Herschel Greer Stadium is an abandoned Minor League Baseball park located in Nashville, Tennessee, on the grounds of Fort Negley, an American Civil War fortification, approximately two miles (3 km) south of the city's downtown district. It can currently seat 10,300 people.
Built in 1978 for the Nashville Sounds, an expansion franchise of the Double-A Southern League, the stadium played host to the team until 2014. In 1985, the Sounds transitioned into a Triple-A franchise, competing first in the American Association and later the Pacific Coast League. Amidst the Sounds' 37-season run, Greer simultaneously hosted two professional baseball clubs in 1993 and 1994, acting as a temporary home to a displaced Southern League franchise known during that period as the Nashville Xpress. The stadium also saw occasional use as a field for college baseball, high school football, and charity softball events.
The stadium is best recognized by its distinctive guitar-shaped scoreboard, which displayed the line score across the neck. It has been the site of three minor league all-star games, eight no-hit games, including one perfect game, and a 24-inning game which tied the record for the longest game in PCL history.
The subject of numerous upgrades and repairs to maintain its functionality, Greer became one of the oldest stadiums used by a Triple-A team, and by the end of its use had fallen well below professional baseball's standards for a stadium at that class level. For over a decade, the Sounds attempted to secure agreements with the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County for a new ballpark to replace Greer, eventually resulting in the construction of First Tennessee Park, which became the Sounds' new home in 2015.
Greer Stadium has been closed and unused since the end of the 2014 baseball season, and virtually abandoned since the Sounds' offices were moved to the new facility in early 2015. As of May 2018, the stadium is still standing, but Mayor David Briley has proposed demolishing the structure and reincorporating the land into Fort Negley Park.
Video Herschel Greer Stadium
History
1977-1979
When Larry Schmittou decided to bring professional baseball back to Nashville in the late 1970s, he knew he would have to build a new ballpark for his team. He negotiated a lease with the city for a plot of land at the foot of St. Cloud Hill on the grounds of Fort Negley, an American Civil War fortification, approximately two miles (three km) south of downtown. At the time, this was the site of a city-owned softball complex that the city planned to relocate. The city was prepared to lease him the land, but Schmittou would be responsible for building the stadium, paying the property taxes, and paying the city a portion of the team's total revenue.
The projected construction cost of the stadium was between US$300,000 and $500,000; but the actual cost was $1.5 million. Schmittou looked to local suppliers to donate construction materials, took out a $30,000 loan from a bank, and even mortgaged his own home to help pay for the ballpark. Country music star Conway Twitty helped Schmittou bring in fellow stars Jerry Reed, Richard Sterban, and Cal Smith as well as other members of the Nashville community as team shareholders. The stadium was posthumously named for Herschel Lynn Greer, a prominent Nashville businessman and the first president of the Nashville Vols baseball team, whose family donated $25,000 for stadium construction.
The home opener for Greer's first tenants, the Southern League's Nashville Sounds, Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, was scheduled for April 25, 1978. Construction was underway, but Schmittou knew the ballpark would not be ready by that date. The team requested to open the season with road games and had to swap a series with the Chattanooga Lookouts in order to have more time to complete the stadium. Even with this extra time, the ballpark was still behind schedule. Much of the sod that been laid that winter died. By the time the replacement grass had arrived, the crew hired to lay the sod had left. General manager Farrell Owens organized a volunteer crew to lay the sod by calling a local radio station to announce the team was having a "sod party". A group of approximately 50 people came out to lay and roll the sod the day before the scheduled opening game.
The Sounds' home opener, scheduled for April 25, was rained out and pushed back to April 26. After playing their first ten games away from home, and with tractors and grading machines still preparing the field on game day, the Sounds played their first home game at Herschel Greer Stadium on April 26, 1978. The 12-4 victory against the Savannah Braves was witnessed by a sellout crowd of 8,156 spectators. Southern League president Billy Hitchcock was on hand to witness the event, and Conway Twitty threw out the first pitch.
