How HODGETOWN Was Built

March 2008: 71-page Downtown Strategic Action Plan includes a Minor League Baseball park as a “family-friendly” venue for downtown. As a result of the Strategic Action Plan, a catalyst plan for the redevelopment of downtown Amarillo was developed including 1) a downtown convention hotel, 2) a 750-care parking garage, and 3) a Multi-Purpose Entertainment Venue (MPEV) including a baseball stadium

Nov. 3, 2015: A citywide non-binding referendum special election was conducted “For” or “Against” building a $32 million MPEV including an independent minor league ballpark. It was approved 52 to 48 percent out of 22,444 votes cast (11,632 “For”; 10,812 “Against”; 820 vote difference)

Nov. 17, 2015: Amarillo City Council votes unanimously to hand off planning and details of the MPEV to the Local Government Corporation to serve as manager for the three downtown projects

March 2016: Consultants (Brailsford & Dunlavey) provide a market analysis for a AA minor league franchise in Amarillo for a stadium to cost $48 million; **City Council reduces the cost to $45.8 million

April 2016: City of San Antonio approaches Elmore Sports Group to consider moving AAA Colorado Springs Sky Sox to play in a new ballpark to be built in downtown Amarillo

August 2016: LCC subcommittee (Alex Fairly, Jerry Hodge, Bill Gilliland & Richard Ware) begin earnest negotiations with the Elmore Sports Group to move their AA San Antonio Missions to Amarillo

November 2016: Fairly and Hodge meet with Elmore Sports Group and present signed pledges from Amarillo businesses to purchase 12 stadium suites and also stadium naming rights (*crucial turning point)

May 2017: AAA Pacific Coast League executive committee approves ESG to move AAA Colorado Springs Sky Sox to San Antonio prior to building a new stadium in San Antonio. ESG agrees to a letter of intent with LGC to move the San Antonio Missions to Amarillo and its new stadium in April 2019

June 21, 2017: D.G. Elmore and other ESG owners make official announcement to a large crowd in Amarillo that the AA San Antonio Missions ball club is moving to Amarillo to play in its new stadium to be built in downtown Amarillo

Sept. 26, 2017: City officials announce a 30-year lease for $400,000 annually has been signed with ESG for the new AA minor league baseball team to play in a new $45.5 million stadium in downtown Amarillo

Sept - Dec. 2017: Contract negotiations occur with Western-Hunt contractors to build the MPEV (ballpark); 80%-plus of subs will be from Amarillo

Feb. 1, 2018: ESG and City officials participate in a ground-breaking ceremony for a new $45 million MPEV (ballpark)

March 2018: Excavation begins on MPEV (ballpark); MPEV (ballpark) construction is underway

October 1, 2018: Amarillo Professional Baseball announces a two-year player development working agreement with the San Diego Padres

Nov. 13: 2018: Amarillo Professional Baseball announces “Amarillo Sod Poodles” as official team name and reveal the team logos

Nov. 27, 2018: Amarillo city officials approve Prismview of Logan, Utah to provide the scoreboard and audio/video production system at the MPEV for $1,604,498

Dec. 25, 2018: In an Amarillo Globe News article, Amarillo Sod Poodles President and General Manager Tony Ensor states that “immersing spectators in the minor league experience was the inspiration for the stadium. This ballpark was really built with the fan experience in mind. The uniqueness is in the seating bowl (4,000 seats) and the closeness of the seats to the field. No one else has the dugout suites we have a field level 30 feet behind home plate.”

Dec. 27, 2018: Elmore Sports Group announces they will pay $2,270,849 for additional amenities in the MPEV which includes signage for left field wall signs, a scoreboard identifying the name and speed of pitches, a video production package and television monitors throughout the stadium

January 11, 2019: The Sod Poodles announce that long-time minor league manager Phillip Wellman, former manager of the San Antonio Missions, will be the team’s field manager for the 2019 season

January 17, 2019: The Amarillo Sod Poodles announce they have entered into a ballpark naming rights partnership, christening the team’s home stadium as “HODGETOWN” in honor of Amarillo businessman and former mayor Jerry Hodge who helped lead the charge to bring professional Major League-affiliated AA baseball to Amarillo after a 37-year absence

February 12, 2019: The Sod Poodles announce an inaugural radio partnership with Townsquare Media to broadcast all 140 games for the 2019 season with KIXZ Radio 940 AM. The “Voice of the Sod Poodles” will be Sam Levitt who spent the last two seasons as a member of the broadcast team of the Corpus Christi Hooks

February 27, 2019: The Sod Poodles reveal their Home, Away, and Alternate inaugural team jerseys. Amarillo Yellow, Texas Red & Blue and Route 66 Retro Blue make up the club’s new official colors

April 1, 2019: City turns stadium over to Amarillo Professional Baseball Club

April 8, 2019: OPENING NIGHT

AA-Major League Affiliated Baseball returns to Amarillo!

Inaugural Home Opener: Amarillo Sod Poodles vs. Midland RockHounds at 7:05 p.m.