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Ballpark Facts & Figures

General Facts & Figures

On April 1, 1994, a new era for the Texas Rangers began with the opening of Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. The beautiful baseball-only facility serves as the centerpiece of a 270-acre complex which solidifies Arlington, Texas as an entertainment giant in the Southwest.

Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, completed in just 23 months, is a state-of-the-art building with the utmost in customer convenience. Yet, the 49,170-seat open-air ballpark was designed and built with tradition and intimacy in mind, containing features such as a granite and brick facade, exposed structural steel, an asymmetrical playing field, and a home run porch in right field. Texas architecture is featured throughout, from the outer facade to the Lone Stars in the concourses and on the seat aisles.

This unique complex also includes a children's learning center and a four-story office building within the ballpark, and a youth baseball park, a 12-acre lake, and parks and recreation space on the perimeter. Total cost of the project was approximately 191 million dollars.

Location
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington is located a quarter mile southeast of the old Arlington Stadium site at the corner of Randol Mill Road and Ballpark Way (formerly Stadium Drive). Parking lots and the other complex features surround the park. Rangers Ballpark in Arlington and the entire complex is easily accessible from Interstate 30, which is adjacent to the north side of the site. Nolan Ryan Expressway, constructed in honor of baseball's all-time strikeout king, runs north to south on the west side of the ballpark and serves as a major access road through the complex.

Size
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington contains approximately 1,400,000 square feet. The ballpark measures 114 feet from street level to the top of the roof canopy.

Brief History
The agreement between the Rangers and the City of Arlington, Texas to build a new ballpark was announced on October 24, 1990. Actual construction began on April 24, 1992. The ballpark was named on September 28, 1993. The first game was an exhibition contest between the Rangers and New York Mets on April 1, 1994 with the first regular season game played on April 11, 1994 between the Rangers and Milwaukee Brewers.

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Playing Field

Natural Grass: The playing surface of Rangers Ballpark in Arlington consists of Bermuda Tifway 419. The sod was grown on a farm in Granbury, Texas, and was laid in 4 by 100 foot strips on the field in October, 1996. Drainage lines are laid every 15 feet over the entire field. The playing surface is then covered by 4-5 inches of pea gravel and 14-15 inches of sand mixture as the field is expected to have the capacity to drain 9-10 inches of water per hour. The field's irrigation system allows the entire outfield to be watered from one station, producing 750 gallons per minute or 50,000 gallons per hour, as compared to 18,000 gallons per hour in Arlington Stadium. The tarp for the field is mounted on a hydraulic lift and is stored below ground down the left field line, preventing any sight problems.

Field Dimensions: As indicated above, the outfield dimensions are asymmetrical, a feature common to ballparks constructed in the early 20th century. From home plate to the left field foul pole is 332 feet with an increase to 390 feet in the left field power alley. Straightaway center field measures 400 feet, then moves to the deepest point, 407 feet, approaching right center. The Rangers' bullpen comes into play in right field as a 381-foot power alley juts out to 377 feet at the right corner of the bullpen. There is again a dramatic decrease in distance in the right field corner as the foul pole sits just 325 feet from home plate.

The outfield fences are eight feet in center and right fields and 14 feet in left. The playing surface is 22 feet below street level.

According to studies done before construction, the prevailing winds are south-southeast. The effect of the wind is greatly reduced by the fact that the ballpark is completely enclosed by a four-story office building in center field. In addition, a giant windscreen, measuring 42 by 430 feet, was installed on the roof of the office building to further minimize the wind.

Close To The Field: The proximity of the fans to the action is among the closest in the major leagues. The first row of seats on the first and third base sides (near side of dugouts) are just 56'8" from home plate (compared to 64 feet at Arlington Stadium) while the first row of seats on each side (far sides of dugouts) will be just 44 feet from first and third bases, respectively. The distance from the screen behind the plate to home plate is 60 feet, and the first row of seats in the left and right field corners is 9'5" from the foul poles.

Dugouts/Bullpens: Both the first (home) and third (visitors) base dugouts are 68 feet in length. Dugouts at Arlington Stadium were 51 feet on the 1st base side and 52 feet on the 3rd base side. The Rangers' bullpen is parallel to the playing field in right center in front of the home run porch. The visitors' bullpen is located between the left field reserve and bleacher sections in left center field. Both bullpens are five feet above the playing field level for easy identification of pitchers warming up.

Foul Poles: The yellow foul poles down each line were taken from Arlington Stadium.

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Seating
The overall seating capacity of Rangers Ballpark in Arlington is 49,170 seats on five levels. All of the seats in the ballpark are angled towards home plate as the seating bowl cranks in towards the field down both the left and right field lines to provide better sightlines.

The actual seats are green plastic chairs measuring from 18-22 inches in width. Most of the seats in the ballpark contain cupholders. There is a special feature on aisle seats in the park, a Texas Lone Star that is similar to the ones that adorn both the outer facade and concourses.

There are five levels of seating at the ballpark: lower deck, lower suites, club level, upper suites, and upper deck. There is also an upper and lower deck in the home run porch in right field, and bleacher seating in center field.

