Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium

Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium is the home of the Aberdeen IronBirds, Class A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles in the Mid-Atlantic League. The stadium is located in Aberdeen, Maryland. The 6,300-seat Ripken Stadium held its first game on June 18, 2002. The team has sold out every home game at Ripken Stadium since it began playing there in 2002.[7][8]

Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium

The entrance of Ripken Stadium
Location873 Long Drive
Aberdeen, Maryland 21001
Coordinates39.530873°N 76.185985°W / 39.530873; -76.185985
OwnerCity of Aberdeen
OperatorMaryland Stadium Authority
Capacity6,300[1]
Field sizeLeft Field – 310 feet (94 m)
Center Field – 400 feet (122 m)
Right Field – 310 feet (94 m)
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Broke groundOctober 19, 2000[2]
OpenedJune 18, 2002[3]
Construction cost$18 million[4]
($25.6 million in 2019 dollars[5])
ArchitectDesign Exchange Architects Inc.
Ripken Design
Project managerHeery International[6]
General contractorBaltimore Contractors LLC[3]
Tenants
Aberdeen IronBirds (NYPL/MAL) 2002–present

The stadium is part of Cal Ripken, Jr.'s Aberdeen Complex in his hometown of Aberdeen, Maryland, located just off Interstate 95 at Maryland Route 22. Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium is only 2.9 miles off the East Coast Greenway. The complex also includes several smaller fields for local youth sports leagues, as well as an adjacent Marriott hotel. The stadium is the closest structure of the complex to the highway, with the right field fence and scoreboard visible from it. The stadium hosts soccer matches as well.

The expansive parking lot of Ripken Stadium is frequently used as a venue for SCCA autocross racing for many racers on the east coast.

Features

The stadium features a three-tiered cafe behind home plate, available for patrons who want to have dinner and drinks during a game. The upper level has a press box behind home plate, 256 club seats and six skyboxes. Ripken Stadium was one of the first short-season Single-A ballparks to have a fully enclosed club level and skyboxes.[6]

Notable events

In 2009, The Maryland Redbirds, of the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League, (the CRSCBL), played all weekday games and one weekend doubleheader at the stadium. The CRSCBL previously used the stadium for the annual all-star game in 2005 and 2007. The stadium also hosted the inaugural Ripken Cup collegiate baseball invitational between University of Maryland and Towson University on April 15, 2014 and May 7, 2014.[9] The 2016 Big East Conference Baseball Tournament was held in Aberdeen May 26–29.

An inside view of Ripken Stadium.

References
  1. "Ripken Stadium". Minor League Baseball. February 6, 2009. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
  2. "Groundbreaking Set for Aberdeen Stadium". The Baltimore Sun. October 19, 2000. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  3. Broughton, David (June 17, 2002). "Facility Opening: Ripken Stadium". SportsBusiness Journal. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  4. "The Error in Aberdeen". The Baltimore Sun. December 16, 2007. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  5. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  6. Gunts, Edward (June 16, 2002). "Only the Players Are Minor-League". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  7. "IronBirds Close Out Season With One Last Walk-Off Win". Minor League Baseball. September 5, 2010. Archived from the original on May 19, 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2011. The IronBirds front office staff would like to send out a big "thank you" to the fans for making 2010 another sell-out season.
  8. "Harford to Play Pair of April Baseball Games at Ripken Stadium". Maryland Junior College Athletic Conference. April 15, 2011. Archived from the original on May 19, 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2011. The 6,300 capacity stadium is one of two stadiums in the history of baseball to sell out every home game in franchise history.
  9. "Ripken Stadium to Host Inaugural Ripken Cup". The Baltimore Sun. February 18, 2014. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
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