Though the stadium was opened on time, the late sod was not the only issue on opening day. The stadium's seats, which had previously been installed in Atlanta's Fulton County Stadium, arrived just in time. Construction of the backstop was still being completed on opening day. Players for both the Sounds and the visiting Braves had concerns about the safety of playing on the quickly installed infield, initially refusing to even play on the surface. Left fielders complained about the extra-steep slope in left field that prevented them from seeing home plate. Only two women's restrooms and one men's restroom were functioning; a few portable toilets were also available.
Initially, Greer was capable of seating 7,200 spectators, but was expanded to 8,800 by the end of the inaugural season. Theater-type seats with back support and armrests accounted for 3,000 of the stadium's seats; bleacher seats made up the remainder. The press box included two radio broadcast booths and an organ booth. There were locker rooms for two teams, which each accommodated 25 people, as well as a locker room for umpires. The field measured 330 feet (100 m) down the left and right field lines, 375 feet (114 m) to left- and right-center fields, and 405 feet (123 m) to center field. Bullpens are located in foul territory in the outfield, with the home team occupying the third base dugout, and the visitors occupying the first base dugout. Eight lighting grids atop steel poles 100 feet (30 m) high provided illumination for night games. Amenities for customers at the park included two men's and women's restrooms and seven concession stands.
With the addition of 5,000 permanent seats, Greer's seating capacity was increased to 13,000 for the 1979 season. Improvements to the playing field included new irrigation and drainage systems which raised the field 5 feet (1.5 m) above its previous elevation.
1980-1989
Prior to the 1981 season, Greer underwent a number of renovations including the addition of over 1,200 box seats and over 1,000 new general admission seats. Two wooden general admission seating areas were replaced by 2,000 contoured seats. The original backstop which consisted of several steel poles was upgraded to a steel cable system, eliminating most of the poles. Other stadium upgrades included two new dugouts, three entrance and exit ramps, a new sound system, doubling the size of the reader panel on the scoreboard, and enlarging the ticket booth. The ballpark's attendance record was set on August 18, 1982, when 22,315 people watched the Sounds play against the Columbus Astros.
From February through mid-summer 1984, major renovations and additions were made to the stadium. A full-service restaurant, The Hall of Fame Stadium Club, and a mini-roof, to cover the last five rows of the reserved seating section and the main concourse, were built. A new press box included accommodations for members of the media, 2 separate booths for home and visiting radio broadcasts, and 2 separate booths for home and visiting television broadcasts. Ten sky boxes were built adjacent the press box; by 1989, the number of sky boxes had increased to 18.
On July 2, 1984, Schmittou purchased the Triple-A Evansville Triplets of the American Association. The team moved from Evansville to Nashville for the 1985 season, upon which the Triplets' legacy was retired and the franchise adopted the Sounds' name and history, effectively elevating the organization from Double-A to Triple-A. The Double-A Southern League franchise was moved to Huntsville, Alabama, where the team began play as the Huntsville Stars at the hastily constructed Joe W. Davis Stadium.
To prepare for the move to Triple-A, renovations continued prior to the 1985 season with the addition of 1,200 box seats, which replaced some of the reserved grandstand seating, as well as more seating past the right field foul pole. A 4-line scoreboard 10 feet (3.0 m) high replaced the stadium's original, which was relocated to far left field to serve as an out-of-town scoreboard, providing scores for American League, National League, and American Association baseball games.
Schmittou wanted "to put Nashville in contention for a future major league team." Along with this goal, the need for more seating, and a desire to make Greer a more attractive ballpark, significant renovations began after the 1987 season. The number of box seats was increased by 40%, the clubhouse and umpire facilities were upgraded, and the dugouts were entirely rebuilt. The new dugouts took up slightly more room than the previous ones, resulting in a minor contraction of the field's dimensions: 327 feet (100 m) down the left and right field lines, 371 feet (113 m) to left and right-center fields, and 400 feet (120 m) to center field. The stadium's main concourse entrance was redesigned to incorporate the stonemasonry of the adjacent Fort Negley. This expansion brought Greer's total seating capacity up to 18,000.
