Salem Memorial Ballpark is a

baseball park A ballpark, or baseball park, is a type of sports venue where baseball is played. The playing field is divided into two field sections called the infield and the outfield. The infield is an area whose dimensions are rigidly defined in part ba ...

in Salem,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. It is part of the James E. Taliferro Sports and Entertainment Complex, along with the

Salem Civic Center The Salem Civic Center is a 6,820-seat multi-purpose arena in Salem, Virginia. It was built in 1967 and is part of the James E. Taliaferro Sports and Entertainment Complex (named after a former mayor of Salem), which also includes Salem Football ...

and

Salem Football Stadium Salem Stadium is a stadium in Salem, Virginia, United States. It is primarily used for American football and hosts the home football games of the Salem High School (Salem, Virginia), Salem High School Spartans. It was built in 1985 and seats 7,1 ...

, located approximately southeast of downtown. Opened on , it is home to the

Salem Red Sox The Salem Red Sox are a Minor League Baseball affiliate of the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB), based in Salem, Virginia, Salem, an independent city adjacent to Roanoke, Virginia. The team competes at the Single-A level in the Car ...

, 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 Nort ...

affiliate Affiliation or affiliate may refer to: * Affiliate (commerce), a legal form of entity relationship used in Business Law * Affiliation (family law), a legal form of family relationship * Affiliate marketing * Affiliate network or affiliation platfo ...

of the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

. It was built in 1995 at a cost of $10.1 million to replace Municipal Stadium. With a seating capacity of 6,300 people, it offers an impressive view of the

Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a Physiographic regions of the United States, physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Highlands range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States and extends 550 miles southwest from southern ...

. For sponsorship reasons, since 2021 the full name of the facility has been Carilion Clinic Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark, named after local healthcare organization

Carilion Clinic Carilion Clinic is a Roanoke, Virginia-based non-profit integrated health care organization. Carilion owns and operates seven hospitals in the western part of Virginia, a nursing undergraduate program at Radford University Carilion, and a join ...

History

In 1993, ownership of the then Salem Buccaneers were looking to sell the franchise. As the existing Municipal Stadium was not adequate to meet the needs of the franchise, Salem leaders looked at options to construct a new stadium in an effort to keep the franchise from relocating. In January 1994, Salem leaders approached both the City of Roanoke and

Roanoke County Roanoke County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, its population was 96,929. Its county seat is Salem, but the county administrative offices are located in the census-designated place of ...

in an effort to develop a regional partnership to construct a stadium. In March 1994, the Salem City Council decided a nonbinding referendum would be held later that summer to let the city residents decide if a new facility should be constructed. On July 19, Salem voters voted in favor of constructing a new ballpark with 2,236 people voting for and 398 voting against the proposal. With its citizens strongly supporting its construction, the Salem City Council voted unanimously on July 25 to approve construction of a new stadium. In August, final designs were unveiled by Kinsey Shane & Associates, with J.M. Turner & Company selected as general contractor for construction of the $5 million ballpark. Its construction was to occur on property already under the ownership of the city adjacent to both the

and

. The

playing field Play is a range of Motivation#Intrinsic and extrinsic, intrinsically motivated activities done for recreation. Play is commonly associated with children and juvenile-level activities, but may be engaged in at any life stage, and among other high ...

was to be set first followed by the construction of the physical stadium with

precast concrete Precast concrete is a construction product produced by casting concrete in a reusable molding (process), mold or "form" which is then cured in a controlled environment, transported to the construction site and maneuvered into place; examples i ...

. The facility was tentatively scheduled for completion for the start of the 1995 season. As a result of its construction, in September, ownership signed an agreement with the

Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...

to serve as their Single A team beginning in 1995. The choice was made in large part based on the construction of the new stadium. Although budgeted to be completed for $5 million, in November Salem approved an additional $1 million to be spent on stadium construction. The following April, costs again rose to $10.1 million for its completion primarily as a result of low construction estimates. Slated to open for the start of the 1995 season, its opening was pushed back to May 22 then to June 20 and July 25 due to construction delays. On August 7, the stadium opened before a

standing-room only An event is described as standing-room only when it is so well-attended that all of the chairs in the venue are occupied, leaving only flat spaces of pavement or flooring for other attendees to stand, at least those spaces not restricted by occup ...

crowd of 6,421 with the Avalanche defeating the

Frederick Keys The Frederick Keys are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. The Keys are based in Frederick, Maryland. The franchise is named for the "Star-Spangled Banner" writer Francis Scott Key, a native of Frederick County. A new team ...

