Raley Field diversifies with non-baseball events, upgrades with surrounding projects
By Lakiesha McGhee - SacBee
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Heather Layman, from Shell Rock, Iowa, scrambled among a horde of River Cats fans at Raley Field to catch her first foul ball.
She screamed with excitement and clutched the ball tight to her chest, savoring the moment.
But what she will remember most about the West Sacramento stadium, she said, is the park itself.
"This is the first minor league baseball park I've been to and I like that it's a little more intimate," said Layman, 29, as she and her friends watched the River Cats play the Tacoma Rainiers last week.
Near the entrance to the 14,414-seat stadium, a man nicknamed "The Organ Guy" entertained guests with songs. Children played on inflatable structures in a new Kids Corner while school groups attended an assembly about personal values. Employees from Intel were treated to lunch in the stadium's new barbecue "Bull Pen," which opened at the start of the season for private parties.
The evidence is around the stadium: Raley Field isn't just about baseball anymore.
Raley Field is owned and operated by the River Cats organization. Team officials are expanding offerings at the stadium to appeal to a broader audience. In the past three years, non-baseball events at Raley Field have nearly doubled -- from 35 events in 2005 to more than 60 this year.
Attracting visitors are facility rentals for corporate functions, private parties, graduations, festivals and a growing line of concerts, which often sell out, said Alan Ledford, River Cats president and general manager. International soccer and boxing matches have been scheduled this year to compete for area residents' discretionary dollars, he said.
"People don't come here just to watch baseball," Ledford said. "They're here to be with friends, family and co-workers. It's sort of like a town hall for the community."
The new attractions are compensating for a drop in baseball game attendance, which fell from 861,808 in 2000 when Raley Field opened to 728,227 in 2006. River Cats management said the team's "honeymoon stage" is over and the decline is typical.
The River Cats still have led all other minor league teams in attendance during each of their seven seasons.
West Sacramento officials are recognizing the stadium's worth to their growing city. A $5 million street improvement is under way to provide better access to Raley Field and to new housing in the adjacent Triangle area, said Maureen Daly Pascoe, city redevelopment program manager.
"Think boulevard instead of freeway," said Pascoe, describing an intersection under construction at Tower Bridge Gateway and the new Garden Street.
An overpass at Riske Lane is being demolished. Street signals, sidewalks, bike lanes and trees will take its place, Pascoe said. Construction is expected to be completed by year's end.
Future street upgrades to benefit Raley Field will be at Tower Bridge Gateway at Third and Fifth streets, Pascoe said. Other developments include a proposed 2.2-mile streetcar system that would have a stop at Raley Field and link West Sacramento to Sacramento over the Tower Bridge. That project is still in the planning stages.
Tower Bridge sidewalks are being widened to accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists.
Raley Field has lured big concert acts such as the Dave Matthews Band from larger arenas such as Arco, which seats 17,317, and the Sleep Train Amphitheatre, which seats 18,500.
West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon said Raley Field has been a catalyst for the city's revitalization.
"Raley Field brought attention to all the possibilities that can emerge on the waterfront," Cabaldon said.
West Sacramento and Sacramento in 2003 adopted a Riverfront Master Plan calling for several public gathering places, a pedestrian transportation loop, new marinas, a pedestrian bridge, homes, offices and retail.
The Triangle area, southwest of Raley Field, is planned for up to 5,000 homes and 7 million square feet of office space, according to city reports. So far, 189 loft-style homes have been built at the site.
"The construction of Raley Field and the success of the River Cats helped establish the area, but it has evolved more slowly than some would have liked," Ledford said.
City officials hope new tactics to draw a wider crowd to the stadium will spill over to retailers.
Grace Sanford, 87, of Alameda shopped with her niece last week at the Raley Field gift shop.
Amid the pickings were a baby pink River Cats T-shirt, meant to attract young girls.
"It makes me feel 20 years younger," Sanford said as she held the shirt next to her body. "Maybe more than that."