Lexus Club Level: This is a premium seating area with wider seats (22") as well as individual waitress/waiter service. The Lexus Club Level, with its white paneling and black and white tiled floors, stretches around the entire length of the seating bowl with direct access to both the lower and upper suite levels. There are numerous food and beverage establishments on this level open only to club level patrons and suite holders.

Suites: There are 120 suites, 48 on the lower level and 72 on the upper level, with sizes ranging from 8 to 22 seats. Each suite bay (containing two suites) is named for one of baseball's all-time star players. All 67 of the legends are enshrined in Baseball's Hall of Fame, including Nolan Ryan. Sepiatone murals of the legends are located outside each suite.

There is one large function suite location on both the lower and upper levels. These areas can be subdivided for smaller groups as well. For more information on suite food and beverage please visit www.txbaseball.com.

Home Run Porch: This two-tiered seating area in right field is very reminiscent of traditional older ballparks with its steel columns and overhead roof. Overhead fans were installed for both the lower and upper home run porch to provide more comfort. Another unique feature is a small section of seats located in the right field corner, where the fans actually view the playing field through an opening in the outfield fence.

Bleachers: The bleacher seating is located on either side of the batters' eye in center field. The bleacher seats are comprised of some of the actual bench seating from the general admission areas in Arlington Stadium.

Wheelchair Seating: There are in excess of 475 spaces for wheelchairs in Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, and they are located throughout the ballpark in all seating areas. In addition, spaces are included to allow fans in wheelchairs to sit with friends or family members. There is also access to specially designed restrooms, ticket windows, and concession stands.

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Construction

The interior of the ballpark consists of four levels:

Service Level: A below ground service level extends from the right field corner to the end of the left field seats. It houses the clubhouses, maintenance, and concession storage areas while providing vehicle access to the field in the left field corner. In addition to the Rangers' and visitors' clubhouses, there are weight rooms and batting tunnels for both teams. An auxiliary clubhouse area was also constructed for special events.

Main Concourse: The massive main concourse, serving the lower deck, is comprised of two areas. The outer concourse, measuring 70 feet high, runs in a square around the park and contains the entrance gates and ramps to the upper levels. Iron gates were used to close the lower arches. An inner concourse, measuring 35 feet high, runs in the shape of the seating bowl and contains the concessions and entries to the lower deck seating. The white walls and green structural steel trusses with Texas Lone Stars provide a spectacular background.

Lexus Club Concourse: As mentioned above, the Lexus Club Concourse stretches around the lower seating bowl and provides direct access to the lower and upper suite levels.

Upper Concourse: The open-air upper concourse runs from the right field line to the left field side of the office building and provides access to the upper deck. Concession stands are under cover in areas under the upper deck seating. Huge baseball-shaped light fixtures ring the perimeter of the upper concourse. The average slope of the upper deck is approximately 32 degrees. Red handrails are also installed throughout the upper deck.

Structure: A lower and upper set of concrete arches comprise the outer walls of Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. The exterior facade of the ballpark consists of "Sunset Red" granite from quarries in Marble Falls, Texas, along the lower arches and approximately 840,000 "Ranger Red" bricks on the upper arches. To highlight the Texas architecture, there are 35 steer heads and 21 Lone Stars, made of cast-stone, erected above the upper arches around the entire ballpark. Another feature is a series of murals depicting Texas scenes, and those are located between the lower and upper arches on the outer facade.

The structural type above grade in Rangers Ballpark in Arlington is exposed structural steel, painted "Ranger Green". The lower deck seating is cast-in-place concrete, and the club and upper deck seating are structural pre-cast concrete risers. A steel roof canopy runs the entire length of the upper deck.

Access: The entrances to Rangers Ballpark in Arlington are located in the four corners of the structure, First Base, Home Plate, Third Base, and Center Field. Four ramps and eight escalators serve all levels.

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Scoreboards

The scoreboard system in Rangers Ballpark in Arlington provides fans with an incredible amount of information to add to their enjoyment of the game. The system includes the following:
  • Main scoreboard on roof of home run porch in right field. The board includes a full color Sony JumboTRON video board, measuring 24 by 32 feet which will provide high quality video highlights and animation. The right field scoreboard area also contains a 16'8" by 72' game-in-progess board, and four advertising panels measuring 24' by 16'8". That board is framed in a steel structure with a lone star at the top.
  • Black and white matrix message board, measuring 27 by 29 feet is located on roof of office building in straightaway center field. This board provides statistical and other general information. Two 27' by 13'1" ad panels flank that board.
  • Manual scoreboard, where scores of all other major league games in progress are posted inside the board by an attendant, who receives his information via a SportsTicker machine in the board. The manual scoreboard is located on the left field wall, measuring 10 by 90 feet, is similar to the one that highlights the left field "Green Monster" at Boston's Fenway Park.
  • SportsTicker board, measuring 4'9" by 66', is located on upper wall under Diamond Club in left field. Up to the minute scoring updates from other major league games are posted on this board.
  • Two auxiliary scoreboards, measuring 5'10" by 60' are mounted on the ballpark's facing below the lower suite level on the first and third base sides.
The game-in-progress board, center field message board, SportsTicker board, and auxiliary scoreboards were designed and manufactured by Daktronics, Inc. of Brookings, South Dakota. The equipment is operated by a network of control computers designed to produce the most comprehensive statistics package and animation.

