Campbell's Field
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| Location | 401 North Delaware Avenue Camden, NJ 08102 |
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| Broke ground | June 15, 1999 |
| Opened | May 11, 2001 |
| Owner | Rutgers-Camden |
| Operator | Rutgers-Camden, Camden Riversharks |
| Surface | grass |
| Construction cost | $25 million |
| Architect | Clarke Caton Hintz |
| Capacity | 6,425 |
| Field dimensions | Left Field: 325 feet (99 m)
Center Field: 405 feet (123 m) Right Field: 325 feet (99 m) |
| Tenants | |
| Camden Riversharks (AL) (2001-present) Rutgers-Camden (NJAC) (2001-present) St. Joseph's University (A-10) (2009-2010) |
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Campbell's Field is a 6,425-seat baseball park in Camden, New Jersey that hosted its first regular season baseball game on May 11, 2001. The ballpark is home to the Camden Riversharks and the college baseball team of Rutgers University-Camden. The naming rights are owned by the Camden-based Campbell Soup Company, which paid $3 million over ten years.
The park, located at Delaware and Penn Avenues, features a commanding view of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge connecting Camden with Philadelphia, Pennsylvania across the Delaware River. Views of the Philadelphia skyline are available from the right-field grandstand. These views can be seen through the "Campbell's Field Cam", a stationary weather camera used by KYW-TV in Philadelphia.
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[edit] History
Ground was broken for the ballpark on June 15, 1999, with former New Jersey governor Christine Todd Whitman, in attendance. Campbell's Field was funded by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, a loan from the Delaware River Port Authority, a grant from Rutgers University, and private financing obtained by the builder, Quaker Construction. During construction, the stadium was owned by the Cooper's Ferry Development Association. Upon completion, it became the property of Rutgers, which signed a lease with Camden Baseball, LLC to operate the stadium in conjunction with the Atlantic League.[1]
Campbell's Field opened in May 2001, and was one of the projects designed to spark urban renewal in Camden. The ballpark was honored in 2003 by DigitalBallparks.com and in 2004 by Baseball America as the "Ballpark of the Year." Campbell's Field has been honored with several local awards, including the Camden County Improvement Authority Entertainment Award in 2000, the International Masonry Institute Golden Trowel Award in 2001, the Urban Land Institute's Award for Excellence in 2002, the Downtown New Jersey Excellence Award, the New Jersey Business and Industry Association Good Neighbor Award, and the Distinguished Award for Engineering Excellence given by the Consulting Engineers Council of New Jersey in 2003.[2]
In April 2009, Campbell Soup announced that it would continue to have its name on the ballpark at least through 2020.[3]
[edit] Baseball
On July 14, 2004, Campbell's Field hosted the Atlantic League All-Star Game.[4]
The ballpark also hosted the 2008 Atlantic 10 baseball tournament[5], in which the University of North Carolina-Charlotte defeated Xavier University in the championship game to win the tournament.[6]
The St. Joseph's University baseball team played six games at Campbell's Field in 2009. The Saint Joseph's baseball program will make the park its full-time home for the 2010 season. The University sees the move as a step until it can play home games at an on-campus facility in the future.[7]
[edit] Ballpark attractions
As part of its naming rights contract, the concessions at Campbell's Field feature several Campbell's Soup Company products such as V8 beverages, Pace salsa, and Pepperidge Farm rolls and snacks.[8] A traditional ballpark menu is also available, with hot dogs produced by the Philadelphia-based Dietz & Watson Inc. Additional options are available at the Picnic Pavilion, that includes items from a local barbecue restaurant called Fat Jack's BBQ. The Flying Fish Brewing Company, based in nearby Cherry Hill, caters to beer connoisseurs in the pub area.[9]
The Acme Fun Zone is a playground are that provides entertainment for children. The zone is hosted by the Riversharks mascot, Finley, and includes a carousel and various inflatables. It was formerly called the Utz Fun Zone and Holman Fun Zone.
Campbell's Field offers multiple seating options for its patrons. Executives can enjoy the Diamond Café, which includes a gourmet buffet, with a waiting service, and views of the Philadelphia skyline and the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. The Skyline & Bridge Suites, private rooms available for conferences or meetings, also offer views the skyline and professional catering.
[edit] Concerts
On June 5, 2009, Campbell's Field hosted the popular hip-hop artists T-Pain and Flo Rida.[10]
[edit] References
- ^ O'Connor, Jayne; Gene Herman (2000-06-15). [http://www.nj.gov/transportation/about/press/2000/061500.shtm "Governor Breaks Ground for Ballpark; Unveils Battleship New Jersey"]. Office of the Governor. http://www.nj.gov/transportation/about/press/2000/061500.shtm. Retrieved 2009-01-22.
- ^ Clarke Caton Hintz page on Campbell's Field
- ^ "Business News in Brief: Campbell to buy N.J. bakery". Philadelphia Inquirer. 2009-04-03. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/business/20090403_Business_news_in_brief.html. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
- ^ "Atlantic League All Star Game Managers Announced". Camden Riversharks. 2004-07-05. http://www.riversharks.com/news/index.cfm?news_id=80. Retrieved 2009-01-22.
- ^ "Rhode Island: Hagey and Zaneski Named to Atlantic 10 Baseball All-Conference Team". NCAA.com. 2008-05-20. http://www.ncaa.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/052008aby.html. Retrieved 2009-01-22.
- ^ "Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament, Camden, NJ". NCAA-Baseball.com. 2008-05-25. http://www.ncaa-baseball.com/2008/tournies2008.htm. Retrieved 2009-01-22.
- ^ "Facilities: Campbell's Field". The Official Athletic Site. St. Joseph's University. http://www.sjuhawks.com/facilities/stjs-campbells-field.html. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
- ^ "Fat Jack's Picnic Area". Camden Riversharks. 2009-03-02. http://www.ballparkdigest.com/news/index.html?article_id=1278. Retrieved 2009-04-03.
- ^ "Fat Jack's Picnic Area". Camden Riversharks. 2009-03-02. http://www.riversharks.com/tickets/picnics.cfm. Retrieved 2009-01-02.
- ^ "Fat Jack's Picnic Area". Camden Riversharks. 2009-04-08. http://www.riversharks.com/news/?news_id=889. Retrieved 2009-04-08.
[edit] External links
- Camden Riversharks: Campbell's Field
- Rutgers-Camden baseball
- St. Joseph's University: Campbell's Field
- Ballpark Digest: Campbell's Field
- Ballpark Reviews: Campbell's Field
- Minor League Ballparks: Campbell's Field
Coordinates: 39°57′1″N 75°7′40″W / 39.95028°N 75.12778°W
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