{{Short description|Baseball park in Greensboro, North Carolina}} {{Infobox venue | name = First National Bank Field | nickname = | logo_image = 150px | image = 310px | pushpin_map = North Carolina#USA | pushpin_map_caption = Location within North Carolina##Location within the United States | pushpin_relief = yes | pushpin_label = First National Bank Field | pushpin_mapsize = 250 | location = 408 Bellemeade Street<br>Greensboro, North Carolina<br>United States | coordinates = {{coord|36|4|36|N|79|47|41|W|display=inline,title}} | broke_ground = January 21, 2004 | built = | opened = April 3, 2005 | closed = | demolished = | owner = Temerity Baseball | operator = Temerity Baseball | surface = Grass | construction_cost = $21.5 million<br>(${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|21500000|2005}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}}) | architect = Tetra Tech<br>Moser Mayer Phoenix Associates | general_contractor = Barton Malow/Samet<ref>{{cite web |title=First Horizon Park|url=http://www.starrelectric.net/portfolio/institutional/athletic-facilities/first-horizon-park/|publisher=Starr Electric Company, Inc.|access-date=September 30, 2011}}</ref> | former_names = First Horizon Park (2005–2007)<br>NewBridge Bank Park (2008–2015)<br>Yadkin Bank Park (2016) | tenants = Greensboro Grasshoppers (SAL) 2005–present | seating_capacity = 7,599 | dimensions = '''Left Field:''' 315 ft (96 m)<br>'''Left Field Jog:''' 322 ft (98 m)<br>'''Left-Center:''' 365 ft (111 m)<br>'''Center Field:''' 400 ft (122 m)<br>'''Right-Center:''' 362 ft (110 m)<br>'''Right Field Jog:''' 320 ft (98 m)<br>'''Right Field:''' 312 ft (95 m) }}
'''First National Bank Field''' is a Minor League Baseball park located in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina. The home of the Greensboro Grasshoppers of the High-A East, it opened on April 3, 2005. The park is on the block bounded by Bellemeade, Edgeworth, Smith, and Eugene Streets.
The stadium's seating capacity is 7,499 people, 5,300 of which are chair-back seats. The stadium was built to Double-A standards and has room for future expansion.<ref name="stadium history">{{cite web |title=Stadium History|url=https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-8814272|publisher=Minor League Baseball|date=March 16, 2010|access-date=February 27, 2012}}</ref> In 2017, the Grasshoppers had the best average attendance in the South Atlantic League and the highest total attendance in the league.<ref>{{cite web |title=2011 Affiliated Attendance by League|url=http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=l_att&lid=116&sid=l116|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120408082659/http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=l_att&lid=116&sid=l116|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 8, 2012|work=Minor League Baseball|date=September 12, 2017|access-date=March 13, 2018}}</ref>
==History== thumb|left|The ballpark in 2005 The Grasshoppers moved to First National Bank Field after the 2004 season, leaving their previous home of many decades, World War Memorial Stadium. Lindsay Street, which once cut through the property of the new park, now T's into Eugene, and also provides a direct path to the old stadium. Greensboro's downtown stadium opened its gates to a crowd of 8,540 on April 3, 2005, with a Grasshoppers exhibition game against the Florida Marlins, who were their Major League Baseball affiliate.<ref>{{cite news |title=A Blowout Beginning|first=Bill|last=Hass|newspaper=News & Record|location=Greensboro|date=April 4, 2005|page=C1}}</ref> In the first regular season game, the Grasshoppers defeated the Hickory Crawdads, 3–2, in front of 8,017 fans.<ref>{{cite news |title=Hoppers Show Spark in Opener|first=Bill|last=Hass|newspaper=News & Record|location=Greensboro|date=April 10, 2005|page=C1}}</ref>
On May 5, 2009, it was announced that the 2010 ACC baseball tournament would be held at the facility, a change from the discussed location of Fenway Park in Boston, due to economic reasons.<ref>{{cite web |title=2010 ACC Baseball Championship Moves to Greensboro, N.C.'s NewBridge Bank Park|url=http://www.theacc.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/050509aaa.html|publisher=Atlantic Coast Conference|date=May 5, 2009|access-date=February 12, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927142137/http://www.theacc.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/050509aaa.html|archive-date=September 27, 2011}}</ref> Florida State won the tournament.<ref name=10results>{{cite web|title=2010 Baseball Championship|url=http://www.theacc.com/championships/10-baseball-championship.html|publisher=Atlantic Coast Conference|access-date=February 12, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214050727/http://www.theacc.com/championships/10-baseball-championship.html|archive-date=February 14, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>
