Salem Red Sox and the City of Salem Sign Lease Extension
"We are thrilled to extend the Salem Red Sox lease of Lewis-Gale Field," said Salem Mayor Randy Foley. "Fenway Sports Group and the Salem Red Sox are great partners and provide baseball fans of the Roanoke Valley with outstanding entertainment value and we look forward to working with the team for years to come."
The ballpark upgrades include the replacement and addition of signage that will incorporate the team's new brand and logo as well as painting selected areas throughout the ballpark to give the building a fresh look and feel. Fans will also be able to enjoy expanded concession offerings including food from the all-new "Ted Williams Grille." Additionally the facility, formerly known as Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium, has been renamed to reflect a smaller, more intimate setting more conducive to a baseball environment.
"We proposed the name change of the facility to the city because we feel the word 'ballpark' better captures the essence of the atmosphere that we are trying to create," said Mike Dee, President of Fenway Sports Group and the Salem Red Sox. "Baseball, especially minor league baseball, is meant to be played in a ballpark and not a stadium."
The new ballpark design will provide fans with a more exciting and intimate atmosphere by reducing the current seating capacity by twenty-seven percent, bringing fans who attend games closer to the action. The restructuring of the ballpark will bring the number of seats to 4,968, not including the park's standing room only areas, making the resulting seating capacity more commensurate with other ballparks in the Carolina League.
"When we acquired the franchise, we made three fundamental commitments to our fans: 1.) To field a team worthy of their support both on and off the field; 2.) To provide the best family entertainment value in the Roanoke Valley and to take the fan experience to a higher level, and; 3.) To become active participants in the community," continued Dee. "In staying true to these commitments, our goal is to create a traditional ballpark environment and we feel these improvements are a first step in elevating the fan experience. We thank the City of Salem for being a great partner in these initial efforts, and look forward to celebrating the Salem Red Sox' inaugural season with our fans."
The new lease agreement will run through the end of the 2010 baseball season, though the team's ownership and the City of Salem have already begun discussions regarding a long-term lease extension.
Tickets for the 2009 Salem Red Sox season, including opening night on April 9, are available by calling 540-389-3333, visiting the ballpark ticket office or www.salemsox.com.
| Carolina League Club | Ballpark Capacity* |
| Wilmington Blue Rocks | 6,142 |
| Potomac Nationals | 5,500 |
| Winston-Salem Dash | 5,500 |
| Frederick Keys | 5,400 |
| Salem Red Sox | 4,968 |
| Myrtle Beach Pelicans | 4,732 |
| Lynchburg Hillcats | 3,809 |
| Kinston Indians | 3,407 |
| League Average | 4,932 |
*Excluding Berm Seating and Standing Room Only Areas
The Salem Red Sox, a subsidiary of Fenway Sports Group (FSG), is a professional minor league baseball team and a member of the Carolina League. Salem plays its home games at Lewis-Gale Field at Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium. The 6,300-seat ballpark opened in August 1995, and has hosted more than 2.75 million fans since the stadium's inaugural game. With 12 skyboxes, a stadium club and multiple picnic areas, Lewis-Gale Field is one of the premier facilities in the Carolina League. For more information, visit www.salemsox.com or call 540-389-3333.
ABOUT FENWAY SPORTS GROUP
Fenway Sports Group (FSG) is a wholly owned subsidiary of New England Sports Ventures (NESV). In addition to Fenway Sports Group, NESV owns the Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park, and 80 percent of New England Sports Network. A premier sports management organization headquartered in Boston, FSG specializes in representation, sponsorship sales, event marketing and strategic marketing consulting for corporations who conduct business in sports and entertainment. For more information, visit www.fenwaysportsgroup.com.
ABOUT LEWIS-GALE MEDICAL CENTER
Lewis-Gale Medical Center is a 521-bed medical-surgical, acute-care hospital located in Salem, Va. The Medical Center provides a full range of services, and with specialized, advanced treatments in cardiac, oncology, vascular, and neurosurgical care, the Medical Center serves as a regional referral center for sister facilities located in Southwest Virginia including Alleghany Regional, Montgomery Regional, and Pulaski Community. Lewis-Gale Medical Center is a member of HCA Virginia Health System, a family of hospitals, outpatient centers, and physicians with a single priority: putting patients first.
With two dozen locally managed hospitals and outpatient diagnostic and surgery centers in Northern, Southwest and Central Virginia, HCA Virginia is the most comprehensive healthcare provider network in the commonwealth. Its13,000 employees treat more than 1 million patients each year and provide more than $100 million in free charity to families in need. For more information, visit www.hcavirginia.com.
CONTACT:
Salem Red Sox, John Katz, 540-302-0230, [email protected]
Elevate Communications, Keith Gainsboro, 857-234-1481, [email protected]
City of Salem, Mike Stevens, 540-375-4112, [email protected]
