looms beyond left-center field. A no-frills digital scoreboard remains in right field, with the team names famously listed as "Visitors" and "Tourists."
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Fans can't see the action on the field from the concourse, but it is a lively place and some nights are livelier than others. HomeTrust Park is the "Original Home of Thirsty Thursday," the weekly beer special that is now common throughout the Minor Leagues.
"We're one of the few places where you can still get a beer for a dollar," said DeWine. "A dollar on Thursdays for a domestic beer, three dollars for a craft beer."
Most of the Tourists' ballpark fare consists of fresh-cooked ballpark staples, served out of stands flanking both sides of the concourse. DeWine noted, "We're a believer that food should be cooked in front of you. We want this to feel like a state fair."
It doesn't get much more "state fair" than the Tourists' celebrated Deep-Fried Moon Pie, a battered and fried version of the beloved graham cracker and marshmallow "sandwich."
"We're one of the few places where you can still get a beer for a dollar," said DeWine. "A dollar on Thursdays for a domestic beer, three dollars for a craft beer."
Most of the Tourists' ballpark fare consists of fresh-cooked ballpark staples, served out of stands flanking both sides of the concourse. DeWine noted, "We're a believer that food should be cooked in front of you. We want this to feel like a state fair."
It doesn't get much more "state fair" than the Tourists' celebrated Deep-Fried Moon Pie, a battered and fried version of the beloved graham cracker and marshmallow "sandwich."
The concourse is decorated with banners celebrating notable Tourists of the past, including a prominent fictional Tourist. DeWine, gesturing to a picture of Kevin Costner in an Asheville uniform, points out that "Crash Davis actually broke the [Minor League home run record] as a member of the Asheville Tourists. The last scene was filmed here in Asheville."
Further local baseball knowledge can be obtained via the new Asheville Baseball History Walk on the third-base side of the concourse. Did you know that Cal Ripken Jr. spent 1972-74 as a batboy at this ballpark, during the time his father Cal Sr. was the manager of the Asheville Orioles? Or that Babe Ruth declared it to be a "Damned delightful place?" There’s much more where that came from.
The Champion Credit Union Club, a new group area located down the left-field line, also necessitated the reduction of on-field foul territory. It features windows that look into the ballpark's new batting cages, which were one of many improvements made on the player development side. HomeTrust Park entered the season with new clubhouses, weight rooms, kitchen areas and more.
If you're looking for a different perspective from which to take this all in, and for which you don't need a ticket, head up the hill that runs alongside the first-base side of HomeTrust Park. You'll end up at Memorial Stadium -- a public athletic field that opened in 1927 and was itself recently renovated -- which offers an elevated view of the action.
Good night from Asheville, where the Tourists are here to stay.