From May 23 to 27, 2012, the park hosted the 2012 ACC baseball tournament, which was won by Georgia Tech.<ref name=12tourney>{{cite web|title=2012 Baseball Championships|url=http://www.theacc.com/championships/12-baseball-championship.html?&rsrc=nav|publisher=Atlantic Coast Conference|access-date=February 12, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119221457/http://www.theacc.com/championships/12-baseball-championship.html?&rsrc=nav|archive-date=January 19, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="12tourneywinner">{{cite news|last=Justice|first=David|url=http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/05/27/2093832/eighth-seeded-ga-tech-wins-acc.html|title=Eighth-Seeded Ga. Tech Wins ACC Baseball Tournament|date=May 27, 2012|newspaper=The News & Observer|access-date=May 28, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130129212438/http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/05/27/2093832/eighth-seeded-ga-tech-wins-acc.html|archive-date=January 29, 2013}}</ref> During this time, the University of North Carolina took on North Carolina State University in a game that broke the record for attendance at a college baseball game in the state of North Carolina. It was also the largest crowd ever for an ACC baseball game. The attendance, 10,229, was the largest crowd in the history of First National Bank Field.<ref>{{cite news|last=Borlik|first=Joe|url=http://myfox8.com/2012/05/26/record-setting-10229-people-attend-acc-tournament-in-greensboro/|title=Record Crowd of 10,229 Attend UNC/NC State Game in Greensboro|date=May 26, 2012|work=WGHP|access-date=May 26, 2012}}</ref>
==Features== A 30-foot-wide open concrete concourse wraps around the ballpark, giving fans the opportunity to see the game from any vantage point in the stadium. Fans are served at three major concession stands with 36 points of sale.<ref>{{cite web|title=NewBridge Bank Park|url=http://www.greensborosports.org/new-bridge-bank-park-0|publisher=Greensboro Sports Commission|access-date=August 3, 2012|archive-date=October 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221007163716/http://www.greensborosports.org/new-bridge-bank-park-0|url-status=dead}}</ref> Other amenities include a grandstand outdoor sports bar and a kid-safe play park.<ref name="stadium history"/> There are 16 luxury suites, 26 grandstand boxes, picnic areas, and a grandstand party deck in the left field corner.
==Naming rights== The ballpark opened in 2005 as First Horizon Park. Memphis, Tennessee-based First Horizon National Corporation was awarded the naming rights on December 7, 2004, for 10 years.<ref>{{cite news |title=Stadium Naming Rights Sold|first=Bill|last=Haas|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=GB&p_theme=gb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=106DF4C1C79B4736&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|newspaper=News & Record|location=Greensboro|date=December 8, 2004|access-date=April 15, 2012}}</ref> On November 7, 2007, it was formally announced that locally based NewBridge Bank had acquired the ballpark's naming rights, after First Horizon National Corporation ended their agreement with the Grasshoppers.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ball Park's New Player|first=Richard M.|last=Barron|url=http://www.news-record.com/content/2007/11/09/article/ball_parks_new_player|newspaper=News & Record|location=Greensboro|date=November 9, 2007|access-date=August 3, 2012}}</ref> The deal was originally through the 2017 season.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bank, Ballpark Like Their Deal|first=Donald W.|last=Patterson|url=http://www.news-record.com/content/2007/11/10/article/bank_ballpark_like_their_deal|newspaper=News & Record|location=Greensboro|date=November 10, 2007|access-date=April 15, 2012}}</ref> However, Yadkin Bank's acquisition of NewBridge Bank resulted in a name change for the ballpark, effective in the 2016 season.<ref>{{cite news|last=Covington|first=Owen|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/news/2016/03/03/grasshoppers-ballpark-to-become-yadkin-bank-park.html|title=Grasshoppers ballpark to become 'Yadkin Bank Park'|date=March 4, 2016|newspaper=Triad Business Journal|access-date=March 4, 2016}}</ref> FNB Corporation of Pittsburgh made an offer for Yadkin Bank in 2016.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.journalnow.com/business/business_beat/yadkin-financial-agrees-to-be-sold-to-pittsburgh-bank-for/article_450600cc-4f01-11e6-9104-b3618e2f313a.html|title=Yadkin Financial agrees to be sold to Pittsburgh bank for $1.4 billion |last=Craver|first=Richard|work=Winston-Salem Journal|date=July 21, 2016|access-date=July 21, 2016}}</ref> The team and FNB Corporation announced March 6, 2017, that First National Bank will continue the NewBridge sponsorship, and the stadium's new name for the 2017 season would be First National Bank Field.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.greensboro.com/business/local_business/greensboro-grasshoppers-ballpark-gets-a-new-name/article_faafd1f7-0b5d-577c-ab8d-17afae57d003.html|title=Greensboro Grasshoppers' ballpark gets a new name |work=News & Record|date=March 6, 2017|access-date=March 6, 2017}}</ref>
==References== * ''Baseball America Directory 2005'' {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} * [http://www.littleballparks.com/Stadium/2008/Greensboro/Greensboro.htm First National Bank Field views – ''Ball Parks of the Minor Leagues''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090524234843/http://www.littleballparks.com/Stadium/2008/Greensboro/Greensboro.htm |date=2009-05-24 }} * [http://downtowngreensboro.net/explore/newbridge-bank-park-greensboro-grasshoppers First National Bank Field – ''Greensboro Downtown''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120529010841/http://downtowngreensboro.net/explore/newbridge-bank-park-greensboro-grasshoppers |date=2012-05-29 }}
{{South Atlantic League ballparks}} {{Triad sports venues}}
Category:Minor league baseball venues in North Carolina Category:Sports venues in Greensboro, North Carolina Category:2005 establishments in North Carolina Category:Sports venues completed in 2005 Category:South Atlantic League ballparks