Alliance Bank Stadium
Encyclopedia
Alliance Bank Stadium is an 11,071-seat minor league baseball
stadium
in Syracuse, New York
. The stadium opened on April 10, 1997, replacing the aging MacArthur Stadium
which had been home to Syracuse's professional baseball team since 1934. The stadium was previously known as P&C Stadium, a name derived from P&C Foods, the regional brand of supermarkets run by then Syracuse-based Penn Traffic
Corporation.
affiliate of the Washington Nationals
. The field's outfield dimensions are 330 feet (100.6 m) to left field, 400 feet (121.9 m) to center field, and 330 feet (100.6 m) to right field.
The stadium has a seating capacity of 11,071 people. In addition to regular seating, the stadium also offers luxury suites and a banquet room. The luxury suites are available in three different sized configurations and all include indoor and outdoor seating options as well as optional stadium-provided catering. The stadium's banquet room is named after Hank Sauer
, who played with the Chiefs in the 1940s prior to going on to excel in the Major Leagues and eventually have his number retired by the Chiefs. The room is near the right field foul pole and is available to rent year-round.
From its opening through the 2007 season, the stadium's playing surface was AstroTurf
, mainly due to the team's then-affiliation with the Toronto Blue Jays
who used the artificial surface in their ballpark. However, after the 2007 season, the Astro Turf was removed and replaced with natural grass.
A record for baseball attendance was set May 7th, 2010, when 13,766 people came to the park for Stephen Strasburg
's AAA debut.
Parking in the main lots for the 2011 season of Chiefs baseball is $5.00 usd per car.
of the United Soccer Leagues
' A-League
also called the stadium home for two seasons. Though they were very popular with fans and had very high attendance, their relationships with the Chiefs and Onondaga County were not positive and the team ceased operations after their second season.
played there.
On July 19, 2009, the stadium hosted 7,124 fans who came to see Bob Dylan
, Willie Nelson
, and John Mellencamp
perform.
Two weeks after the Bob Dylan concert, on August 4, Dave Matthews Band
was scheduled to perform at the stadium. Stadium management said they used lessons learned during the smaller-scale Dylan show to make the much larger-scale Dave Matthews Band show as smooth as possible. The show drew over 18,000 fans and was considered a great success, possibly paving the way for more concerts at the stadium in the years to come.
outdoor hockey games, Syracuse Crunch
owner Howard Dolgan started expressing his interest in holding a similar event in Syracuse. Alliance Bank stadium was the logical location to hold such an event since it is the only outdoor professional sports venue in the area. The Crunch estimated the cost of such an event to be between $850,000 and $1.05 million.
That being the case, Dolgan decidede to ask the Onondaga County legislature for some financial help in putting on the event. Dolgan argued that since the event was expected to bring many out of town hockey fans to Syracuse, the county could use $350,000 of money set aside "specifically to promote tourism and to attract out-of-town dollars to Syracuse". The money in that fund is collected as a tax on hotel rooms in the county and could be replenished by the people coming in from out-of-town for the hockey game. However, the legislature voted 16-2 to not provide the $350,000 in funding and instead approved a total $75,000 in funding. Prior to the legislature's vote, Dolgan stated publicly that without the $350,000, the game would not go on. After the vote, Dolgan immediately turned the money down, stating:
Eventually, the game was held at the New York State Fairgrounds on Saturday, February 20, 2010, as the "Mirabito Outdoor Classic
".
, were moved to Syracuse.
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
in Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
. The stadium opened on April 10, 1997, replacing the aging MacArthur Stadium
MacArthur Stadium
MacArthur Stadium was a stadium in Syracuse, New York. It was primarily used for baseball and was the home of Syracuse Chiefs before they moved to P&C Stadium, in 1997. The ballpark had a capacity of 8,416 people when it opened in 1934...
which had been home to Syracuse's professional baseball team since 1934. The stadium was previously known as P&C Stadium, a name derived from P&C Foods, the regional brand of supermarkets run by then Syracuse-based Penn Traffic
Penn Traffic
The Penn Traffic Company was the parent company for 79 retail grocery supermarkets in the Northeastern United States, concentrating mostly in Central New York. Its headquarters were in Syracuse, New York. Penn Traffic formerly had supermarkets also in Pennsylvania, Vermont and New Hampshire...
Corporation.
Chiefs baseball
The stadium is home to the Syracuse Chiefs, the Triple-AAAA (baseball)
Triple-A refers to the highest level of play in minor league baseball in the United States and Mexico.-Purpose:Triple-A teams' main purpose is to prepare players for the Major Leagues:...
affiliate of the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
. The field's outfield dimensions are 330 feet (100.6 m) to left field, 400 feet (121.9 m) to center field, and 330 feet (100.6 m) to right field.
The stadium has a seating capacity of 11,071 people. In addition to regular seating, the stadium also offers luxury suites and a banquet room. The luxury suites are available in three different sized configurations and all include indoor and outdoor seating options as well as optional stadium-provided catering. The stadium's banquet room is named after Hank Sauer
Hank Sauer
Henry John "Hank" Sauer was a left fielder in Major League Baseball. From 1941 through 1959, Sauer played for the Cincinnati Reds , Chicago Cubs , St. Louis Cardinals , New York Giants and San Francisco Giants...
