CMC-NorthEast Stadium

CMC-NorthEast Stadium

The Cannon
Former names	Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium (1995–2012)
Location	2888 Moose Road Kannapolis, NC 28083
Coordinates	35°30′28″N 80°33′59″W / 35.50778°N 80.56639°WCoordinates: 35°30′28″N 80°33′59″W / 35.50778°N 80.56639°W
Owner	Rowan County and City of Kannapolis
Operator	Smith Family Baseball (maintenance by Rowan County)
Capacity	4,700 (seated)
Field size	Left Field: 330 feet Left-Center: 375 feet Center Field: 400 feet Right-Center: 375 feet Right Field: 310 feet
Surface	Natural Grass
Construction
Broke ground	October 19, 1994[1]
Opened	April 8, 1995[2]
Construction cost	$6,800,000 (including adjacent property) ($10.6 million in 2016 dollars[3])
Architect	Lescher and Mahoney
Services engineer	Brittain Engineering, Inc.[4]
General contractor	Wayne Brothers, Inc.[5]
Tenants
Kannapolis Intimidators (SAL) (1995–present) Charlotte 49ers (NCAA) 2003, 2007

CMC-NorthEast Stadium is a baseball stadium in Kannapolis, North Carolina. It is the home venue for the Kannapolis Intimidators, the Class A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.

History

When the Intimidators franchise (then known as the Piedmont Phillies) began play in 1995, the stadium's construction was not complete. The field and seating areas were ready for the team's first game in April of that year, but the concession stands, restrooms, luxury boxes, and box office were not complete until that winter. The stadium was named Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium for the Fieldcrest Cannon Corporation, the textile giant that built the mill town of Kannapolis and operated it until the city was incorporated in 1984.

In addition to home games for the Intimidators, Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium is also used for several local high school baseball games each spring in addition to select Amateur Athletic Union events throughout the year.

The stadium was the home of UNC Charlotte's baseball team during the 2003 season while their on-campus facility's playing surface was being redone.^[6] The 49ers played in Kannapolis again for the first part of the 2007 season while their stadium was undergoing a $6 million renovation.^[7]

Improvements

A new scoreboard was installed in center field for the 2005 season, replacing the original board that the stadium used when it opened.^[8]

The city of Kannapolis is considering a replacement facility.^[9]

Naming Rights

On April 3, 2012, it was announced that Carolinas Medical Center-NorthEast purchased the naming rights to the stadium, adopting the new CMC-NorthEast Stadium name for the upcoming season. Per club policy, terms were not disclosed.^[10]

References

1. "Officials Break Ground on Ballpark". The Charlotte Observer. October 20, 1994. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
2. "Kannapolis Brings Back Baseball to Full Stadium". Star-News. April 10, 1995. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
3. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
4. "Clients & Projects". Brittain Engineering, Inc. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
5. "Builder of the Year". The Charlotte Observer. February 13, 1997. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
6. "Baseball Moves All C-USA Home Games To Kannapolis". University of North Carolina at Charlotte Department of Athletics. March 12, 2003. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
7. "Charlotte Releases 2007 Baseball Schedule". University of North Carolina at Charlotte Department of Athletics. January 10, 2007. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
8. "2005 Intimidators: The Remaking of a Team, New Owners, Skipper Have the Roster Stocked with Fresh Players, Many of Them Green". The Charlotte Observer. April 7, 2005. p. 1K.
9. Smith, Deirdre (2016-03-16). "Kannapolis Intimidators have new owners, big plans". Salisbury Post. Retrieved 2016-03-16.
10. "Name Game: Welcome to CMC-NorthEast Stadium". Minor League Baseball. April 3, 2012. Retrieved April 3, 2012.

External links

• CMC-NorthEast Stadium | Kannapolis Intimidators Fieldcrest Stadium
• CMC-NorthEast Stadium Views - Ball Parks of the Minor Leagues