Gesa Stadium
{{Short description|Baseball stadium in Pasco, Washington}}
{{Distinguish|text=Gesa Field at Martin Stadium in Pullman}}
{{Infobox stadium
| stadium_name = Gesa Stadium
| nickname =
| image = Gesa Stadium.PNG
| image_size = 200px
| address = 6200 Burden Boulevard
| location = Pasco, Washington, U.S.
| coordinates = {{coord|46.267|N|119.172|W|region:US|display=it}}
| image_map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=250|zoom=10|type=point}}
| pushpin_map = USA#Washington
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in the United States##Location in Washington
| pushpin_label_position =
| pushpin_mapsize = 250
| pushpin_label = Pasco
| pushpin_relief = yes
| broke_ground = 1993
| opened = {{start date and age|1995}}
| owner = City of Pasco
| operator = Tri-City Dust Devils
| surface = Natural grass
| architect =
| construction_cost =
| former_names = Posse Stadium
Tri-City Stadium
Dust Devils Stadium
| tenants = Tri-City Dust Devils (NWL) (2001–present)
Tri-City Posse (WBL) (1995–2000)
| seating_capacity = 3,654
| dimensions = Left Field – {{Convert|335|ft|abbr=on}}
Center Field – {{Convert|400|ft|0|abbr=on}}
Right Field – {{Convert|335|ft|abbr=on}}
}}
Gesa Stadium (formerly Dust Devils Stadium) is a Minor League Baseball park in the northwest United States, located in Pasco, Washington. Opened {{Time ago|1995}} in 1995, it is the home field of the Tri-City Dust Devils of the Northwest League.
History
The venue opened as "Tri-City Stadium" for the Tri-City Posse, a charter member of the independent Western Baseball League (WBL).{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GL4jAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xNAFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3084%2C3767494 |newspaper=Moscow-Pullman Daily News |location=Idaho-Washington |title=Trebelhorn to manage Tri-Cities team |date=November 24, 1994 |page=2D |access-date=January 2, 2021 |archive-date=January 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102185224/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GL4jAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xNAFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3084%2C3767494 |url-status=live }} After six years, the Posse left after the 2000 season when the NWL Rockies moved up the Columbia River from Portland to become the Tri-City Dust Devils for 2001.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=P1dWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8-sDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4929%2C7614469 |newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |location=Oregon |title=Portland stadium name changed |agency=Associated Press |date=July 28, 2000 |page=5D |access-date=January 2, 2021 |archive-date=January 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102185138/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=P1dWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8-sDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4929%2C7614469 |url-status=live }} (The Rockies moved to make way for a new incarnation of the Beavers in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League.)
It was renamed "Dust Devils Stadium" in 2004 and became Gesa Stadium in 2008, when Gesa Credit Union, a local financial institution, announced that they had purchased the naming rights to the facility for a duration of ten years.[http://www.kndu.com/global/video/popup/pop_player.asp?ClipID1=2192440&h1=Dust%20Devils%20Sell%20Naming%20Rights%20to%20Gesa%20Credit%20Union&vt1=v&at1=Sport&d1=46700&LaunchPageAdTag=News&activePane=info&playerVersion=1&hostPageUrl=http%3A//www.kndu.com/Global/category.asp%3FC%3D78263%26nav%3Dmenu484_2_13&rnd=67138086 KNDU Video]{{deadlink|date=October 2022}}{{cite news|last=Millikin |first=Jack |url=http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2008/09/13/315904/blackmon-attendance-top-highlights.html |title=Blackmon, attendance top highlights |newspaper=Tri-City Herald |publisher=The McClatchy Company |location=Kennewick, Washington |date=September 13, 2008 |accessdate=February 22, 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717100237/http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2008/09/13/315904/blackmon-attendance-top-highlights.html |archivedate=2011-07-17 |url-status=dead }}
In early 2007, the stadium underwent a renovation, which a {{convert|137|ft|adj=on}} sunshade was constructed on the northwest-side of the stadium behind the right-field stands, to help shade spectators on the left-field stands from the glare of the setting sun. Gesa Stadium has an unorthodox southern alignment, so that fans could have sight of the Kennewick area and the surrounding Horse Heaven Hills, particularly Jump Off Joe. The recommended alignment of a baseball diamond (home plate to center field) is east-northeast.{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/objectives_1.jsp|publisher=Major League Baseball|title=Objectives of the Game – rule 1.04|accessdate=November 16, 2015|archive-date=June 9, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609020257/http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/objectives_1.jsp|url-status=live}}
The elevation of the playing field is approximately {{convert|500|ft|-1}} above sea level and is just north of Interstate 182, several miles west of the Tri-Cities Airport.
Previous venues
The previous ballparks for minor league baseball in the area were in the other two cities, and both were aligned northeast.
Sanders-Jacobs Field (1950–1974) in Kennewick was located at the northeast corner of Clearwater Avenue and Neel Street in the West Highlands ({{coord|46.213|-119.169}}). Used for a quarter century, its third base line followed present-day Morain Street. It was named for Harry Sanders, a Connell farmer, and Tom Jacobs, a former manager and the general manager of the Atoms at the time of his death at age 64 in 1968.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=EtlYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=APgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1210%2C3242599 |newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=Washington |title=Tri-City's leader taken by death |agency=Associated Press |date=July 27, 1968 |page=8 |access-date=January 2, 2021 |archive-date=January 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102185059/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=EtlYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=APgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1210%2C3242599 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |url=http://www.tri-cityherald.com/sports/other-sports/article32117586.html |newspaper=Tri-City Herald |location=Pasco, Washington |last=Morrow |first=Jeff |title=Charlie Petersen, Tri-Cities' first professional baseball manager, still kicking at 100 |date=March 22, 2013 |accessdate=November 19, 2015 |archive-date=January 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102171237/https://www.tri-cityherald.com/sports/other-sports/article32117586.html |url-status=live }} The independent Tri-City Ports folded after the 1974 season, and the venue was demolished soon after.
In Richland, the baseball field at Richland High School, adjacent to the Bomber Bowl, was used for the Tri-Cities Triplets' four seasons in the mid-1980s. The team was sold after the 1986 season, moved to southwestern Idaho, and became the Boise Hawks.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_xhXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cu8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4137%2C287599 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |last=Stalwick |first=Howie |title=Indians open season tonight |date=June 16, 1987 |page=B1 |access-date=January 2, 2021 |archive-date=January 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102185048/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_xhXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cu8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4137%2C287599 |url-status=live }}
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- [https://www.milb.com/tri-city-dust-devils Tri-City Dust Devils website]
- [http://ballparkreviews.com/template2.php?in_name=Gesa%20Stadium&in_city=Pasco&in_state=Washington Ballpark Reviews] – Gesa Stadium
- [http://www.littleballparks.com/Stadium/2010/Pasco/Pasco.htm Gesa Stadium Views – Ball Parks of the Minor Leagues] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130813212938/http://www.littleballparks.com/Stadium/2010/Pasco/Pasco.htm |date=2013-08-13 }}
{{Northwest League ballparks}}
Category:Sports venues in Washington (state)
Category:Minor league baseball venues
Category:Buildings and structures in Franklin County, Washington
Category:Tourist attractions in Franklin County, Washington