First Horizon Park springs into action

It houses a Class A club but it's built to Double-A standards, with room to expand.

This year, the Greensboro Grasshoppers opened their second season in First Horizon Park, one of the South Atlantic League's newest ballparks.

"It's kind of cool the way they set it up to adapt in the future," said Grasshoppers media relations director Amanda Williams. "It seats 7,599, but the left-field berm is set up so it can be converted into seats in the future, if need be."

First Horizon Park opened in 2005 just half a mile from old World War Memorial Stadium, where the Grasshoppers -- Class A affiliate of the Florida Marlins -- originally played. Since the new brick beauty came about, the old park plays host to local high school games.

When fans enter First Horizon, they can look down on 20 rows of seats in the main bowl, leading to the field. The second deck is lined with 16 luxury suites with wooden exteriors, giving them a beach-house feel.

Last year it took 20 days to draw 100,000 fans to First Horizon. This season, the same goal was accomplished in 16 days. Built in the heart of downtown Greensboro, N.C., First Horizon has breathed new life into the city.

"It's completely revitalized the city," said Williams. "New bars, restaurants and stores are popping up all around the park."

Despite being a downtown ballpark, with the views to go along with it, Williams said there's a certain intimacy to it. Raised brick walls featuring a pitcher's sequence greet fans who use the handicapped ramp. At the bottom of the ramp, illustrations of a hitter line the exit.

The main gate is shaped like a baseball bat, and the plaza gates are aluminum bats with enlarged concrete baseballs running along the floors. With little pieces of local flavor scattered throughout, First Horizon wonderfully blends modern amenities with old-fashioned ballpark familiarity.

The open concourse offers concessions ranging from traditional ballgame fare to barbecue treats notorious in the Greensboro area. Kids can play in First Horizon's "kid zone," located down the right-field line.

An outdoor sports bar behind left field is one of First Horizon's hot spots during summer games. At the bottom of the left-field berm, fans are only two feet from the action on the field. The top of the berm levels out into a concrete picnic area for groups to gather.

Moving from an old ballpark in World War Memorial Stadium to their current state-of-the-art residence, the Grasshoppers kept their ticket prices the same.

Fans can enjoy a day at First Horizon for as low as $6, a strategic move on the owner's part, according to Williams. She added that when designing the ballpark, a vision of growing the organization in the coming years was always in mind.

"The ownership had a vision," said Williams. "Obviously we're not expanding anytime soon, but this is a great way to be prepared when the time comes."