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Concessionaire/Food and Beverage Service

Sportservice Corporation handles the general food and beverage concessions for the ballpark as well as food and beverage service for the Diamond Club and Bullpen Grill, The Gold Club sponsored by Jose Cuervo, private suites, and the press dining facility. Sportservice, which has its headquarters in Buffalo, New York, was awarded a 10-year contract on September 7, 1993. For more information on Sportservice please visit www.txbaseball.com.

There are a total of 75 fixed concession stands on the three concourses, compared to 40 total at Arlington Stadium. Beverages are dispensed to the concession stands by a central beverage distribution system which travels from the service level to the stands over some 30 miles of tubing.
  • View list of concessions & their locations (PDF) »

All fans with a game ticket may enjoy the spectacular view of the field from the air-conditioned Diamond Club, located above section 5 from the main concourse. The Diamond Club offers an all you can eat buffet, opens two hours prior to the game, and closes one hour after the game starts. Call (817) 795-9006, ext.2034 for information.

The Diamond Club also offers private events year round, subject to availability, for groups 50-500. For information or to book an event call (817) 795-9006, ext.2032.

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Amenities
  • Texas Rangers Youth Ballpark, a natural grass facility with seating for 650 in a grandstand designed in similar fashion to the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Dimensions are for youth leagues and a variety of youth games and activities take place in the facility, which is located just north of the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
  • A 12-acre lake which was named for late Rangers broadcaster Mark Holtz in September, 1997, with adjoining park and recreational space. Linear park named for Arlington Mayor Richard Greene. Picnic area in the complex named after former Tarrant County Commissioner Punch Wright.
  • Natural grass amphitheater located northwest of Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
Other Features
Office Building: One of the signature features of Rangers Ballpark in Arlington is the four-story office building that encloses the structure from left center to right center fields. The office building has 35,000 square feet on each level. The first floor includes retail shops and ticket windows, the second and third floors are leased for commercial office space, and the Rangers' executive offices occupy the fourth floor. The side of the building facing the playing field consists of floor to ceiling glass on each floor with balconies stretching the entire length of the structure on the top three levels. Steel trusses also adorn the building. The roof of the office building contains a total of eight ad panels around the center field scoreboard.

Parking: Fifteen different parking lots surround Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. View the parking map »

Sound System: There are over 1,200 speakers for the public address system at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Those are distributed evenly throughout the park as no fan is more than 75 feet from a speaker. In Arlington Stadium, the speakers were all located in center field.

Greene's Hill: The natural grass batter's eye in centerfield was named for former Arlington Mayor Richard Greene in November, 1997.

Statues in Vandergriff Plaza: Two men who played enormous roles in the history of the Texas Rangers franchise are honored with full size bronze statues in Vandergriff Plaza. Statues of Tom Vandergriff and Nolan Ryan were dedicated in 1997. The statues were produced by noted sculptor Toby Mendez of Washington County, Maryland.

Cuervo Club: Season ticket holders with seats in the preferred lower seating areas will be able to utilize the Cuervo Club. This 7,500 square foot club is located on the mezzanine level between sections 122-130 behind home plate. Season ticket holders with Cuervo Club privileges can enjoy the game from this completely enclosed, air-conditioned area. the Cuervo Club, complete with full bar service, video monitors featuring all sporting events, and food service, will be open before, during and after every home game. For more information call (817) 436-5972.

Center Field Sports Park: The Center Field Sports Park is a completely interactive experience that is located in Vandergriff Plaza and the Main Concourse. Featuring games, activities and special events, the Center Field Sports Park provides family fun for kids of all ages.

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Cost

The revised cost of the overall project is approximately 191 million dollars. The financing was derived from 135 million dollars in bonds issued by the Arlington Sports Facilities Development Authority with the remaining equity raised through the sale or lease of luxury boxes and seat options in the new ballpark, loans guaranteed by the Rangers, the concessions contract with Sportservice and city street funds.

Annual debt service for the municipal bonds is provided by public-private sharing. That is comprised of a 3.5 million dollar rental payment from the Rangers and a one-half cent City of Arlington sales tax. The sales tax was approved in an Arlington municipal election by a 65% majority on January 19, 1991, and expires once the debt is retired.

The Rangers have a lease with the City of Arlington, and the club maintains and operates the entire facility.

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Architectural Design Team

Design Architect: David M. Schwarz Architectural Services of Washington, D.C. was the design architect on the project. Schwarz was selected from among 17 architects who originally made presentations in August, 1991. He has been involved in a number of projects in Texas including the Bass Performance Hall, Cook-Fort Worth Children's Medical Center and Sundance West, also in Fort Worth. His imaginative design of the park reflects a traditional look of older ballparks and includes a major Texas influence.

Architect of Record: HKS, Inc. The Dallas-based firm, which was founded in 1939, has grown to become the fifth largest architectural firm in the country, and has executed commissions for over nine billion dollars of structures in 39 states and seven foreign countries.

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