Victory Field is a

minor league Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in No ...

ballpark A ballpark, or baseball park, is a type of sports venue where baseball is played. The playing field is divided into the infield, an area whose dimensions are rigidly defined, and the outfield, where dimensions can vary widely from place to pla ...

downtown Indianapolis Downtown Indianapolis is a neighborhood area and the central business district of Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Downtown is bordered by Interstate 65, Interstate 70, and the White River, and is situated near the geographic center of Ma ...

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...

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. It is home to the

Indianapolis Indians The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory Field, which opened ...

of the

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ( ...

History

Victory Field opened on July 11, 1996, with the Indians falling to the

Oklahoma City 89ers Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

, 5–3, in front of 14,667 fans. It replaced Bush Stadium, which had also been called Victory Field for 25 years. The new park seated 13,300 fans (15,696 with lawn seating) when it was opened. However, in 2005, a 1,000-seat bleacher section was removed to make room for a picnic area. The name reflects the victory of the

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. The opening of Victory Field in 1996 was the catalyst for a revitalization of downtown Indianapolis. A record 16,168 fans were in attendance on July 22, 2000, to witness the Indians lose to the

Columbus Clippers The Columbus Clippers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They are located in Columbus, Ohio, and are named for speedy merchant sailing vessels known as cli ...

6–5. The stadium hosted the 2001

Triple-A All-Star Game The Triple-A All-Star Game was an annual baseball game held from 1988 to 2019 between professional players from the affiliated Triple-A leagues of Minor League Baseball. These leagues were the International League (IL) and Pacific Coast League ...

in which the

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Ba ...

All-Stars defeated the

All-Stars, 9–5. The

Indiana Hoosiers baseball The Indiana Hoosiers baseball team is the varsity intercollegiate athletic team of Indiana University Bloomington in Bloomington, Indiana, United States. The team competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I and are memb ...

team has played one game each year at Victory Field since 2015. The IHSAA uses Victory Field for its state final baseball matches. In 2021, a six-person panel of

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to s ...

(AIA) Indianapolis members identified the ballpark to be among the ten most "architecturally significant" buildings completed in the city since

Features

Victory Field has been recognized as the "Best Minor League Ballpark in America" by ''

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'' and ''

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''. It was ranked the sixth-best by ''Baseball America'' in their 2015 survey. The stadium has 12,230 permanent seats and room for 2,000 more fans on the outfield lawn. On popular days such as

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Many ...

, attendance has exceeded 15,000 including standing room only. Victory Field also features 28 luxury suites, five suite-level party areas, and two picnic areas. Seating sections include: *Box Seats (Field and View): 7,557 *Reserved Level (Upper and Lower): 3,765 *Lawn: 2,000 *The Coors Light Cove: 125 *Suite level: 543 *Wheelchair: 240 Sports venues

Lucas Oil Stadium Lucas Oil Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It replaced the RCA Dome as the home field of the National Football League (NFL)'s Indianapolis Colts and opened on August 16, 2008. The stadium wa ...

Gainbridge Fieldhouse Gainbridge Fieldhouse is an indoor arena located in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It opened in November 1999 to replace Market Square Arena. The arena is the home of the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association and ...

, the

Indiana University Natatorium Indiana University Natatorium is a swimming complex on the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis campus in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It also serves as the home of the IUPUI School of Health & Human Sciences (including phy ...

, and the Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium are located nearby.

Seating capacity

The

seating capacity Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile tha ...

has changed over the years: *13,500, 15,696 with lawn seating (1996–2004) *12,500, 14,500 with lawn seating (2005–2010) *12,200, 14,200 with lawn seating (2011) *12,202, 14,202 with lawn seating (2012) *12,230, 14,230 with lawn seating (2013–present)

Improvements

Several changes were made to the ballpark between the 2009 and 2010 seasons. Most notably, crews installed a new HD video display that spans the left field wall and measures tall by wide. The new digital board, which has the highest resolution (16mm) of any display in Minor League Baseball, features interactive messages, advertisements, and live scores and statistics. The Indians invested approximately $600,000 in the new digital display which was designed by

Brookings, South Dakota Brookings is a city in Brookings County, South Dakota, United States. Brookings is South Dakota's fourth largest city, with a population of 23,377 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Brookings County, and home to South Dakota State Univ ...

-based

Daktronics Daktronics is an American company based in Brookings, South Dakota that designs, manufactures, sells, and services video displays, scoreboards, digital billboards, dynamic message signs, sound systems, and related products. Founded in 1968 by ...

. With the arrival of the 2021 season, the Elements Financial Club opened on the upper level behind home plate. The area offers premium ticket options for up to 200 fans, including access to a climate-controlled interior lounge with a full-service bar.

References

External links