1990-1999
In 1990, Major League Baseball team owners met to demand that minor league owners improve their ballparks in order to meet their desired standards. Greer had already fallen behind other parks when it came to the quality of the field and clubhouse, and it also lacked a weight room and batting cages. Following his failed bid to secure an MLB team for Nashville in the 1993 Major League Baseball expansion process (Nashville was one of ten cities considered, but was eliminated from contention very early in the process; the two new franchises were eventually awarded to Denver and Miami), Schmittou focused on scaling-back his proposed MLB stadium into a new Triple-A facility for the Sounds. At a time when other Triple-A cities were building new, relatively luxurious ballparks, Schmittou was unable to convince mayor Phil Bredesen or the Metro Council to pay for such a new park. He considered moving the team to a surrounding county, and even tried, unsuccessfully, to get the Metro Council to pass a referendum to let taxpayers vote on a temporary tax increase to pay off a proposed $40 million stadium in three years. In the end, Schmittou elected to keep the Sounds at Greer but make significant improvements to the stadium.
Greer's distinctive guitar-shaped scoreboard was installed behind the left-center field wall prior to the 1993 season. Another addition in 1993 was that of a second team to play at Greer. From 1993 to 1994, the ballpark simultaneously served as the home field for the Sounds and the Nashville Xpress, the Double-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins which played in the Southern League. This came about when Charlotte, North Carolina acquired a Triple-A expansion franchise in 1993, leaving the city's Double-A team, the Charlotte Knights, without a home. Sounds President Larry Schmittou offered Greer Stadium as a temporary home for the team. In order to accommodate another club at Greer, the Xpress scheduled its home games during the Sounds' road trips. This marked the first time since the New York Mets and Yankees shared Shea Stadium in 1975 that two teams shared a facility. Baseball America ranked the dual Nashville teams as number one on its list of the "top ten happenings in minor league baseball." In April 1994, Michael Jordan's foray into minor league baseball attracted 16,842 fans to Greer to see the Xpress face his team, the Birmingham Barons, for the first time that season. In 1995, the Xpress relocated to Wilmington, North Carolina and became the Port City Roosters.
Over $200,000 was spent on renovations in the fall and winter before the 1995 season. The home clubhouse and weight room were remodeled, aisles behind the dugouts were resurfaced to reduce slippery areas, and the entire playing field was re-sodded. This was the first replacement and upgrading of the field since the original sod was laid in 1978. First, all of the old grass was stripped from the field. Then, the grounds crew installed a new drainage system. Four trenches were dug and laid with 2,500 feet (760 m) of drainage pipe to carry water away from the field and beyond the center field wall. A layer of gravel was laid over the pipe, and a 4-to-6-inch (10 to 15 cm) layer of sand was placed above the gravel. After raising the level of the infield dirt and brick warning track to the same height of the new field, 100,000 square feet (9,300 m²) of Tifton 419 Bermuda Grass was installed on the field and edged into a baseball diamond configuration.
Larry Schmittou sold his majority interest in the Sounds to Al Gordon, president of AmeriSports Companies LLC, before the 1997 season. The new ownership group refurbished every area of the stadium, including the concession stands, bathrooms, concourse, stadium exterior, home clubhouse (a visitor's clubhouse had been built under the third base bleachers for the 1996 season), and parking lots. Several sections of bleachers in left field past third base were removed and replaced by tents and a group picnic area. This brought the seating capacity to 11,500.
Following the 1997 season, the American Association was dissolved, and the Sounds became a member of the Pacific Coast League. As a result, Greer became the second-easternmost stadium in PCL history behind the Indianapolis Indians' Bush Stadium when the team played in the PCL from 1964 to 1968. Greer was the easternmost active PCL stadium from 1998 to 2014.
