Greensboro goes from Model T to Mustang

It must have been a strange sight, Greensboro Grasshoppers' president and general manager Donald Moore conceded. When he was first hired to work with the then-Greensboro Bats at World War Memorial Stadium, Moore had an interesting way of campaigning for a new park.

"One of the first things I did when I started with the team was I bought a 1926 Ford Model T and I used to ride it around after the game on the warning track out there," said Moore, a Greensboro lifer brought in to oversee an organizational renaissance. "You don't see those running around on the streets out there. So why should you be playing in a facility from that same era?"

World War Memorial Stadium, built in 1926, still stands about three minutes down the road from Greensboro baseball's new home: NewBridge Bank Park.

Three minutes makes a big difference.

NewBridge Bank Park sits in downtown Greensboro, closer to the heart of the city and its redevelopment. As a result, the Grasshoppers have drawn over 400,000 fans each of the three seasons that NewBridge Bank Park has been open.

That's a far cry from the organization's final years at World War Memorial Stadium, when the Bats went 10 consecutive years drawing fewer than 200,000 patrons.

"[When I got here in 2002] we needed a new facility or potentially we were in jeopardy of losing the team to somewhere else," Moore said. "[The new stadium] was huge in a lot of ways and respects. It basically allowed us to more than quadruple our revenues, which significantly offset the fact that we have to pay quite a bit more to be here. Being here in downtown, it's helped as far as stimulating a lot of things going on in the downtown area."

Moore and the Greensboro front office did more than just move downtown. They decided to completely rebrand the team with a new name, new logo and new color scheme.

"I feel like if a guy left that old stadium wearing a Greensboro Bats hat, then six months later could walk into this brand-new place wearing the same hat, we've missed an opportunity," Moore said. "We needed something a little more energetic, a little more youthful, a little more fun."

The team settled on Grasshoppers, a decision that wasn't exactly championed by the community.

"Initially, reaction was not very positive; in fact, it was pretty negative," Moore said. "But looking back, that's a good thing. Usually if you get people's attention enough where they have a strong opinion one way or another, maybe you're onto something."

NewBridge Bank Park, known as First Horizon Park in its first two years, was met with no such reservations. The 7,499-seat stadium has an exterior of redbrick infused with what Moore calls "neat little amenities." Special brick facing outside the box office depicts a batter facing a pitcher, while giant concrete baseballs -- weighing close to a ton each -- sit on the street corner by the first-base entrance.

The attention to detail continues as you step through gates constructed with individual Little League-sized aluminum bats. Inside, a wide concourse opens out for a clean view of the field, including a bit of downtown Greensboro beyond the right-field wall.

The lower deck of seats wraps around from third to first, complemented by 16 upper deck suites, individual boxes in left field and a brand-new party deck on the third-base line. Berms in left field and down the right-field line -- right next to the playground -- provide additional family seating.

Though the Grasshoppers started fresh at NewBridge Bank Park, the stadium maintains a deep connection to history. The concession stands have historical nicknames, such as Cornwallis' Last Stand. The connection to the Revolutionary War isn't accidental. One of Moore's favorite ornaments in the stadium is a genuine replica of a small Revolutionary War cannon used in local battles -- fittingly known as the "grasshopper cannon" for its relatively easy maneuverability.

As you traverse the concourse from left field to right, hanging banners tell the story of professional baseball in Greensboro, which dates to the early 1900s. Stars such as Johnny Mize, Don Mattingly and Derek Jeter have all worn Greensboro uniforms during their careers.

The lone holdover from the old stadium is the GrandStand, an old-fashioned sports bar on the end of the concourse in left field.

With tight dimensions -- it's just 315 feet to left and 312 to right -- and a prevailing wind that blows out to left field, NewBridge Bank Park definitely plays as a hitter's park. That should enliven the South Atlantic League's All-Star Game, when Greensboro gets to flaunt its jewel to the rest of the Minors on June 17.

"It's real exciting for us," Moore said. It'll be the first time we can showcase this facility to the league and to this region in general. With All-Star Games, you get some travelers coming in from out of town to catch the top prospects. It's an opportunity for Greensboro to showcase itself and a chance for our organization to showcase our facility and our operation and how we do things."

He just hopes he doesn't have to break out the Model T.