Baseball park in Erie, Pennsylvania
UPMC Park
, formerly known as
Jerry Uht Park
, is a
baseball park
located in
Erie, Pennsylvania
. It is the home of the
Double-A
Erie SeaWolves
of the
Eastern League
, the city's
Minor League Baseball
(MiLB) franchise. The SeaWolves are affiliated with the
Detroit Tigers
Major League Baseball
team. It hosted its first regular season game on June 20, 1995, in which major league veteran
Jose Guillen
hit a
home run
to ensure a SeaWolves victory over the
Jamestown Jammers
.
[4]
The park replaced
Ainsworth Field
, which was built in 1947, and features a natural grass and dirt playing field. Its concessions include regional specialties such as pepperoni balls,
ox roast sandwiches
,
cheesesteaks
, and
Yuengling
beer. It is part of the Erie Civic Center Complex, which also includes
Erie Insurance Arena
and the
Warner Theatre
, all governed by the Erie County Convention Center Authority. The stadium has a seating capacity of 6,000.
[5]
After the 2016 season, the SeaWolves partnered with the
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
(UPMC) in a naming rights agreement to rebrand the stadium UPMC Park.
[6]
In 2008, the
ESPN
sports broadcast company ranked the ballpark number five out of ten minor league ballpark seating arrangements. They especially noted its unique mezzanine level overlooks the infield along the first base side.
[7]
In July 2015, the
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
(PETA) also ranked the stadium number five among the most vegetarian-friendly minor league ballparks.
[8]
History
[
edit
]
Prior to UPMC Park's construction, the Erie SeaWolves (then known as the
Welland Pirates
) played at
Welland Stadium
in
Welland, Ontario
. They moved to Erie after owner Marvin Goldklang relocated the
Erie Sailors
to
Wappingers Falls, New York
(where they became the
Hudson Valley Renegades
) because he did not want to upgrade
Ainsworth Field
to the standards
Major League Baseball
required of its affiliated clubs. Once the civic government secured an $8 million grant from the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
to build UPMC Park, the Welland Pirates moved to Erie.
[2]
The remaining $1 million for architectural expenses were covered by the City of Erie,
Erie County
, and the 300-member Team Erie, each of whom contributed $300,000. Additionally, nearby
Millcreek Township
contributed $25,000.
[2]
The ballpark site was originally home to a
Sears
building turned Exhibit Hall.
[9]
Groundbreaking ceremonies took place on July 27, 1994 and Jerry Uht Park was completed in May 1995.
On July 10, 2015, Jerry Uht Park hosted
Global Force Wrestling
's
Grand Slam Tour
, its first major professional wrestling event.
[10]
[11]
Original namesake
[
edit
]
Gerard T. "Jerry" Uht Sr. was a minor league baseball player and longtime Erie resident. In 1995, he established a $500,000 endowment with
PNC Bank
and the Erie Community Foundation to perpetually support the downtown baseball stadium. In response to his generosity, the city named Jerry Uht Park in his honor.
[12]
[13]
As of January 2007, the Erie Community Foundation continues to manage the fund, valued at $750,000. The
Erie Times-News
indicated that the fund is designated for stadium maintenance expenses and equipment purchases.
[14]
The name remained in use until a naming rights agreement with the
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
(UPMC) after the 2016 season resulted in a name change to "UPMC Park."
[6]
Features
[
edit
]
Seating along UPMC Park's first and third base lines has a unique configuration due to the space constraints of an urban construction. There are three main concession stands and a picnic area for fans, plus six luxury suites for special occasions. The ballpark is known for its two distinctive grandstands, each with its own design.
In 2006, the park was renovated at a cost of $4 million. Additions included a new 40-foot (12 m) electronic scoreboard (which has a nautical theme featuring "Erie" spelled out with
international maritime signal flags
), a two-tiered picnic area, eleven luxury box seats, and new concession stands.
[15]
An additional video board was added to
Erie Insurance Arena
, which borders the stadium, that displays scores from other Eastern League games, player statistics, and information about the
Detroit Tigers
. UPMC Park's batting zone resembles that of
Comerica Park
in
Detroit
, exaggerating the contour of the regulation home plate.
In spring 2012, a new 33-foot (10 m) wall was constructed along the park's border with Erie Insurance Arena. The
Erie Times-News
dubbed it the "Gray Monster," an allusion to
Fenway Park
's
Green Monster
in
Boston
. Despite the wall's height, the home-run marker was maintained at 17-foot (5.2 m). Its construction was part of the $42 million renovation of Erie Insurance Arena, which lies a mere 312-foot (95 m) from the left-field boundary. Additionally, the left-field pole was moved from its original 312-foot (95 m) from home-plate to 316-foot (96 m) and the batting cages were relocated from left-field to right-center, near the scoreboard.