As consumer preferences changed and in an effort to attract larger groups to the ballpark, in the late 1990s, Greer Stadium's fixed-seating capacity was reduced to 10,300 by eliminating the bleacher sections along the third base side and beyond right field, and constructing three party decks in their places. As a result, the general admission area became confined only to the existing bleachers behind the reserved seating along the first base line in right field. A fourth party area was created by repurposing unused space atop the grandstands behind home plate. Another deck was constructed behind the right-field foul pole, which, at times, featured a rentable hot tub.
2000-2009
The aging Greer Stadium was not meant to last longer than 30 years, and was the subject of many renovations in the early 2000s to meet minimum Triple-A standards. In 2003, the Sounds proposed a new stadium to be built with a mix of public and private funds at the corner of 1st Avenue South and Gateway Boulevard (now Korean Veterans Boulevard) in Downtown Nashville on the former site of the city's thermal transfer energy plant, targeting an opening date in April 2006. After two years of the Sounds lobbying for the new park and threatening to leave town (either for the suburbs or a new city altogether), Mayor Bill Purcell agreed to support preliminary plans for the stadium on October 25, 2005, and the Nashville Metro Council approved the new stadium on February 7, 2006, due in part to the Sounds securing construction financing through a consortium of banks and avoiding taxpayer expense. It was to be called First Tennessee Field. Opening day at the proposed new venue was repeatedly pushed back, eventually to as late as April 2009. However, the Sounds and private developers Struever Brothers, Eccles, & Rouse were unable to finalize financing and design plans for the new stadium by the April 15, 2007, deadline set by the Metro Council. As a result, the First Tennessee Field construction project was canceled and the Sounds remained at Greer with an uncertain future.
Following the dissolution of the plans for the new ballpark, and prior to the 2008 season, more than $1 million in upgrades and repairs were made to Greer Stadium. The improvements, which included a new clubhouse for the Sounds and visiting teams beyond the center field wall, improved field lighting, and improvements to restrooms, walkways, and seating, were made in order to keep the stadium functional for another three to five years.
MFP Baseball, which purchased the Sounds in early 2009, invested over $2 million to make repairs and upgrades to the aging stadium's playing field, restrooms, concession stands, scoreboard, sound system, and seating. The infield was re-sodded and leveled, protective railing was installed along the edge of the field, and the backstop netting was replaced. The entire concourse and guitar scoreboard were repainted, broken seats were replaced, and Sluggers Sports Bar & Grill was remodeled. A permanent concert stage and a family fun zone were constructed by the concourse entrance.
2010-2014
In 2011, MFP Baseball and the Mayor's Office began working toward a new stadium, with the city identifying three potential sites for construction, and recruiting stadium-builder Populous to study each. The three sites were an area on the north end of The Gulch, the site of Nashville's first ballpark (Sulphur Dell), and various areas directly adjacent to Nissan Stadium and the eastern terminus of the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge. The Sounds still preferred the Thermal site due to its proximity to the city's entertainment and central business districts, but the city was not willing to make a second attempt at a stadium in that location (Ascend Amphitheater was eventually built there). Mayor Karl Dean preferred the Sulphur Dell site, in an attempt to bolster economic growth on downtown's sluggish North side, while incorporating the ballpark into the surrounding neighborhoods. In late summer 2013, the Sounds and the Nashville Metropolitan Government reached an agreement to build a new $37 million downtown ballpark at Sulphur Dell. Construction on First Tennessee Park began after necessary land-swaps with the State of Tennessee, and the new ballpark opened in time for the start of the 2015 season.
Knowing that the 2014 season would be the team's 37th and final campaign at the old ballpark, the Sounds launched the "Last Cheer At Greer", a season-long celebration of the stadium that included nods to its history and promotional giveaways to commemorate the closing. On August 27, 2014, the Sounds hosted their final game at Greer Stadium: an 8-5 loss to the Sacramento River Cats. In his only plate appearance of the evening, Nashville catcher Lucas May struck out swinging with a full count and the bases loaded to end the game. Announced attendance at the game was a standing-room-only crowd of 11,067, the first sellout since 2010, and the largest crowd since 2007.
