FirstEnergy Stadium ranked 3rd in Minors by Baseball America
Nine other stadiums honored all opened this decade; Clearwater placed 10th

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Reading, PA – Baseball America has ranked Reading’s FirstEnergy Stadium 3rd in an article titled “The Top 10 Minor League Ballparks” in their April 6-19 issue, available now. The R-Phils home is the oldest park on the list by a whopping 49 years as the other honorees have all been built since 2000. There are over 180 stadiums in affiliated Minor League Baseball.

“No team has done more with less than Reading,” the magazine began while explaining Reading’s spot at No. 3. “The R-Phils managed to turn the same the ballpark that once hosted a rising prospect named Roger Maris into one of the top places to see a game.” Numerous ballpark upgrades were cited but Baseball America said that the atmosphere and attention to detail paid by the staff are what makes Reading stand out.

	Stadium (opened)	City	Affiliation
1	AutoZone Park (2000)	Memphis, TN	Cardinals (AAA-PCL)
2	The Dell Diamond (2000)	Round Rock, TX	Astros (AAA-PCL)
3	FirstEnergy Stadium (1951)	Reading, PA	Phillies (AA-EL)
4	Fifth Third Field (2002)	Toledo, OH	Tigers (AAA-IL)
5	Dr. Pepper Ballpark (2003)	Frisco, TX	Rangers (AA-TL)
6	Whataburger Field (2005)	Corpus Christi, TX	Astros (AA-TL)
7	Fifth Third Field (2000)	Dayton, OH	Reds (Low A-MWL)
8	New Bridge Bank Park (2005)	Greensboro, NC	Marlins (Low A-SAL)
9	Louisville Slugger Field (2000)	Louisville, KY	Reds (AAA-IL)
10	Bright House Field (2004)	Clearwater, FL	Phillies (Hi A-FSL)

Baseball America came up with its list by polling Minor League Officials, club personnel, architects, promoters, scouts and others they considered “ballpark experts”. According to the article, gaudy statistics, like attendance numbers and building costs, could not alone determine the list. Intangibles, such as atmosphere and character went a long way as did the personal taste of those polled. No votes were tallied. The story was written based on the experts’ opinions. 

“What a tremendous honor for Baseballtown and Reading, PA,” R-Phils General Manager Scott Hunsicker said. “We are proud and honored to be the caretakers of what many consider to be America’s classic ballpark.”

Built in 1951 at a cost of $656,674 FirstEnergy Stadium has had approximately $9 million dollars invested in it. Dollars have been allocated on improvements such as the video scoreboard and Reading Eagle Pool Pavilion but have also gone to address maintenance needs and player development. 

The atmosphere at FirstEnergy Stadium, which can’t be directly quantified with any statistics, was also recognized on March 18 when GameOps.com placed the R-Phils game day operations in the top four of over 500 professional and college teams they surveyed. 

Baseball America is a bi-weekly magazine and web site (www.baseballamerica.com) that covers baseball from high school to the Major Leagues, with a focus on player development. The company was established in 1981 and is based in Durham, N.C. Baseball America employs its own editorial staff and maintains an impressive list of contributors from all over the country. ESPN’s Peter Gammons, Jim Salisbury of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Paul Hagen of the Philadelphia Daily News and Mike Drago of the Reading Eagle, among others, have written for the magazine, some regularly. Baseball America also publishes numerous books on the sport. Their “Prospect Handbook”, which ranks every Major League team's Top 30 Minor League prospects, is annually a favorite among fans and a trusted resource among the media. 

Reading has been recognized before by Baseball America on several occasions. In 1991 the team won the Double-A Bob Freitas Award, presented annually to the top operation at each level in the Minors. In a 1995 article titled “Building the Perfect Beast”, President Chuck Domino, then the General Manager, was named the “person you would want to run your franchise”. In 1998 Reading was tabbed the 3rd Best Minor League City (Rochester, Durham) in baseball. In 1999 Reading was recognized with the Bob Freitas Decade Award as the best Double-A operation in the 90s. In 2000 the club took home another seasonal Bob Freitas Award. In 2003, Domino was named their national Minor League Executive of the Year. 

This story was posted on April 3, 2009