Truist Stadium (Winston-Salem)

Summary

Truist Stadium is a ballpark in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States, that replaced Ernie Shore Field. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the Winston-Salem Dash minor league baseball team and primary home field of the Carolina Disco Turkeys summer collegiate baseball team.

Truist Stadium
Truist Stadium is located in North Carolina
Truist Stadium
Truist Stadium
Location within North Carolina
Former namesBB&T Ballpark (2010–2020)
Address951 Ballpark Way
LocationWinston-Salem, NC 27101
Coordinates36°05′30″N 80°15′21″W / 36.091602°N 80.255962°W / 36.091602; -80.255962
OwnerCity of Winston-Salem
OperatorWinston-Salem Dash LLC
Capacity5,500
Field sizeLeft field: 315 ft (96 m)
Center field: 399 ft (122 m)
Right field: 323 ft (98 m)[1]
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Broke groundOctober 30, 2007
OpenedApril 10, 2010
Construction cost$48.7 million[1]
($68 million in 2023 dollars[2])
Architect360 Architecture
CJMW Architecture
Structural engineerCity Structures D&P, Inc.[3]
General contractorSamet Construction[4]
Tenants
Winston-Salem Dash (CL/High-A East) (2010–present)

The ballpark is bounded by Peters Creek Parkway (northwest/west); 1st Street (north); and Green Street (northeast, left-center field). Salem Parkway, which carries US 158 and US 421, is toward the south/southeast.

History edit

It was originally planned to open for the 2009 season. Various delays pushed it to mid-2009, and then to the 2010 season. Oversights such as the budget, by city planners, were reported to be the cause.[5]

The first home game was played on April 13, 2010, against the Potomac Nationals, resulting in a 5–4 loss in 12 innings, before 7,111 spectators.[6] At the end of its first season, the stadium was named Ballpark of the Year by Baseballparks.com.[7]

Naming rights edit

On February 24, 2010, the Dash announced that Winston-Salem based bank BB&T had signed a 15-year naming rights deal for the new ballpark. BB&T also owned the naming rights for fellow Winston-Salem Entertainment-Sports Complex venue BB&T Field, home to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team.[8]

This was the second ballpark in the Carolina League sponsored by BB&T. The first was BB&T Coastal Field (now TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Ballpark), home to the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. BB&T also sponsored BB&T Ballpark (now Truist Field) for the Charlotte Knights which opened in the spring of 2014.[9]

The ballpark was renamed Truist Stadium in June 2020 due to the 2019 merger of BB&T and SunTrust Banks to form Truist.[10]

References edit

  1. ^ a b Reichard, Kevin (April 10, 2010). "BB&T Ballpark / Winston-Salem Dash". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
  2. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  3. ^ "BB&T Ballpark". City Structures D&P, Inc. Archived from the original on July 31, 2012. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
  4. ^ "Building for the Future: Minor League Stadiums". SportsBusiness Journal. April 19, 2009. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
  5. ^ Graff, Laura (May 6, 2009). "Extra Innings, and Still No Winner – Sources: Ballpark Not Likely to Open This Year". Winston-Salem Journal. Archived from the original on July 14, 2020. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
  6. ^ "Nats Take BB&T Ballpark Opener with 5–4 Win". MiLB.com. Minor League Baseball. April 14, 2010. Retrieved April 18, 2010.
  7. ^ Mock, Joe (August 28, 2010). "BB&T Ballpark Definitely Worth the Wait". Baseball Parks. Archived from the original on April 25, 2017. Retrieved August 24, 2011.
  8. ^ Carver, Richard (February 24, 2010). "Spreading the name: BB&T Sees Benefit in Affixing Bank's Name to Stadiums Here and Elsewhere". Winston-Salem Journal. Archived from the original on July 11, 2018. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
  9. ^ Reichard, Kevin (August 24, 2012). "Groundbreaking for New Knights Ballpark Set for Sept. 14". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
  10. ^ Brasier, John (June 18, 2020). "Dash stadium has new name to reflect BB&T merger". Triad Business Journal. Retrieved June 19, 2020.

External links edit

  • BB&T Ballpark A to Z Fan Guide
  • BB&T Ballpark Views – Ball Parks of the Minor Leagues
  • Groundbreaking announcement October 30, 2007
  • 2009 delay and photo
  • 2010 announcement[permanent dead link]
  • Naming rights announcement