AutoZone Park - History

History

Designed by Looney Ricks Kiss Architects of Memphis, with Kansas City based HOK Sport, AutoZone Park cost $80.5 million, by far the most ever spent on a structure dedicated to minor league baseball.

AutoZone Park was built to "big-league" standards, the primary difference being the absence of outfield seats or seats far down the foul lines, and could perhaps be better described as a "major league stadium with only the 'good' seats". It opened in 2000, and replaced Tim McCarver Stadium. The stadium also hosts some games for the University of Memphis baseball team, most notably, the annual game with Ole Miss. Naming rights are held by the auto parts chain AutoZone, which is based in Memphis.

Unlike other cities, Memphis does not have to worry about its team threatening to move elsewhere. The Redbirds, in a situation almost unique in American pro sports, are owned by a non-profit community foundation, titled the Memphis Redbirds Foundation. The Green Bay Packers of the NFL have a similar ownership structure.

In October 2005, AutoZone Park became the first venue outside of New Orleans to host the Voodoo Music Experience. One day of this music festival was moved to Memphis due to Hurricane Katrina.

On December 4, 2006, at the Major League Baseball Winter Meetings, MLB announced that an exhibition game to be called the Civil Rights Game would be held at AutoZone Park, with the first game on March 31, 2007. The game featured the Cardinals and the Cleveland Indians, with the Cardinals winning 5-1. The second game was played on March 29, 2008, between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Mets. The Mets Defeated the White Sox 3-2.

On August 31, 2008, the ballpark's largest crowd to date witnessed the Redbirds fall to the Oklahoma RedHawks 10 to 7 in front of 18,620 fans.