Whataburger Field
Encyclopedia
Whataburger Field is the minor league baseball
stadium
located in Corpus Christi, Texas
, USA
. It is currently home to the Corpus Christi Hooks
, the double-A affiliate of the Houston Astros
. It is also home to the Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi
Islanders college baseball
team.
were paid for by Whataburger
, Inc., which was headquartered in Corpus Christi before relocating to San Antonio in 2009. Fans are able to see the USS Lexington
and the Texas State Aquarium
from inside the park. Whataburger Field features 5,050 fixed seats, 19 luxury suites and two outfield berm areas that are able to accommodate nearly 2,000 fans.
On June 30, 2005 the stadium unveiled For the Love of the Game, an 18-foot (5.5 m) statue
depicting a young ball player in a contemplative pose. The statue is believed to be the largest bronze
statue of a baseball player.
On June 26, 2007 Whataburger Field played host to the 2007 Texas League All-Star game.
One June 10, 2010, the Houston Dynamo
played the first-ever soccer match at Whataburger Field before a capacity crowd of 6,111, beating the Laredo Heat
2-1. The Dynamo will face in-state rival FC Dallas in a pre-season friendly on February 12, 2011 — becoming the second soccer match ever played at Whataburger Field.
The construction manager was Hunt Construction Group, Inc. of Dallas, Texas.
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...
located in Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is currently home to the Corpus Christi Hooks
Corpus Christi Hooks
The Corpus Christi Hooks are a minor league baseball team of the Texas League, and are the Double-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. They are located in Corpus Christi, Texas, and are named for the city's association with fishing. The team's ownership group is headed by Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan...
, the double-A affiliate of the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
. It is also home to the Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi
Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi
Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi is a state university located in Corpus Christi, Texas, United States, on Ward Island in Oso Bay. The university is part of the Texas A&M University System...
Islanders college baseball
College baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...
team.
History
The park, which opened in 2005, is located on what used to be old cotton warehouses upon the city's waterfront. Naming rightsNaming rights
In the private sector, naming rights are a financial transaction whereby a corporation or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, typically for a defined period of time. For properties like a multi-purpose arena, performing arts venue or an athletic field, the term ranges from three...
were paid for by Whataburger
Whataburger
Whataburger is a privately held, regional restaurant chain specializing in hamburgers. The company, founded by Harmon Dobson, opened its first restaurant in Corpus Christi, Texas in 1950...
, Inc., which was headquartered in Corpus Christi before relocating to San Antonio in 2009. Fans are able to see the USS Lexington
USS Lexington (CV-16)
USS Lexington , known as "The Blue Ghost", is one of 24 s built during World War II for the United States Navy. The ship, the fifth US Navy ship to bear the name, is named in honor of the Revolutionary War Battle of Lexington...
and the Texas State Aquarium
Texas State Aquarium
The Texas State Aquarium is a nonprofit aquarium located in Corpus Christi, Texas, United States. It is dedicated to promoting environmental conservation and rehabilitation of the wildlife of the Gulf of Mexico...
from inside the park. Whataburger Field features 5,050 fixed seats, 19 luxury suites and two outfield berm areas that are able to accommodate nearly 2,000 fans.
On June 30, 2005 the stadium unveiled For the Love of the Game, an 18-foot (5.5 m) statue
Statue
A statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
depicting a young ball player in a contemplative pose. The statue is believed to be the largest bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
statue of a baseball player.
On June 26, 2007 Whataburger Field played host to the 2007 Texas League All-Star game.
One June 10, 2010, the Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic...
played the first-ever soccer match at Whataburger Field before a capacity crowd of 6,111, beating the Laredo Heat
Laredo Heat
Laredo Heat is an American soccer team based in Laredo, Texas, United States. Founded in 2004, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Mid South Division of the Southern Conference....
2-1. The Dynamo will face in-state rival FC Dallas in a pre-season friendly on February 12, 2011 — becoming the second soccer match ever played at Whataburger Field.
The construction manager was Hunt Construction Group, Inc. of Dallas, Texas.
Amenities
- Kieschnick's Korner - a covered area used for groups and parties
- Driscoll Children's Hospital Fun Zone - a playground
- Stripes Kid's Park - a youth baseball field
- Sport Court basketball playing surface
- 27' high rock wall
- 16' tall x 22' wide video board
- APEX Pool
- Cotton Club - an air-conditioned entertainment area
- Trampoline jump
Food
- Nolan Ryan Grill
- Beers of The World - first-base concourse
- Dippin' DotsDippin' DotsDippin' Dots is an ice cream snack, invented by Southern Illinois University Carbondale graduate Curt Jones in 1987. The confection is created by flash freezing ice cream mix in liquid nitrogen; consequently, Dippin' Dots contain less air than conventional ice cream...
- A WhataburgerWhataburgerWhataburger is a privately held, regional restaurant chain specializing in hamburgers. The company, founded by Harmon Dobson, opened its first restaurant in Corpus Christi, Texas in 1950...
restaurant
External links
- Whataburger Field - Corpus Christi HooksCorpus Christi HooksThe Corpus Christi Hooks are a minor league baseball team of the Texas League, and are the Double-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. They are located in Corpus Christi, Texas, and are named for the city's association with fishing. The team's ownership group is headed by Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan...