Legends Field (Kentucky) Explained

Pushpin Map:USA Kentucky#USA
Pushpin Relief:yes
Former Names:Applebee's Park (2001–2010)
Whitaker Bank Ballpark (2011–2020)
Lexington Legends Ballpark (2021)
Wild Health Field (2022)
Counter Clocks Field (2023)
Address:207 Legends Lane
City:Lexington, KY
Coordinates:38.0655°N -84.4785°W
Owner:Lexington Professional Baseball Company, LLC
Operator:Lexington Professional Baseball Company, LLC
Capacity:Approx. 4,900 fixed seats
15,000 (concerts & special events)
Dimensions:Left Field: 320 feet
Center Field: 401 feet
Right Field: 318 feet
Surface:Turf
Broke Ground:February 7, 2000[1]
Opened:[2]
Cost:$13.5 million
($ in dollars)
Architect:Brisbin Brook Benyon Architects, Ltd.
Project Manager:National Sports Services
Structural Engineer:Halcrow Yolles[3]
Services Engineer:The Mitchell Partnership, Inc.[4]
General Contractor:H&M Company, Inc.[5]
Tenants:Lexington Legends (SAL/ALPB) (2001–present)
Transylvania Pioneers (NCAA) (2020–present)
Wild Health Genomes (ALPB) (2022)

Legends Field is a ballpark in Lexington, Kentucky. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the Lexington Legends of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major League Baseball.[6] It was built in 2001 and holds 6,994 people.[7]

Features

The ballpark is modeled after larger minor-league and major-league stadiums. It features the "Pepsi Party Deck" over the right field wall. This area is available to rent by groups. Along the first base line is the "Budweiser Stables," where fans can order beer and watch a game from an area of picnic tables. Behind home plate and accessible from the stadium's main entrance, the "Kentucky Ale Taproom" restaurant caters to members and guests with passes. The third base line features a small but popular area for families to watch the games. This area includes a kids area with a playground, bouncer and obstacle course. The bleachers, behind left field, holds more fans. There are two videoboards and one manual out-of-town scoreboard. The ballpark contains 785 club seats and 24 luxury suites.

The stadium's largest crowd to date came on June 6, 2006, when a standing-room-only crowd of over 9,300 was on hand to witness what the team dubbed "Rocket Relaunch" - Roger Clemens's first stop on his return to the Houston Astros.[8]

Naming

From 2001 until 2010, the stadium was named Applebee's Park. In January 2011, it was announced that the naming rights to the stadium had been bought by Whitaker Bank Corporation, and the stadium was renamed Whitaker Bank Ballpark. The deal ended in 2021.[9] [10]

In February 2022, the Legends announced that the stadium would be renamed Wild Health Field following a new naming rights agreement with Wild Health, a Lexington-based health clinic specializing in genomics-based precision medicine and wellness, and that the stadium would host a second Atlantic League team, the Wild Health Genomes.[11] The Genomes only played one season.[12]

In March 2023, the Lexington Legends were renamed the Lexington Counter Clocks.[13] During that season the stadium was known as Counter Clocks Field.[14]

In February 2024 the team announced a return to the Lexington Legends brand and the ballpark was renamed Legends Field.[15] [16]

Ballpark firsts

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Groundbreaking Today For Baseball Stadium . . February 7, 2000 . September 14, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121026052119/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=LH&s_site=kentucky&p_multi=LH&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB734E14105CF3B&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM . October 26, 2012.
  2. News: Applebee's Relinquishes Naming Rights to Lexington Legends Homefield . Erik A. . Carlson . Business Lexington . December 10, 2010 . September 14, 2011 . Smiley Pete Publishing.
  3. Web site: David Watson . Entuitive, Ltd. . Entuitive.com . January 9, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140110104218/http://www.entuitive.com/team_member/david-watson/ . January 10, 2014.
  4. Web site: Applebee's Park Lexington, Kentucky. The Mitchell Partnership, Inc. .
  5. News: Lexington, Others Continue Building Boom for Minors . John . Rofe . SportsBusiness Journal . April 9, 2001 . September 14, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120915022059/http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2001/04/20010409/No-Topic-Name/Lexington-Others-Continue-Building-Boom-For-Minors.aspx . September 15, 2012.
  6. Web site: Whitaker Bank Ballpark . Lexington Legends . December 21, 2006 . November 24, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080515161327/http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/ballpark/page.jsp?ymd=20061221&content_id=149627&vkey=ballpark_t495&fext=.jsp&sid=t495 . dead . May 15, 2008.
  7. Web site: Whitaker Bank Ballpark . Brian . Merzbach . Ballpark Reviews . November 24, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20030630031322/http://ballparkreviews.com/lexing/lexing.htm . live . June 30, 2003.
  8. Roger Clemens To Start For Legends On Tuesday, June 6th . Our Sports Central . May 31, 2006 . January 24, 2011.
  9. News: Legends' Stadium Renamed Whitaker Bank Ballpark . Mark . Maloney . Scott . Sloan . . January 21, 2011 . January 24, 2011 . https://archive.today/20130127014638/http://www.kentucky.com/2011/01/21/1605467/whitaker-bank-buys-legends-stadium.html . January 27, 2013.
  10. News: Reichard . Kevin . New for 2011: Whitaker Bank Ballpark . Ballpark Digest . October 21, 2023 . August Publications . January 24, 2011.
  11. News: Lexington announces second minor league baseball team: The Kentucky Wild Health Genomes . Kristina . Rosen . . February 8, 2022.
  12. News: Reichard . Kevin . Frederick Atlantic League team added for 2023 . October 21, 2023 . Ballpark Digest . August Publications . November 16, 2022.
  13. News: New for 2023: Lexington Counter Clocks . March 6, 2023 . Ballpark Digest . August Publications . March 6, 2023.
  14. News: Thompson . Tyler . Kentucky Baseball, Railbird highlight massive weekend in Lexington . March 1, 2024 . On3.com . On3 Media, Inc. . May 29, 2023 . en . ...Counter Clocks Field (formerly Wild Health Field and Whitaker Bank Park)..
  15. News: Back in 2024: The Lexington Legends . February 22, 2024 . Ballpark Digest . August Publications . February 16, 2024.
  16. Web site: Seating Map - Lexington Legends. March 29, 2024 . lexingtonlegends.com .
  17. Web site: Whitaker Bank Ballpark Firsts . Lexington Legends . January 8, 2007 . November 24, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110714093914/http://oklahomacity.redhawks.milb.com/ballpark/page.jsp?ymd=20070108&content_id=150883&vkey=ballpark_t495&fext=.jsp&sid=t495 . dead . July 14, 2011.