Victory Field

Victory Field is a minor league ballpark in Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It is home to the Indianapolis Indians of the International League.

For the first Victory Field (1942–1967), see Bush Stadium. For the former military airfield in Texas, see Victory Field (Texas).
Victory Field
Location501 West Maryland Street
Indianapolis, Indiana
United States
Coordinates39°45′54″N 86°10′6″W
OwnerIndianapolis Capital Improvement Board
OperatorIndianapolis Capital Improvement Board
CapacityBaseball:
12,230 (fixed seats)
14,230 (lawn and standing room)
Field sizeLeft field: 320 ft (98 m)
Left-center field: 418 ft (127 m)
Center field: 402 ft (123 m)
Right-center field: 362 ft (110 m)
Right field: 320 ft (98 m)
Construction
Broke groundDecember 16, 1994[1]
OpenedJuly 11, 1996
Construction cost$20 million
($32.6 million in 2019 dollars[2])
ArchitectPopulous (then HOK Sport); Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf (associate architect)
Project managerGeupel DeMars Hagerman[3]
Structural engineerFink Roberts & Petrie, Inc.[3]
Services engineerBredson & Associates, Inc.[4]
General contractorHuber, Hunt & Nichols, Inc.[3]
Tenants
Indianapolis Indians (AA/IL) 1996–present
A 2019 panorama

History

Victory Field opened on July 11, 1996, with the Indians falling to the Oklahoma City 89ers, 5–3, in front of 14,667 fans. It replaced Bush Stadium, which had also been called Victory Field for 25 years.[5] The new park seated 13,300 fans (15,696 with lawn seating) when it was opened. However, in 2005, a 1,000 seat bleacher section was removed to make room for a picnic area. The name reflects the victory of the United States in World War II. The opening of Victory Field in 1996 was the catalyst for a revitalization of downtown Indianapolis.[6]

Entrance to Victory Field

A record 16,168 fans were in attendance on July 22, 2000, to witness the Indians lose to the Columbus Clippers 6–5.[5]

The stadium hosted the 2001 Triple-A All-Star Game in which the Pacific Coast League All-Stars defeated the International League All-Stars, 9–5.[7]

The Indiana Hoosiers baseball team have played one game each year at Victory Field since 2015.

The IHSAA uses Victory Field for its state final baseball matches.

Features

Victory Field has been recognized as the "Best Minor League Ballpark in America" by Baseball America and Sports Illustrated. Recently, it was ranked the sixth-best by Baseball America in their 2015 survey.[8]

The stadium has 12,230 permanent seats and room for 2,000 more fans on the outfield lawn. On popular days such as Independence Day, attendance has exceeded 15,000 including standing room only. Victory Field also features 28 luxury suites, five suite-level party areas, and two picnic areas.

Seating sections include:[5]

  • Box Seats (Field and View): 7,557
  • Reserved Level (Upper and Lower): 3,765
  • Lawn: 2,000
  • The Coors Light Cove: 125
  • Suite level: 543
  • Wheelchair: 240

Sports venues Lucas Oil Stadium, Bankers Life Fieldhouse, the Indiana University Natatorium, and the Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium are located nearby.

Seating capacity

The seating capacity has changed over the years:

  • 13,500, 15,696 with lawn seating (1996–2004)[9]
  • 12,500, 14,500 with lawn seating (2005–2010)[10]
  • 12,200, 14,200 with lawn seating (2011)[11]
  • 12,202, 14,202 with lawn seating (2012)[12]
  • 12,230, 14,230 with lawn seating (2013–present)[5]

Improvements

Several changes were made to the ballpark between the 2009 and 2010 seasons. Most notably, crews installed a new HD video display that spans the left field wall and measures 6 1⁄2 feet (2.0 m) tall by 120 feet (37 m) wide. The new digital board, which has the highest resolution (16mm) of any display in Minor League Baseball, features interactive messages, advertisements, and live scores and statistics. The Indians invested approximately $600,000 in the new digital display which was designed by Brookings, South Dakota-based Daktronics.[13]

References
  1. "Indianapolis Begins Work On Its New Baseball Stadium". The News-Sentinel. Fort Wayne. December 17, 1996. p. 7S. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
  2. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  3. "Victory Field". Emporis.com. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
  4. "Pro Baseball Sports Facilities". Bredson & Associates, Inc. Archived from the original on April 10, 2002. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
  5. "2014 Indianapolis Indians Media Guide: Victory Field & Media" (PDF). Indianapolis Indians. April 27, 2014. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  6. "Indianapolis' Nationally Lauded Downtown Renaissance Continues". Indianapolis Downtown Inc. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  7. "Triple-A All-Star Game Results (1998–2002)". Triple-A Baseball. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
  8. Schoettle, Anthony (June 3, 2015). "Victory Field keeps pace with newer, more expensive venues". ibj.com. Indianapolis Business Journal. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
  9. "Downtown Stadium Should Be Pursued". Louisville Business First. October 7, 1996. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  10. "2007 Indianapolis Indians Media Guide" (PDF). Indianapolis Indians. April 7, 2007. p. 130. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  11. "2011 Indianapolis Indians Media Guide" (PDF). Indianapolis Indians. April 5, 2011. p. 192. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  12. "2012 Indianapolis Indians Media Guide" (PDF). Indianapolis Indians. April 27, 2012. p. 154. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  13. "Indians Add New Video Board At Victory Field". Our Sports Central. Indianapolis Indians. April 5, 2010. Retrieved February 15, 2013.
Events and tenants
Preceded by
Bush Stadium		 Home of the
Indianapolis Indians
1996 – present		 Succeeded by
current
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