3–2 in 15 innings. The venue hosted the

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

and

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

Atlantic Coast Conference baseball tournament The Atlantic Coast Conference baseball tournament, sometimes referred to simply as the ACC tournament, is the conference championship tournament in baseball for the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). In 2017, the event adopted a modified twelve-tea ...

s, won by

Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Georgia Tech, GT, and simply Tech or the Institute) is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Established in 1885, it has the lar ...

and

Florida State Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...

, respectively. The capacity was reduced from 6,300 to 4,968 for the 2009 season when the new Red Sox ownership decided to place

tarps The Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance Pod System (TARPS) was a large and sophisticated camera pod carried by the Grumman F-14 Tomcat. It contains three camera bays with different type cameras which are pointed down at passing terrain. It was or ...

over four sections of the general admission seats in an effort to create a more "intimate" fan experience. Due to increased attendance, two of the four tarps were removed towards the end of the 2010 season to expand the stadiums' capacity to 5,503.

Notable events

All-Star Game

On March 3, 2005, Salem Avalanche officials announced that Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium was selected to play host to the

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

Carolina-California League All-Star Game. Before a crowd of 5,133, and live television and radio audiences, the team of Carolina League All-Stars defeated the team of California League All-Stars by a score of 6-3. Chad Reineke (Carolina – Salem Avalanche) was the winning pitcher, Rodrigo Escobar (Carolina – Salem Avalanche) earned a save, and José Arredondo (California –

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are located in Rancho Cucamonga, California, and play their home games at LoanMart Field. The franc ...

) was the losing pitcher. Both teams awarded a "Top Star," with each earning a place in the XM Satellite Radio All-Star Futures Game at the

2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game The 2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 77th playing of the midseason exhibition baseball game between the all-star game, all-stars of the American League (AL) and National League (baseball), National League (NL), the two leagues co ...

. The selection from the Carolina League was

Nolan Reimold Nolan Gallagher Reimold (born October 12, 1983) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles, Toronto Blue Jays, and Arizona Diamondbacks. Early ...

(

), and

Reid Brignac Reid Michael Brignac (pronounced Brin-yack) (born January 16, 1986) is an American professional baseball manager and former professional baseball infielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays, Colorado Rockies, New Y ...

(

Visalia Oaks Visalia ( ) is a city in the agricultural San Joaquin Valley of California. The population was 141,384 as per the 2020 census. Visalia is the fifth-most populous city in the San Joaquin Valley, the 38th most populous in California, and 183 ...

) was selected from the California League. Justin Hedrick (California –

San Jose Giants The San Jose Giants are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Located in San Jose, California, the Giants play their home games at Excite Ballpark. Games San Jose Giants g ...

) was named Pitcher of the Game. Salem also hosted the 2017 All-Star Game, which featured a skills competition at Salem's old ballpark as part of a celebration of Salem's 50th anniversary in the Carolina League. The Northern Division All-Stars defeated the Southern Division All-Stars 2-0. Salem third baseman Michael Chavis, whose two-run double in the first inning scored the only runs of the night, received the MVP Award.Red Sox’s Chavis Wins MVP In Carolina League All-Star Game
Baseball America

No-hitters

Salem Memorial Ballpark has been the setting for three no-hit games since its opening in 1995. The first took place on August 4, 1996, when Luther Hackman pitched a 4–1 no-hit game against the

Kinston Indians The Kinston Indians were a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League (CL) located in Kinston, North Carolina, from 1978 to 2011. They played their home games at Grainger Stadium, which opened in 1949. The team began play in 1978 as the Kin ...

. The second took place on April 10, 1997, when

Scott Randall Scott Phillip Randall (born October 29, 1975) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Randall's Major League Baseball (MLB) career began in June 1995 when he was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 11th round of the Major League B ...

and

Lariel González Lariel Alfonso González (born May 25, 1976) is a Dominican former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for one season. Before the 1998 season, ''Baseball America'' named him the 94th-best prospect in baseball. He pitched in the Colorado Roc ...

, combined to pitch a 1–0 no-hit game against the

Wilmington Blue Rocks The Wilmington Blue Rocks are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Wilmington, Delaware, and play their home games at Daniel S. Frawley Stadium. Fra ...

. The third took place on June 30, 2010, when Nathan Moreau of the

pitched a 7–0 no-hit game against the Red Sox.

College baseball

In addition to serving as a second home field for the

Roanoke College Roanoke College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Salem, Virginia. It has approximately 2,000 students who represent approximately 40 states and 30 countries. The college offers ...

baseball team since 2002, Salem Memorial Ballpark has hosted several collegiate tournaments since 1996. In July

1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

, city officials announced that the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

Division III In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Association football *Belgian Third ...