2015-present (post-closure)
After the Sounds' administrative offices were moved to First Tennessee Park in early 2015, Greer became essentially abandoned. Vandals peppered the site with graffiti, and many of the building's windows and box seats were damaged. The playing field became overgrown with brush, and photos of the stadium's interior began appearing on the websites and social media accounts of anonymous urban explorers.
Later that year, Mayor Dean expressed interest in converting the facility to a community sporting complex or a new city park, but, nearing the end of his term, ultimately deferred the decision to the next mayor (Megan Barry, elected 2015). In the meantime, Metropolitan Director of Parks Tommy Lynch recommended that the stadium be demolished due to the potential costs for any renovation, including the removal of asbestos. The department asked Mayor Barry for $800,000 to fund the demolition of the concourse and seating bowl so as to expand the green space at the property which could then be sold to private developers.
Proposed uses for the land included a soccer stadium, an indoor tennis facility for Belmont University, public tennis courts, rodeo grounds, a Kroger grocery store, and a neighborhood park. In a letter to the editor of The Tennessean, former Sounds owner Larry Schmittou expressed his interest in Greer becoming an amateur baseball park, citing its amenities and several Metro high schools that lack baseball diamonds of their own. Two public meetings were held in September 2016 to discuss these and other proposals and ideas for the space.
The city's goal was to create a mixed-use development with green space and affordable housing. By April 2017, a special committee had narrowed the search for a plan and site developer down to five proposals. In May 2017, the Barry administration selected a proposal called Cloud Hill by the Nashville-based Mathews Company and backed by music producer T Bone Burnett. The proposed redevelopment of the 21-acre site included music and art space, a community center, open park space, and affordable housing. The footprint of the baseball diamond and outfield would have been turned into the Great Lawn, a 4.2-acre (1.7 ha) green space accommodating amateur baseball and soccer. Renderings showed the guitar scoreboard and a portion of the outfield wall intact. The plan, which awaited final approval by Metro Parks and the Metro Council, was met with concerns by citizens and groups whom preferred to see the property restored entirely to parkland and the site's history preserved. Other concerns were raised over the lack of transparency in the city's planning process and the privatization of publicly owned land. Cloud Hill's developers cancelled their plans in January 2018 after archaeologists determined that undisturbed areas on the edge of the Greer property, but not part of the stadium itself, were the unmarked burial sites of slaves forced to build Fort Negley. Mayor Barry expressed her desire that the site honor the history of those who died building the fort.
Following Barry's resignation in March 2018, acting Mayor David Briley proposed the demolition of Greer Stadium, which would reincorporate the site into Fort Negley Park. He will seek Metro Council approval for the approximately $1 million needed to demolish the stadium, which would then be seeded over with grass. The Metro Historical Commission would also be tasked with determining a plan to convert the site into one which will honor its Civil War history.
Maps Herschel Greer Stadium
Notable events
All-Star Games
The Southern League All-Star Game was held twice at Greer Stadium, once in 1979 and again in 1983. In 1979, the All-Star team competed against the major league Atlanta Braves. The All-Stars defeated the Braves by a score of five to two. When the game returned to Nashville in 1983, the All-Star squad played against the hosting Nashville Sounds. The Sounds lost to the All-Stars, 3-2.
Greer played host to the Triple-A All-Star Game on July 14, 1994. Before a crowd of 11,601, and live television and radio audiences, the team of National League-affiliated (NL) All-Stars defeated the team of American League-affiliated (AL) All-Stars, 8-5. Brad Woodall (NL - Richmond Braves) was the winning pitcher, Gary Buckels (NL - Louisville Redbirds) earned a save, and Kirt Ojala (AL - Columbus Clippers) was the losing pitcher. The "Stars of Stars", or Most Valuable Players, were Luis Lopez (International League - Richmond), Paul Faries (PCL - Phoenix Firebirds), and Ray Durham (American Association - Nashville). Scott Coolbaugh of Louisville won the Home Run Derby.
