Destination: Asheville

One of my goals every year is to visit a ballpark that's "new to me."  Last week, I sorta added Asheville, North Carolina's HomeTrust Park to my list.  Sorta, because the High-A season ended on Sunday September 6th and I didn't arrive until the following day.  And while there were no remaining games -- and no permission to get past the gates -- that didn't stop me or my camera from capturing as much as I could.
Previously known as McCormick Field, minor league ball has been played on this site -- a hillside not far from downtown Asheville -- for 102 years.  The current version of the South Atlantic League's Asheville Tourists has been here since 2021.  Riffing on the club's name, here's a look inside the team store, a/k/a "The Tourist Trap."
I'm not sure every ballpark should have a brick facade, but this one looks perfect.
Six future Hall of Famers played for Asheville on their way to the majors: Sparky Anderson, Craig Biggio, Todd Helton, Eddie Murray, Willie Stargell and Billy Southworth.  So did current Red Sox infielder Trevor Story.  And the ballpark was used in 1987 to film scenes for the classic baseball movie Bull Durham. That record breaking home run hit by Crash Davis (Kevin Costner) took place here.

While I couldn't get inside, I could shoot through and above the fences. Walking up the hillside into which the ballpark is cut, I snapped this look inside, and the modern stands that helped make Asheville one of the best attended spots at this level of the minors.

If you'd like to see and learn more, stop by the Asheville Tourists website: https://www.milb.com/asheville/ballpark

 

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