(D-III) Baseball Championship would be played at the then proposed stadium for five years between 1995 and 1999. Although scheduled to be played in the new ballpark, in April 1995 city officials announced the D-III Baseball Championship would be moved to nearby Municipal Field as a result of construction delays on the new facility. Due to sagging attendance, in 1998 the NCAA announced the D-III Baseball Championship would be moved to

Fox Cities Stadium Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium is a baseball park in Grand Chute, Wisconsin (although it has an Appleton mailing address). It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, the Midwest Lea ...

outside

Appleton Appleton may refer to: People and fictional characters * Appleton (surname), including a list of people and fictional characters * Appleton family, an American political, religious and mercantile family * Appleton P. Clark Jr. (1865–1955), Am ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

beginning with the 2000 tournament. In December

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

, the City of Salem was notified of their successful bid against both

Durham Bulls Athletic Park Durham Bulls Athletic Park (DBAP, pronounced "d-bap") is a 10,000-seat ballpark in Durham, North Carolina, that is home to the Durham Bulls, the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball. It is also ...

Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city in north east England **County Durham, a ceremonial county which includes Durham *Durham, North Carolina, a city in North Carolina, United States Durham may also refer to: Places ...

and L. P. Frans Stadium in

Hickory Hickory is a common name for trees composing the genus ''Carya'', which includes 19 species accepted by ''Plants of the World Online''. Seven species are native to southeast Asia in China, Indochina, and northeastern India (Assam), and twelve ...

to host both the

and

ACC baseball tournaments. The 2003 tournament saw 18,276 attend the event with

defeating

NC State North Carolina State University (NC State, North Carolina State, NC State University, or NCSU) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina sy ...

by a score of 6-5. The 2004 tournament saw 23,092 attend the event with

defeating Georgia Tech, 17-5.

Facilities

Seating at the ballpark includes fixed stadium seats and ten

luxury box The luxury box (or skybox) and club seating constitute the most expensive class of seating in arenas and stadiums, and generate much higher revenues than regular seating. Club ticketholders often receive exclusive access to an indoor part of th ...

es located above the main

concourse A concourse is a place where pathways or roads meet, such as in a hotel, a convention center, a railway station, an airport terminal, a hall, or other space. The term is not limited to places where there are literally pathways or roadways or t ...

behind

home plate A baseball field, also called a ball field or baseball diamond, is the field upon which the game of baseball is played. The term can also be used as a metonym for a baseball park. The term sandlot is sometimes used, although this usually refers ...

. As of 2011, fixed seating capacity is 5,503. Games can be watched from one of two picnic areas — one on the third base line and one on the first base line. The stadium features four concession stands, numerous other carts, and eight large restrooms. Lines are usually not a problem even with large crowds. There is ample free parking on site which is easily accessed from U.S. 11, U.S. 460, Virginia 419, and

Interstate 81 Interstate 81 (I-81) is a north–south (physically northeast–southwest) Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 40, I-40 in Dandridge, Tennessee, Dandridge, Tennessee; its nort ...

. In part because of promotions, the Salem minor league baseball teams have been more successful in building and maintaining attendance than

Roanoke Valley The Roanoke Valley ( ) in southwest Virginia is an area adjacent to and including the Roanoke River between the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east and the Appalachian Plateau to the west. The valley includes much of Roanoke County, as well as the ...

's other minor league sports teams.

Naming

In May 1995, the Salem City Council unanimously voted to name the ballpark Salem Memorial Ballpark in honor of Salem's

veteran A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in an job, occupation or Craft, field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in the military, armed forces. A topic o ...

s. The name was the suggestion of then mayor Jim Taliaferro, with the

American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is an Voluntary association, organization of United States, U.S. war veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It comprises U.S. state, state, Territories of the United States, U.S. terr ...

donating $5,500 for the memorial dedicated inside the stadium. In 2006, the

naming rights Naming rights are a financial transaction and form of advertising or memorialization where a corporation, person, or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, object, location, program, or event (most often sports venues), typical ...

of the stadium were sold to the Salem-based LewisGale Regional Health System, which retained them for eleven seasons. In 2017, naming rights were acquired by Haley Toyota of Roanoke.

References

External links

Explore Salem's Carilion Clinic Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark
on MLB.com
Salem Memorial Ballpark
at Roanoke Maroons site

at littleballparks.com (archived) {{Carolina League Ballparks Baseball venues in Virginia Minor league baseball venues Sports venues in Salem, Virginia Carolina League ballparks Baseball in Salem, Virginia