, who played with the Chiefs in the 1940s prior to going on to excel in the Major Leagues and eventually have his number retired by the Chiefs. The room is near the right field foul pole and is available to rent year-round.
From its opening through the 2007 season, the stadium's playing surface was AstroTurf
AstroTurf
AstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Although the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf product was a short pile synthetic turf while the current products incorporate modern features such as...
, mainly due to the team's then-affiliation with the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
who used the artificial surface in their ballpark. However, after the 2007 season, the Astro Turf was removed and replaced with natural grass.
A record for baseball attendance was set May 7th, 2010, when 13,766 people came to the park for Stephen Strasburg
Stephen Strasburg
Stephen James Strasburg is a right-handed pitcher for the Washington Nationals, who selected him with the first pick in the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft...
's AAA debut.
Parking in the main lots for the 2011 season of Chiefs baseball is $5.00 usd per car.
Soccer
The former soccer club Syracuse Salty DogsSyracuse Salty Dogs
The Syracuse Salty Dogs were a professional men's soccer team based in Syracuse, New York. The club were a member of the USL A-League, playing only two seasons from 2003-2004. The club was owned and operated by the Syracuse Pro Sports Group and played most home games at P&C Stadium...
of the United Soccer Leagues
United Soccer Leagues
The United Soccer Leagues is the organizer of several soccer leagues with teams in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. It includes men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Leagues currently organized are the USL Pro, the USL Premier Development League, the W-League, and...
' A-League
USL First Division
The United Soccer Leagues First Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico....
also called the stadium home for two seasons. Though they were very popular with fans and had very high attendance, their relationships with the Chiefs and Onondaga County were not positive and the team ceased operations after their second season.
Concerts
In 2009, the stadium played host to the first two national concerts held at the stadium since 2000 when The Allman Brothers BandThe Allman Brothers Band
The Allman Brothers Band is an American rock/blues band once based in Macon, Georgia. The band was formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman and Gregg Allman , who were supported by Dickey Betts , Berry Oakley , Butch Trucks , and Jai Johanny "Jaimoe"...
played there.
On July 19, 2009, the stadium hosted 7,124 fans who came to see Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
, and John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp, previously known by the stage names Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American rock singer-songwriter, musician, painter and occasional actor known for his catchy, populist brand of heartland rock that eschews synthesizers and other artificial sounds...
perform.
Two weeks after the Bob Dylan concert, on August 4, Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band, sometimes shortened to DMB, is a U.S. rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. The founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer/backing vocalist Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Boyd Tinsley was...
was scheduled to perform at the stadium. Stadium management said they used lessons learned during the smaller-scale Dylan show to make the much larger-scale Dave Matthews Band show as smooth as possible. The show drew over 18,000 fans and was considered a great success, possibly paving the way for more concerts at the stadium in the years to come.
Hockey
Following the success of the 2008 and 2009 NHL Winter ClassicNHL Winter Classic
The NHL Winter Classic is an annual event held by the National Hockey League on New Year's Day where regular-season games are played outdoors, in areas hosted by NHL teams. Though largely derived from the Heritage Classic outdoor game held in Edmonton in 2003, the Winter Classic has so far only...
outdoor hockey games, Syracuse Crunch
Syracuse Crunch
The Syracuse Crunch are a minor league professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Syracuse, New York, at the War Memorial at Oncenter...
owner Howard Dolgan started expressing his interest in holding a similar event in Syracuse. Alliance Bank stadium was the logical location to hold such an event since it is the only outdoor professional sports venue in the area. The Crunch estimated the cost of such an event to be between $850,000 and $1.05 million.
That being the case, Dolgan decidede to ask the Onondaga County legislature for some financial help in putting on the event. Dolgan argued that since the event was expected to bring many out of town hockey fans to Syracuse, the county could use $350,000 of money set aside "specifically to promote tourism and to attract out-of-town dollars to Syracuse". The money in that fund is collected as a tax on hotel rooms in the county and could be replenished by the people coming in from out-of-town for the hockey game. However, the legislature voted 16-2 to not provide the $350,000 in funding and instead approved a total $75,000 in funding. Prior to the legislature's vote, Dolgan stated publicly that without the $350,000, the game would not go on. After the vote, Dolgan immediately turned the money down, stating:
We're not doing an outdoor game. I'll tell ya, besides disappointing the fans and, of course, our organization, I can tell you about 10-12 prominent companies in Syracuse who are not going to be happy because the idiots who voted the way they did. And I don't mind saying that word. What are they going to do? Get mad at me and vote against something else I want to do?
Eventually, the game was held at the New York State Fairgrounds on Saturday, February 20, 2010, as the "Mirabito Outdoor Classic
Mirabito Outdoor Classic
The Outdoor Classic is a series of games played outdoors in the American Hockey League. Paralleling the National Hockey League's Winter Classic and Heritage Classic, the Outdoor Classic pits two regional rivals in a game in an outdoor stadium; with the AHL being based mainly in minor league cities,...
".
Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees
During the 2009 International League Season, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees were forced to postpone eleven games due to drainage problems at their home park, PNC Field. In an effort to allow groundskeepers ample time to repair the field, the Yankees decided to relocate four of their home games. Two of these games, both against the Buffalo BisonsBuffalo Bisons
The Buffalo Bisons are a minor league baseball team based in Buffalo, New York. They currently play in the International League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets...
, were moved to Syracuse.