PNC Field, formerly Lackawanna County Stadium (1989-2007), is a 10,982-seat minor league baseball stadium in Moosic, Pennsylvania (between Scranton and Wilkes-Barre). The stadium was opened on April 26, 1989, and is the home of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, the AAA affiliate of the New York Yankees. The field's dimensions and turf surface were designed to match those of Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, then home to the Red Barons' original major league affiliate, the Philadelphia Phillies. Lackawanna County sold the naming rights to PNC Bank on February 1, 2007.
Operations of both the stadium and the Yankees' franchise will be taken over by Mandalay Baseball Properties for the 2007 season, coinciding with the first year of the Yankees' affiliation to the New York Yankees. Previously, the stadium and franchise were managed by the Lackawanna County Stadium Authority, which was heavily criticized for being constantly mired in county politics.
As part of the agreement with Mandalay, the county will replace the turf field with a sand-based bluegrass playing surface identical to the one at Yankee Stadium for the start of the 2007 season. Mandalay is also removing the top four rows of the stadium's upper deck, and relocating those seats to the former bleacher areas in the lower deck along the first and third base lines.[1] The resulting change in seating capacity has yet to be announced.
Through 2006, the stadium also hosted the Tournament of Bands Atlantic Coast Championships for high school marching band, as well as home games of Scranton Preparatory School's football team. These, and all other non-baseball events, will no longer be hosted at the stadium beginning in 2007, due to its conversion to a natural grass playing surface.[2]
References
- ^ Jennings, Chad (2006-10-11). "Yankees' Triple A Team Moving In", The Citizens' Voice. Retrieved on 2006-10-24.
- ^ Jennings, Chad (2006-11-15). "A Sod Day At the Stadium", The Times-Tribune. Retrieved on 2006-11-27.
External links
Coordinates: 41°21′37.46″N 75°41′2.28″W / 41.3604056, -75.6839667
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