Major league exhibitions
On April 16, 1981, the New York Yankees made a stop in Nashville to play an exhibition game against the Sounds. The 10-1 Yankees victory was played in front of a standing-room only crowd of 17,318 spectators. Some Yankees present at the game included owner George Steinbrenner, coach Yogi Berra, and players Reggie Jackson, Bucky Dent, Lou Piniella, Bobby Murcer, Goose Gossage, Tommy John, and Johnny Oates. The Yankees returned for another game against the Sounds on April 28, 1983. Former Sound Don Mattingly, as well as Yankees manager Billy Martin and pitcher Goose Gossage were in attendance. The Sounds, who trailed the Yankees, 4-0, going into the bottom of the ninth inning, scored five runs to beat the Yankees, 5-4, before a crowd of 13,641.
The St. Louis Cardinals and Toronto Blue Jays played an exhibition game at Greer on April 3, 1983. Tennessee Governor Lamar Alexander was in attendance to watch the teams, which included players Ozzie Smith, George Hendrick, Rafael Santana, Keith Hernandez, Alfredo Griffin, former Sounds outfielder Willie McGee, and manager Bobby Cox. The Blue Jays defeated the Cardinals, 7-6, before a crowd of 13,742. On April 4-5, 1987, the Cincinnati Reds (managed by Pete Rose) and Montreal Expos played a two-game exhibition series at Greer. The first game ended with an 8-8 tie in the eleventh inning, but the Reds defeated the Expos, by a score of 5-3, in the second game of the series.
Three major league exhibitions were to take place at Greer prior to the 1988 season. On April 1, the Cincinnati Reds were scheduled to play against the Chicago White Sox, but the game was rained out. The White Sox were defeated by the Cleveland Indians, 8-6, on April 2. On April 3, the Pittsburgh Pirates won over the Indians by a score of 3-2. The Cincinnati Reds visited Nashville to play against the Sounds on April 23, 1990. A crowd of 14,012 witnessed the Reds defeat Nashville, 3-0. The Reds returned April 6, 1991, to face the Cleveland Indians, resulting in a 4-3 Cincinnati victory in 10 innings.
In March 1996, Greer hosted eight major league teams competing in five games in what was billed as the Nashville Baseball Classic. On March 28, the Chicago White Sox defeated the Texas Rangers by a score of 4-3. The Cleveland Indians won over the St. Louis Cardinals, 9-3, in a second game played the same day. March 29's doubleheader saw the White Sox defeat the Montreal Expos, 9-5, and the Detroit Tigers beat the Cincinnati Reds, 7-4. On March 31, the Expos won over the Kansas City Royals, 3-1.
No-hitters and perfect games
Greer Stadium was the setting for eight no-hit games, including one perfect game. The first took place on May 16, 1981, when Jeff Cornell, of the visiting Jacksonville Suns, pitched a 4-0 no-hit game against the Sounds. The second no-hitter at Greer was Jim Deshaies' 5-1 win over the Columbus Astros on May 4, 1984. In the second inning, Deshaies walked three batters and hit another, accounting for the only Astros run of the game, part of a seven-inning doubleheader. The third, a 6-0 win over the Oklahoma City 89ers, was thrown by Nashville's Bryan Kelly on July 17, 1985.
In a rare occurrence, the Sounds and the Indianapolis Indians exchanged no-hitters on back-to-back nights (August 6 and August 7, 1988). First, Indianapolis' Randy Johnson and Pat Pacillo combined for a no-hit loss against the Sounds, a 1-0 Nashville win. Nashville won when Lenny Harris walked to first base, stole second base and third base, and then came home, scoring on a groundout. The next night, Nashville's Jack Armstrong registered a no-hit game against the Indians, a 4-0 Sounds victory. This was the only time in American Association history that teams played in back-to-back no-hit games.
