Memorial Stadium (Boise)
Memorial Stadium is an outdoor minor league baseball park in the western United States, located in Boise, Idaho. The home of the Boise Hawks of the short season Class A Northwest League, it has a current seating capacity of 3,452 on land owned by Ada County, adjacent to the Western Idaho Fairgrounds on the banks of the Boise River.
| |
| Location | 5600 N. Glenwood Street Boise, Idaho, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 43.656°N 116.279°W |
| Owner | Memorial Stadium Inc. |
| Operator | Memorial Stadium Inc. |
| Capacity | 3,452 |
| Field size | LF: 330 ft (101 m) CF: 400 ft (122 m) RF: 330 ft (101 m) |
| Surface | Natural grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | February 1, 1989[1] |
| Opened | June 16, 1989[2] 32 years ago |
| Construction cost | $2.3 million ($4.74 million in 2019[3]) |
| Architect | CSHQA |
| General contractor | Wright Brothers Building Co.[4] |
| Tenants | |
| Boise Hawks (NWL) 1989–present Boise State Broncos baseball (2020) | |
The stadium opened 32 years ago in 1989, with several significant improvements over time. It was privately built by an investor group led by Bill Pereira and General Manager, Fred Kuenzi. The natural grass playing field at Memorial Stadium is aligned northeast, at an approximate elevation of 2,600 feet (790 m) above sea level.
Hawks' history
After moving from the Tri-Cities after the 1986 season, the renamed Boise Hawks continued as an independent in the Northwest League and played their first two seasons at Bill Wigle Field on the campus of Borah High School. They moved to Memorial Stadium in 1989 and became an affiliate of the California Angels organization in 1990. The Hawks' relationship with the Angels lasted for 11 years before a change to the Chicago Cubs in 2001. The Hawks made another affiliation change to the Colorado Rockies in 2015.
Since their arrival in 1987, the Hawks have won four league titles (1991, 1993–1995) and during the tenure of manager Tom Kotchman, the Hawks won 835 games.
In 2002, Steve McFarland became manager of the Hawks and since then, the Hawks have won two league championships and three divisional titles.
Previous teams
Starting in 1939, Boise was a longtime member of the Pioneer League. The teams were originally known as the Pilots, and later as the Yankees (1952–53) and Braves (1955–63).[5] They played at Airway Park, about a half-mile (0.8 km) east of Albertsons Stadium, in Municipal Park (now Kristin Armstrong M.P.) in east Boise, now the site of the headquarters of the state's fish & game department. (photo - 1950s) The present-day campus of Boise State University was the site of the original Boise airport, Varney Field, until 1940. In its final years, the ballpark was known as "Braves Field."
The last season of the Pioneer League in Boise was 1963 and the city went eleven summers without minor league baseball.
Boise's original team in the Northwest League was the Boise A's of 1975 and 1976. Fresh from Oakland Technical High School, future hall of famer Rickey Henderson was a member of the 1976 team as a 17-year-old. The independent Buckskins debuted in 1978, but after a 23–49 (.319) season, the team folded. Both teams played their home games at Bill Wigle Field, then known as "Borah Field." Boise went without minor league baseball for eight summers until the Hawks arrived in 1987.
References
- "Boise Stadium". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). February 2, 1989. p. D2. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
- "After Crash Course, Tribe Set for Action". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). June 16, 1989. p. C1. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
- Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved January 1, 2020.
- Carson, Onalee (June 12, 2009). "Boise Hawks Celebrates 20 Years". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
- "Minor League Franchises - Boise, Idaho". Baseball Reference. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
External links
- Boise Hawks – Memorial Stadium map
- Idaho Architecture Project – Hawks Memorial Stadium