Operator Spokane County Broke ground January 9, 1958 Team Spokane Indians Phone +1 509-343-6886 | Surface Grass Opened 29 April 1958 Capacity 6,803 | |
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Former names Seafirst Stadium
(1994–1999)
Fairgrounds Ballpark
(1958–1993)
(a.k.a. Indians Stadium) Location 602 N. Havana St.
Spokane, Washington Field size Left Field – 335 ft (102 m)
Center Field – 398 ft (121 m)
Right Field – 296 ft (90 m)
Backstop – N/A Address 602 N Havana St, Spokane, WA 99201, USA Owner Spokane County, Washington Similar Northwest Museum of Arts and, John A Finch Arboretum, Riverfront Park, Spokane Falls, Manito Park and Botanical Profiles | ||
Avista stadium crew ready for season
Avista Stadium is an outdoor athletic venue in the northwest United States, located in Spokane, Washington. It is the home ballpark of the Spokane Indians, a minor league baseball team in the short-season Class A-Short Season Northwest League, and an affiliate of the Texas Rangers. Located at the fairgrounds east of downtown, the elevation of the playing field is 1,910 feet (580 m) above sea level.
Contents
Inside the northwest league avista stadium in spokane
History
Built in less than four months at the Interstate Fairgrounds, the stadium opened 59 years ago in 1958 and has a seating capacity of 6,803; large for Single A ballpark. The facility was built for AAA in the Pacific Coast League, which it hosted for 24 of its first 25 seasons. The parent club in 1958 was the Los Angeles Dodgers, who had just moved out west from Brooklyn and moved their PCL affiliate, the Los Angeles Angels, north to Spokane. They stayed for fourteen seasons, through 1971, then departed to New Mexico and became the Albuquerque Dukes.
After one year in the short-season Northwest League as a Dodger affiliate, the Triple-A PCL returned in 1973, from Portland, as the Texas Rangers' top affiliate. The Milwaukee Brewers became the Indians' parent club in 1976, Seattle Mariners in 1979, and California Angels in 1982. The Indians left for Las Vegas after the 1982 season and the NWL returned in 1983 and has remained for over three decades.
Earlier ballparks
The preceding minor league ballpark in Spokane was Ferris Field, which was about a mile west, on the west side of Playfair Race Course. Named for city attorney George M. Ferris, its original wooden grandstand was built in 1936. Ferris was a former player and manager for the Indians who secured funding from the WPA to build it. A fire in October 1948 damaged most of the grandstands and it was rebuilt in concrete and steel in the spring of 1949. Earlier baseball venues in Spokane were Recreation Park, Natatorium Park, and the original Twickenham Park.
In 1954, four-year-old Memorial Stadium (now Joe Albi Stadium) was considered as a potential minor league baseball venue.
Other uses
For three seasons beginning in 2004, the Gonzaga Bulldogs used the stadium as its home venue while its current venue was being built. In 2011, the Spokane Chiefs hosted the first outdoor game in Western Hockey League history at Avista Stadium on January 15; the home team routed the Kootenay Ice, 11-2.
Stadium name
Naming rights were purchased in 1998 (and the stadium renamed after the 1999 season) by Avista, the Spokane-based utility founded in 1889 as Washington Water Power Company. The venue's first corporate name was Seafirst Stadium, from 1994 through 1999.