Fifth Third Ballpark
 
|
|
| Location | 4500 West River Drive Comstock Park, MI 49321 |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 43°02′25″N 85°39′35″W / 43.040195°N 85.659832°WCoordinates: 43°02′25″N 85°39′35″W / 43.040195°N 85.659832°W |
| Owner | West Michigan Whitecaps Corp. |
| Operator | West Michigan Whitecaps Corp. |
| Capacity | 9,281 (2016–present) 9,684 (2014–2015) 10,071 (2006–2013) 11,000 (1999–2006) 10,700 (1997–1998) 5,701 (1994–1996) |
| Field size | Left field: 317 ft (97 m) Center field: 402 ft (123 m) Right field: 327 ft (100 m) |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | May 1993 |
| Opened | April 12, 1994 |
| Construction cost | $6.5 million ($10.5 million in 2017 dollars) |
| Architect | Rossetti Architects |
| Services engineer | Progressive AE |
| General contractor | Wolverine Building Group |
| Tenants | |
| West Michigan Whitecaps (1994–present) | |
Fifth Third Ballpark is a baseball stadium located in , Michigan, just north of Grand Rapids. Established as Old Kent Park in 1994, the stadium hosts a minor league baseball team, the West Michigan Whitecaps, and other sporting events. The ballpark's Fifth Third Burger was featured on an episode of Man v. Food. A fire damaged some of the first base side of the stadium on January 3, 2014, but the stadium re-opened in time to host the Whitecaps for the 2014 season.
Fifth Third Ballpark is home to the West Michigan Whitecaps, a professional minor league baseball team, and class A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. Fifth Third Ballpark was originally built in 1994 as Old Kent Park. The name was changed when Fifth Third Bank purchased Old Kent Bank in 2000.
Fifth Third Ballpark opened with a seating capacity of 5,701 has been expanded in 1996 to seat 10,700, and 1999 to seat 11,000. It currently has a seating capacity of 9,684, including 8,025 fixed chairback seats. The stadium was built entirely with private funds. No taxpayer dollars were used in the construction.
In addition to baseball, Fifth Third Ballpark can also be used for other events including motorsports and concerts, where it seats up to 15,000. The ballpark hosts a large display of Christmas lights.
The ballpark is also notable for its Fifth Third Burger, a five-pound (2.3 kg), 4,800-calorie burger made with five 1⁄3-pound (0.15 kg) burger patties and topped with American cheese, nacho cheese sauce, chili, shredded lettuce, diced tomato, salsa, sour cream, and tortilla chips, all stuffed inside an eight-inch (20 cm) sesame seed bun. On the Season 2 "Baseball Special" episode of The Travel Channel's Man v. Food, host Adam Richman participated in a challenge in which he had to eat this burger in under the final 2 1⁄2 innings of the Whitecaps game (that is, after the 7th Inning Stretch). Adam won the challenge on behalf of "man", earning him a commemorative "Call 911" T-shirt and his photo posted on the Wall of Fame. As of the time of the July 2009 taping, 1,213 Fifth Third Burgers had been sold with Richman becoming just the 157th person to earn the T-shirt.
...
Wikipedia