Get in the zone at AutoZone Park
The stadium has been home to the Memphis Redbirds, the Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, since it opened in 2000. Located in the heart of downtown Memphis, its urban surroundings offer fans plenty of reasons to come watch the Redbirds play.
The Redbirds are owned and operated by the Memphis Redbirds Baseball Foundation, a nonprofit organization that enabled the $46 million stadium to be constructed largely from private funding.
"Our organization is dedicated to bringing baseball back to the community and reinstating it into the school program. It's nonprofit, so to have private investors that supported the new stadium showed how important baseball is here in Memphis," said Redbirds media director, Kyle Parkinson.
AutoZone ballpark has become the main staple of the downtown atmosphere. There are even apartments built in the outfield, specifically designed to be the park's backdrop. The stadium's brick exterior allows it to blend perfectly with the rest of the city.
"At first people thought it would be crazy to have the ballpark in downtown, but it's completely revitalized downtown Memphis. People went from trying to get out of the area to wanting to move closer to AutoZone," explained Parkinson.
When fans arrive for a game, they are greeted by a large statue of the team's mascot, Rockey the Rockin' Redbird. They even pass through Rockey's legs as they enter the ballpark.
Once inside, AutoZone Park's open concourse wraps around the entire playing field, allowing easy travel without missing any of the action on the field. Parkinson says that this is also a great crowd-controlling feature since the park houses over 10,000 fans at a time.
"Fans can move around freely and not feel crowded. The open concourse really spaces things out during the game and makes things more convenient."
AutoZone Park's three-level seating is structured with the main seating bowl on the first level, 1,600 club seats on the second level, and 48 top-of-the-line luxury suites overlooking the field from the third level.
The right field picnic pavilion offers Redbirds fans a place to gather and enjoy the game. Across the park, down the left-field line is the Bluff -- a large, grassy area where fans can sprawl out on a blanket or catch the game in a lawn chair.
The Boardwalk, beyond the left-field Bluff, is an area where children can get together and test their skills in the batting cages or speed pitch. Mini carnival rides are also available for youngsters who want to take a break from the game.
Fir trees line the center field walls to protect the batter's eye. Near the Fir trees is AutoZone Park's video board. Measuring 23x30 feet, it is the largest in the Minors.
AutoZone Park's menu is full of traditional ballpark cuisine but it does have a few of its own unique items on there also. By far, the most popular treat to eat at AutoZone Park is the barbecue nachos -- chips topped with barbeque meat, complete with all the fixings for an unforgettable meal. The foot-long hot dog named "The Homewrecker" is another fan favorite.
"Memphis is all about barbecue, everywhere you go," said Parkinson, "So the nachos fit in perfectly and people love them -- they're great."
With the St. Louis Cardinals playing about four hours north of AutoZone Park, Parkinson says that the fans have cultivated a very special relationship with their ballpark.
"Everyone here is a Cardinals fan and a Redbirds fan. Our stadium is Major League quality. There are no signs on the walls, the lighting is similar to that of Major League parks . . . fans can expect a class act every time they come here."
With its Minor League amenities and family-friendly features combined with all the components of a Major League ballpark, AutoZone Park has no problem living up to those expectations.
Sapna Pathak is a contributor to MLB.com.