Dell Diamond is the jewel of Round Rock

In the hotbed of Round Rock, Texas, there's a diamond in the rough: the Dell Diamond, that is.

The $22 million facility is home to the Round Rock Express baseball club, Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. Opened in 2000, Dell Diamond sets a new standard among Minor League ballparks by appealing to everyone.

Aside from watching a baseball game, fans are offered several activities that will certainly keep them occupied between innings. Beyond the right field wall is a swimming pool and hot tub area to cool off from the hot Texas sun. Next to the swimming pool, the "Sport Court" area is sure to tickle any sports lover's fancy, with everything from sand volleyball courts, to a full-length basketball court and a rock climbing wall.

"Jay Miller and Reid Ryan were so creative with what they saw Dell Diamond as," said Director of stadium operations, Mark Maloney. "I've been around baseball all my life and seen parks that are just so impersonal, but this place puts a smile on everyone's face."

A state-of-the-art Speed Pitch zone lets youngsters and veterans alike test their arm strength against Express pitchers. In 2001, a new "Texadelphia" restaurant was added to overlook right field and features ceiling fans to keep diners comfortable.

"It's more than a baseball park; it's a social venue and a gathering place. It takes you 30 minutes to walk from one place to another because you're bound to run into friends," commented Round Rock Mayor, Nyle Maxwell.

When asked about the vision behind the park, Ryan said, "At first, we really didn't know what we wanted. Growing up around the Majors and playing in the Minors really let me see a lot of the newer parks in the 90s. From day one, things just grew and grew and the vision kind of came together."

Dell Diamond is the product of those with deep roots in baseball who understood the importance of the right balance between new and old. "We wanted a big league feel but something for everyone...we researched what made the old ballparks -- like Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium -- so great and tried to capture the essence," said Ryan.

The result: bullpens that are modeled after Oriole Park in Camden Yards and foul lines which mirror those of Wrigley Field and Fenway Park. "Jay Miller and Reid Ryan tried to incorporate their knowledge of baseball, past, present, and future," said Maloney.

Fans are treated to several concessions, and plenty of interaction with players, with a 360 degree concourse that wraps around the action.

"As a kid, I remember going to the Astrodome and it took so long to get from one place to another. You couldn't move around...to get from the first base side to the third base side took forever...we wanted to change that for our fans," said Ryan.

It's safe to call Dell Diamond "home grown," with 80 percent of its construction supplies coming from Texas-based companies. "It has natural materials, things like limestone, exposed metal, various woods that really give it a 'local area' feel to the park," said Ryan.

Dell Diamond has cultivated a relationship with the community through various non-baseball events as well. The United Heritage Center, a 10,000-square-foot building located on the first base concourse is divided into three equal-sized suites designed for various events.

"The Round Rock Express have immersed themselves in the community. We have utilized Dell Diamond numerous times during the year for civic occasions, fund-raising events ... it's such a great corporate partner for the city," said Mayor Maxwell.

Fans aren't the only ones who are looked after at Dell Diamond. The indoor batting cages and team clubhouses are among the best in the Minors and have visiting players looking forward to their next visit to Round Rock.

When asked to recall his first impression of Dell Diamond, Maxwell said, "My gosh, this is in our community. It's just not your typical ballpark ... truly amazing."

Maloney refers to Dell Diamond as "the cleanest ballpark in the Minors ... the guys [field crew] work so hard day in and day out to keep this place immaculate for the fans and players."

In fact, Dell Diamond's grounds crew is so good, for the past four seasons up till today, there has not been one game rained out. "We've never had a rainout in four-plus seasons ... the outfield can be 5 feet deep in water and the dugouts completely flooded but at gametime, its clean ... they're that good," says Maloney.

That good indeed. Perhaps it's this attention to detail and giving each and every fan a good time that makes this Diamond sparkle like none other in the Minors.