PNC Field, formerly Lackawanna County Stadium (1989â€"2006), is a 10,000-seat minor league baseball stadium located in Moosic, Pennsylvania that serves the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre Metropolitan Area. It is the home of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, the AAA affiliate of the New York Yankees. Lackawanna County sold the naming rights to PNC Bank on February 1, 2007, and the stadium became known as PNC Field.
History
The stadium opened on April 26, 1989. The artificial turf surfaced stadium was used as a multipurpose facility. The upper level seats of the stadium were orange and the lower level seats were green. They also have bleacher seats at the stadium. Many amateur sports competitions were held there, as well as regional band competitions, ice skating, and car shows.
On July 12, 1995, Lackawanna County Stadium hosted the AAA All Star Game. The American League affiliate stars shutout their National League opponents, 9â€"0 in front of 10,965 fans. Future major leaguers to appear in the game included Derek Jeter, Jeromy Burnitz, Jason Isringhausen, and manager Grady Little.
In 2007, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre franchise signed a Player Development Contract with the New York Yankees, ending an 18-year agreement with the Philadelphia Phillies. This new contract called for the conversion of the playing surface to natural grass. The stadium still plays host to several amateur baseball competitions throughout the season.
In February, 2010, the SWB Yankees announced that they have reached an agreement with PNC Bank to renew the naming rights to the stadium. Terms of the deal were not released. PNC Field is to host the 2017 Triple-A Baseball National Championship Game at the end of the season, where the winner of the Pacific Coast League faces the winner of the International League.
Renovations
At a public hearing on November 8, 2010, officials from Lackawanna County, Mandalay Baseball Properties and the Lackawanna County Multipurpose Stadium Authority held a public hearing to discuss the potential sale of the SWB Yankees and possible renovation of PNC Field. The following day, the club announced plans to pursue a $40 million renovation to the stadium which would dramatically alter the current layout of PNC Field. The $43.3 million renovation project officially began on April 27, 2012 beginning with the removal of seats in the stadium's upper deck. The architect of the renovation was EwingCole while the general contractor was Alvin H. Butz, Inc. The renovation was completed in time for opening day 2013.
References
External links
- SWBRailRiders.com - PNC Field
- BallParkWatch - Lackawanna County Stadium - SWB Red Barons
- PNC Field Views - Ball Parks of the Minor Leagues
- Photographs of PNC Field - Rochester Area Ballparks
