Synovus Park is a baseball stadium currently undergoing a major renovation in Columbus, Georgia, United States, that opened in 1926 and has undergone many rebuilds and repairs. Baseball has been played near Synovus Park since 1909, but in 1926, the current location has been used. In 1951, the park was significantly rebuilt, then in 1995 for the 1996 Summer Olympics. The park was damaged in 2006 causing part of the outfield wall to collapse and then strong winds hit the stadium in 2012 and knocked the light stands off the roof, causing more damage. Located on the Chattahoochee River in Downtown Columbus. The exterior of the Synovus Park is a red brick façade and has many well-landscaped sidewalks that connect to the Chattahoochee RiverWalk.[2]
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| Former names | Golden Park (1926–2024) |
|---|---|
| Location | 100 4th Street Columbus, Georgia 31901 |
| Owner | City of Columbus |
| Operator | City of Columbus |
| Capacity | TBD |
| Field size | TBD |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1926 |
| Renovated | 1951, 1995, 2024 (ongoing) |
| Tenants | |
| Columbus Foxes/Red Birds/Cardinals (SAL) 1926–1959 Columbus Confederate Yankees (SL) 1964–1966 Columbus White Sox/Astros/Mudcats (SL) 1969–1990 Columbus Indians/RedStixx (SAL) 1991–2002 South Georgia Waves/Columbus Catfish (SAL) 2003–2008 Columbus Wood Bats (GSL) 2009 Columbus Chatt-a-Hoots (SBL) 2021–2023 Chattahoochee Monsters (SBL) 2023 Columbus Clingstones[1] (SL) 2025–present | |
Synovus Park was formerly named after Theodore Earnest Golden Sr., co-founder of Goldens' Foundry and Machine Co. Golden led the effort in Columbus for the city's first South Atlantic League team. Synovus Park was renovated in 1994 in anticipation of the softball events of the 1996 Summer Olympics that were held in the city of Columbus.[3][4] In 2013, Synovus Park was the home of the Beep Baseball World Series Championship game. The Taiwan Homerun Team beat the Austin Blackhawks by a score of 5-2.[5] It also was the home field of the Columbus Catfish from 2003 to 2008.
In June 2021, the park opened back up with the home team being the Columbus Chatt-a-Hoots of the Sunbelt Baseball League. Alternative Baseball held its Playing for Community Integration Tour events starring local community leaders and athletes with disabilities at Synovus Park in 2019 and 2023.[6]
In 2024, the Mississippi Braves announced that they would be moving to Columbus after the conclusion of their 2024 season. With the announcement of the relocation, Columbus Council members voted and approved the lease for the team to use Synovus Park.[7] In June 2024, the naming rights were sold to the financial and banking service company Synovus.[8]
References
edit- ^ "Columbus Clingstones: Team name revealed for AA Braves affiliate". WTVM. September 6, 2024. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
- ^ "About Golden Park". Ballpark Reviews. Retrieved April 7, 2007.
- ^ 1996 Summer Olympics official report. Volume 1. p. 541.
- ^ 1996 Summer Olympics official report. Volume 3. p. 462.
- ^ Haskey, Mike (August 3, 2013). "Championship Game at the 2013 Beep Baseball World Series in Columbus". Ledger-Enquirer. Archived from the original on August 8, 2013. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
- ^ Duncan, Taylor (September 1, 2023). "Playing for Community Integration in Columbus, Georgia". Alternative Baseball. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
- ^ "A Letter to Our Fans: 2024 will be the M-Braves' final season in Pearl". MiLB.com. Mississippi Braves. January 9, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
- ^ Rice, Mark (June 12, 2024). "Golden Park gets a new name as Columbus baseball stadium goes through $50M renovations". Ledger-Enquirer.