On April 7, 2003, John Wasdin tossed a perfect game at Greer in a 4-0 win over the Albuquerque Isotopes. This was only the second nine-inning perfect complete game in the 100-year history of the PCL. Wasdin threw 100 pitches, striking out 15 batters. Later in the year, on August 2, Colorado Springs Sky Sox pitchers Chris Gissell (7 innings pitched (IP)) and Jesús Sánchez (2 IP) combined for a no-hit 3-0 win against Nashville. The final no-hit effort at Greer took place on July 15, 2006, when Nashville pitchers Carlos Villanueva (6 IP), Mike Meyers (2 IP), and Alec Zumwalt (1 IP) combined on a 2-0 win over the Memphis Redbirds.
24-inning game
On May 5-6, 2006, Greer was the site of a game which tied the record for the longest game, in terms of innings played, in PCL history. The Sounds and the New Orleans Zephyrs competed in a 24-inning game, played over the course of two days, which lasted a total of eight hours and seven minutes. New Orleans defeated Nashville by a score of five runs to four. The record was originally set on June 8, 1909 in a game between the San Francisco Seals and Oakland Oaks. A few years later, on September 10, 1911, the record was tied by a contest between the Sacramento Solons and Portland Beavers. Seven PCL records were broken in the game, and three were tied.
Other events
In 1979 and 1980, Greer Stadium was the home of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) World Series. The Lipscomb Bisons of Nashville's Lipscomb University won the 1979 series, and the Grand Canyon Antelopes of Grand Canyon University won in 1980.
In the early 1980s, Greer served as the home field for the Father Ryan High School football team. Father Ryan returned to playing at Greer from 2006 through 2008, before moving to a new school athletic complex for the 2009 season. Depending on the Sounds' schedule, some of the school's home games were held at the visiting school's field (with Father Ryan designated as the home team) or at other unused local high school fields. In the football configuration, the field runs along the first base line.
Until the 2011 opening of E. S. Rose Park, the Belmont Bruins baseball team played the majority of its season at Greer. When the Sounds' home schedule prohibited its use, Belmont's games were played at Nashville's Shelby Park.
Greer was the site of the City of Hope Celebrity Softball Challenge from 1991 to 2014. Two teams of country music stars participated in the game, from which proceeds go toward research and treatment of cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Past participants include Vince Gill, Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, Billy Ray Cyrus, Sara Evans, Montgomery Gentry, and Phil Vassar. As of the 2008 event, more than $1.5 million had been raised. In 2015, the game relocated to First Tennessee Park.
From 2001 to 2011, Greer was home to the Jeff Fisher & Friends Charity Softball Game. Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher and players from the team, past and present, competed in order to benefit local charities. Titans participants included Vince Young, Steve McNair, Eddie George, Frank Wycheck, Rob Bironas, and Keith Bulluck, among others. Tomá? Vokoun and head coach Barry Trotz of the National Hockey League's Nashville Predators have also taken part.
The Oak Ridge Boys, including Sounds' minority shareholder Richard Sterban, were photographed standing in the seats along Greer's left field line for the cover of their 1989 album, American Dreams.
In 2002, the music video for Steve Earle's "Some Dreams", a song featured in the motion picture The Rookie, was filmed at Greer. The video, intercut with clips from the film, shows Earle and his band performing the song on the empty ballpark's field.
Scoreboard
Greer's distinctive guitar-shaped scoreboard was manufactured by the Fairtron Corporation and installed by the Joslin Sign Company prior to the 1993 season at a cost of $400,000. It was originally conceived as the centerpiece for a proposed major league ballpark in Nashville sought after by owner Larry Schmittou as a part of the 1993 Major League Baseball expansion. It is painted black with red, yellow, and white trim, and is located behind the outfield wall in left-center field.
