Save Minor League Baseball in Asheville
As of April 1, 2023, Minor League Baseball could be gone forever, unless you and the city council act now!
Days Left to Save Minor League Baseball
ACT NOWWithout a plan and financing by April 1, 2023, the 2023 season will be the last season of Minor League Baseball at McCormick Field.
The Facts
The Facts
- McCormick Field is owned by the City of Asheville and leased to The Asheville Tourists, a local, family-owned business.
- In December 2020, Major League Baseball introduced the new structure that will govern Minor League Baseball.
- Major League Baseball is requiring that McCormick Field make updates, or lose the Minor League franchise.
- A recent audit showed McCormick Field in the bottom 10% of Minor League Ballparks.
- The new licensing agreement requires all Minor League Baseball teams to comply with a rigorous set of facility standards.
- This is the first change in facility standards since 1990.
- Forty-three teams were eliminated from Minor League Baseball. Asheville was fortunate to be one of the 120 teams kept.
- McCormick Field requires $30 million to update the facility. This includes structural upgrades, changes to meet the MLB standards, and expanding fan amenities to improve the experience.
- Without a plan and financing by April 1, 2023, the 2023 season will be the last season of Minor League Baseball at McCormick Field.
Facts about The Asheville Tourists and McCormick Field
- Built in 1924, McCormick Field is a local treasure, and as the third-oldest park in the US, it is historic in the world of Minor League Baseball.
- The Asheville Tourists is a local business.
- The Asheville Tourists has an annual $9,847,300 county and $7,825,000 city economic impact.
- The Asheville Tourists creates roughly $490,000 in incremental lodging, $493,000 in transportation spending, $2,359,000 in Food & Beverage spending, and 149 full and part time jobs.
- The Asheville Tourists contribute $630,000 in community contributions annually.
The Plan to Meet MLB Requirements
Player and Staff Upgrades
- Female staff facilities
- Home and visiting team commissary/dining expansion
- Home and visiting team shower/toilet area improvements
- Home/visiting team training room expansion
- Equipment room expansion
- Home and visiting staff lockers/dressing area
- Home and visiting field managers’ offices
- Team storage facilities
- Umpire dressing, shower, and locker expansion and improvements
- Weight room expansion
- Hitting and pitching tunnels expansion
- Pre- and post-game waiting area
- Press box expansion
- Field grade improvement/padded field wall
- Visiting dugout improvements
- Field lighting improvements
Fan Experience Improvements
- Larger front entrance
- New scoreboard and video board
- 360-degree concourse
- Revamped picnic area
- Outfield bar and social lounge
What Can You Do To Save Our Home Baseball Team in Asheville?
Email your Elected Official and share YOUR story of what McCormick Field and the Asheville Tourists mean to you.
Share Your Support with Friends!
Part of Our Community
The Asheville Tourists are a beloved team.
Baseball in Asheville is loved by both residents and tourists with roughly 25% of patrons coming from the Asheville metro area and 50% of patrons coming from Buncombe County.
McCormick Field is local-friendly and family-friendly. The experience at McCormick Field is about more than baseball; it is about family togetherness, connection and reconnection.
Baseball is a shared experience that brings together people from all walks of life.
Our Mission:
- To provide the families and residents of Western North Carolina a special and affordable place to make memories together experiencing America’s pastime
- To intertwine the great game of baseball with the community through charitable acts and community involvement
- To pass the game on to the next generation and enhance the quality of life in the community, thus remembering why baseball truly is America’s pastime