[16]
On August 13, 2018, Pennsylvania Governor
Tom Wolf
announced UPMC Park would receive Redevelopment Capital Assistance Program funding totaling $12 million for upgrades to UPMC Park. Enhancements are expected to include updated video boards, a renovated suite, concession and restroom areas, and a new left-field stadium entrance featuring a climate-controlled team store and stadium club.
Gallery
[
edit
]
-
Outfield of UPMC Park, 2007
-
Infield of UPMC Park, 2007
-
UPMC Park Upper Level, Erie, PA July 18, 2021
-
UPMC Park Home Plate, Erie, PA July 18, 2021
-
UPMC Park Scoreboard, Erie, PA July 18, 2021
Concessions
[
edit
]
Happy Howler, LLC, manages the concessions at UPMC Park, offering a typical ballpark menu of
hot dogs
,
hamburgers
,
nachos
, and
peanuts
. Some regional specialties include Erie-made pepperoni balls,
ox roast sandwiches
, and
cheesesteaks
. The most distinctive concession is the Smith's Sausage Shack, which grills
German bratwurst
,
Italian sausage
,
Polish kiełbasa
, and
Cajun sausage
along with the
Pennsylvania
-brewed
Yuengling
beer.
[17]
Options for health-conscious,
vegetarian
, and
vegan
customers include
veggie burgers
and
burrito
bowls.
Pepsi
has exclusive pouring rights at UPMC Park for
soft drinks
.
[18]
In 2017, the Mojo & AC Rocket Dog, a Smith's hot dog topped with pulled pork, mac & cheese, bacon and BBQ sauce, was named the top food item in Minor League Baseball's BUSH's Home Run Recipes Contest. The SeaWolves organization repeated as champions in 2018 with their Fiesta Burger, topped with pepper jack cheese, bacon, guacamole, onion strings, and Bush's Black Beans. Also in 2018, the facility offered a hot dog topped with Nerds candy in a cotton candy bun. This outrageous item earned national recognition and notoriety for the SeaWolves organization.
References
[
edit
]
- ^
1634?1699:
McCusker, J. J.
(1997).
How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda
(PDF)
.
American Antiquarian Society
.
1700?1799:
McCusker, J. J.
(1992).
How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States
(PDF)
.
American Antiquarian Society
.
1800?present:
Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
"Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800?"
. Retrieved
February 29,
2024
.
- ^
a
b
c
Knight, Graham.
"Jerry Uht Park"
.
Baseball Pilgrimages
. Retrieved
September 25,
2012
.
- ^
"Jerry Uht Park"
. Retrieved
September 24,
2011
.
- ^
a
b
"Jerry Uth Park"
. Erie County Convention Center Authority. Archived from
the original
on July 30, 2012
. Retrieved
September 22,
2017
.
- ^
"Jerry Uht Park"
.
Erie County Convention Center Authority
. 2015
. Retrieved
November 27,
2015
.
- ^
a
b
"New for 2017: UPMC Park"
.
Ballpark Digest
. September 19, 2016
. Retrieved
September 19,
2016
.
- ^
Pahigan, Josh (May 10, 2008).
"The Best of the Minor Leagues"
.
ESPN
. Retrieved
September 4,
2012
.
- ^
Moore, Heather (July 27, 2015).
"The Top 5 Vegetarian-Friendly Minor League Ballparks"
.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
. Retrieved
November 27,
2015
.
- ^
Howard, Pat (May 10, 2012).
"Erie Insurance Arena Makes Debut"
.
Erie Times-News
. Retrieved
August 28,
2012
.
- ^
"GFW Grand Slam Tour: Erie, Pennsylvania"
.
- ^
"SHOW RESULTS - 7/10 GFW in Erie, Pa.: Bullet Club headlines Global Force event, plus Jarrett-EY title feud continues, Nick Aldis, more stars"
.
- ^
"What's in a name: Jerry Uht Park named after generous local donor"
.
GoErie.com
. Retrieved
November 27,
2015
.
- ^
"Annual Report 2005"
(PDF)
. Erie Community Foundation. 2006. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on September 27, 2007
. Retrieved
February 23,
2014
.
- ^
Flowers, Kevin (January 19, 2007).
"Uht Fund Pitches in Relief for Ballpark Renovation"
.
Erie Times-News
. Archived from
the original
on June 11, 2014
. Retrieved
February 23,
2014
.
- ^
"Jerry Uht Park"
. Minor League Baseball. February 9, 2009
. Retrieved
September 29,
2012
.
- ^
Copper, Mike (April 3, 2012).
"Jerry Uht Park's Left-Field Wall Sees Massive Change"
.
Erie Times-News
. Retrieved
September 25,
2012
.
- ^
"What to eat at Jerry Uht Park"
.
The Ballpark Guide
. Retrieved
September 16,
2012
.
- ^
"Jerry Uht Park"
.
Stadium Journey
. Retrieved
September 16,
2012
.
External links
[
edit
]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
UPMC Park
.
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