Banner Island Ballpark makes mark
But when it came time for city officials to move the California League's Stockton Ports away from the aging confines of their old home, Billy Hubert Field, choosing a site downtown for a new facility wasn't purely an economical move.
It was a necessity.
"Downtown Stockton was a ghost town," said Don Miller, Stockton's sports commission director. "If you were seen walking around downtown after hours or when the sun went down, you were either looking for trouble or lost."
That has all changed since fans took in their first pitch at the Ports' new home, Banner Island Ballpark, on April 6, 2006.
The facility is the newest in the California League and has helped revitalize downtown Stockton with a little help from the nearby Stockton Arena, which is home to the ECHL's Thunder, AFL's Lightning and MISL's California Cougars.
"Before the ballpark and arena were built there was no reason to go downtown," Miller said. "There wasn't any reason to be downtown unless you maybe went to a restaurant -- one of the few restaurants.
"Now you see people walking around in the evening, not only on the weekends, but during the week, eating before they go to a ballgame or the arena. Afterward they are looking for a place to maybe have a beer or snack after the game and feeling safe in doing that. It hasn't been seen in years."
Neither has a facility that's the quality of Banner Island Ballpark been seen in the Cal League.
Fans are treated to ample parking upon arrival at the stadium. There is also plenty of metered street parking that is free after 6 p.m. on weekdays, and the park is serviced by the San Joaquin Regional Transit District's Downtown Trolley Loop. The fare for the trolley is 25 cents.
A stroll around the outside of the park includes a walk along the Stockton Channel and passes the Stockton Fan Attic, where fans can gear up before, or after, the game.
Once inside the stadium, another loop around the park allows fans to check out the day's starting lineups, current Cal League standings and upcoming promotions-- which are posted on giant marker boards in the concourse behind home plate -- before heading to their seats or seeking a snack.
On sunny days, the best seats in the park are on the first-base line because they are the first to be cooled by the shade. Mild afternoons and night games with the family can be enjoyed from Home Run Hill in right and right-center field.
High-rollers and groups will no doubt find their way into the ballpark's suites located along the concourse on the first-base side, or the Jackson Rancheria Back Porch in a gorgeous oasis of food and relaxation in right field.
Miller said the fan experience has greatly improved from that of the old field.
"Billy Hebert Field was old, a very cold stadium and very uncomfortable for the fans," he said. "The sun set in the fans' faces, and the wind blew in every day and night. It was not a comfortable place.
"The new ballpark is facing a better direction, it's more comfortable and the sight lines are better. It's 100-percent a better atmosphere."
Plenty of tasty vittles are available in the form of the Home Plate Grill, First Base Express and Tecate Cantina, but the real draw is worth the walk out and around to center field, where Royce Farm's BBQ sits.
Fans looking to kill time between innings can stop into the Ports Team Store located on the third-base side or take the kids to the Big Valley Ford Batting Cages on the first-base side.
There's also the product on the field. The Ports finished the first half of the season at 35-35, second to San Jose in the North Division.
And like the Ports' season, Banner Island Ballpark and the surrounding area isn't finished yet.
"There's still more development to come," Miller said. "This is a good start and we're heading in the right direction, but there are still a lot of things in the building stages that we're looking forward to."
Mark Shugar is an associate reporter for MLB.com.