The line score was displayed on the guitar's neck, while the ball/strike/out count, the batter's uniform number, and the hit/error indicator are all situated on the headstock. Six small advertising signs represent the tuning keys. The body of the guitar currently features only an LED display board for displaying messages. Initially, the scoreboard featured two matrix message boards: a low-resolution RGB color board on the left which featured advertising and animations, and a white-light monochromatic board on the right, which primarily featured statistical information and other text-based messages. The monochrome board was replaced by an orange-tinted LED display board in 2009 which served both purposes, while the color board was deactivated and covered with advertising signage. The Greer Stadium scoreboard has never had the ability to display video or any kind of high-resolution images. Between the two boards are an analog clock and a current temperature display. As of 2014, the temperature display is no longer active. Around the boards are four large spaces for advertising; the two on top are static, and the two on bottom rotate between three images each (the rotating spaces have been covered with static signage since 2009). High-tension nets cover the electronic sections to protect them from home run balls. Above the board is a circular advertising space. This space originally displayed the team's guitar-swinger logo, and at times has displayed other Sounds logos. Originally, when a home run was hit, the guitar-swinger logo would light up and perimeter lights around the entire scoreboard would begin flashing; it was also capable of shooting fireworks after each Sounds home run. By the mid-2000s, the scoreboard had fallen into a state of disrepair and obsolescence, and was only marginally functional. Many of the lights were no longer able to be lit, and replacement parts were becoming hard to find. When MFP Baseball purchased the team in late 2008, the organization made minor renovations to the scoreboard, rendering it once again fully functional, although not to its original specifications. It was also repainted black, red, yellow, and white over its original red, white, and blue color scheme to reflect the team's present colors.
The entire scoreboard measures 115.6 feet (35.2 m) across, 53 feet (16 m) high, and 2 feet (0.61 m) deep. Individual components of the guitar are as follows: 60-foot (18 m) body, 36-foot (11 m) neck, and 19.6-foot (6.0 m) tuning key section. It is installed approximately 80 feet (24 m) above the ground. It takes 243,155 watts to power its 8,179 total lamps, which are connected to 64,169 feet (19,559 m) of wire. The entire display weighs 35,825 pounds (16,250 kg).
As of 2013, due to leaks in its exterior, the scoreboard's functionality can be crippled for a period of time following a rainstorm, rendering many of its electronic features dark.
Greer Stadium's guitar scoreboard was not moved to First Tennessee Park, and remains standing as of March 2018. The Sounds organization installed a modern version at the new venue, capable of displaying high-definition video. The first design renderings of First Tennessee Park did not feature a guitar scoreboard. On April 22, 2014, at the announcement of First Tennessee's naming rights agreement, Sounds owner Frank Ward told The Tennessean: "The guitar scoreboard at Greer is staying at Greer. At some point in time we will share what our new scoreboard will look like, but it's too early in the process. We're trying to figure it out as we speak." Two months later, on June 20, 2014, Ward announced that a new guitar scoreboard would indeed be constructed, citing overwhelming demand from the community.
Greer Stadium's original scoreboard was a black, non-descript, rectangular unit with a 2-line reader panel. In 1985, it was moved to beside the left field foul pole to make room for a new rectangular 4-line scoreboard 10 feet (3 m) high with a fully animated reader panel. The original unit was then used as an out-of-town scoreboard, displaying the scores of other baseball games. When the guitar display was installed in 1993, the original scoreboard was removed and replaced by the second scoreboard, which became the new out-of-town board. From 2008 to 2014, the out-of-town scoreboard was not used to display scores; instead it was used only as a support for additional advertising signage.
Facilities
Seating at the ballpark includes fixed stadium seats, general admission bleachers, some with contoured seats, and eighteen skyboxes located on the third floor. As of 2014, total seating capacity was 10,300. Games can be watched from one of four picnic areas--one behind home plate, one on the third base line, one in the third base stands, and one beyond the right field wall. A rentable hot tub deck was located in the right field corner. There was a concert stage and family fun zone located on The Plaza inside the concourse entrance.
Several concession stands and cart vendors were located on the concourse. The stadium was home to a full-service restaurant called Sluggers Sports Bar and Grill, which was located on the fourth floor and closed when the Sounds vacated Greer. The restaurant and bar was open during all Sounds home dates, and games could be viewed from the restaurant via windows overlooking the field.
References
- General
- Woody, Larry. Schmittou: A Grand Slam in Baseball, Business, And Life. Nashville: Eggmann Publishing Company, 1996. ISBN 1-886371-33-4
- Specific
External links
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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