Salem Memorial Ballpark is a

baseball park A ballpark, or baseball park, is a type of sports venue where baseball is played. The playing field is divided into the infield, an area whose dimensions are rigidly defined, and the outfield, where dimensions can vary widely from place to pla ...

Salem Salem may refer to: Places Canada Ontario * Bruce County ** Salem, Arran–Elderslie, Ontario, in the municipality of Arran–Elderslie ** Salem, South Bruce, Ontario, in the municipality of South Bruce * Salem, Dufferin County, Ontario, part ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. It is part of the James E. Taliferro Sports and Entertainment Complex, along with the

Salem Civic Center The Salem Civic Center is a 6,820-seat multi-purpose arena in Salem, Virginia. It was built in 1967 and is part of the James E. Taliaferro Sports and Entertainment Complex (named after a former mayor of Salem), which also includes the Salem Football ...

and

Salem Football Stadium Salem Stadium is a stadium in Salem, Virginia, United States. It is primarily used for football and hosts the home football games of the Salem High School Spartans. It was built in 1985 and seats 7,157 people. The stadium is part of the James E. ...

, located approximately southeast of downtown. Opened on , it is home to the

Salem Red Sox The Salem Red Sox are a Minor League Baseball affiliate of the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB), based in Salem, an independent city adjacent to Roanoke, Virginia. The team competes at the Single-A level in the Carolina League. Ho ...

, a

minor-league Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nor ...

affiliate of the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

. It was built in 1995 at a cost of $10.1 million to replace Municipal Stadium. With a seating capacity of 6,300 people, it offers an impressive view of the

Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States, and extends 550 miles southwest from southern Pennsylvania through Maryland, West Virgin ...

. For sponsorship reasons, since 2021 the full name of the facility has been Carilion Clinic Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark, named after local healthcare organization

Carilion Clinic Carilion Clinic, formerly known as Carilion Health System, is a Roanoke, Virginia-based non-profit integrated health care organization that provides care for nearly one million Virginians and West Virginians. Carilion owns and operates seven hosp ...

History

In 1993, ownership of the then Salem Buccaneers were looking to sell the franchise. As the existing Municipal Stadium was not adequate to meet the needs of the franchise, Salem leaders looked at options to construct a new stadium in an effort to keep the franchise from relocating. In January 1994, Salem leaders approached both the City of Roanoke and

Roanoke County Roanoke County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 96,929. Its county seat is Salem, but the county administrative offices are located in the unincorporated Cave ...

in an effort to develop a regional partnership to construct a stadium. In March 1994, the Salem City Council decided a nonbinding referendum would be held later that summer to let the city residents decide if a new facility should be constructed. On July 19, Salem voters voted in favor of constructing a new ballpark with 2,236 people voting for and 398 voting against the proposal. With its citizens strongly supporting its construction, the Salem City Council voted unanimously on July 25 to approve construction of a new stadium. In August, final designs were unveiled by Kinsey Shane & Associates, with J.M. Turner & Company selected as general contractor for construction of the $5 million ballpark. Its construction was to occur on property already under the ownership of the city adjacent to both the

and

. The

playing field Play is a range of intrinsically motivated activities done for recreational pleasure and enjoyment. Play is commonly associated with children and juvenile-level activities, but may be engaged in at any life stage, and among other higher-functio ...

was to be set first followed by the construction of the physical stadium with

precast concrete Precast concrete is a construction product produced by casting concrete in a reusable molding (process), mold or "form" which is then cured in a controlled environment, transported to the construction site and maneuvered into place; examples i ...

. The facility was tentatively scheduled for completion for the start of the 1995 season. As a result of its construction, in September, ownership signed an agreement with the

Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fie ...

to serve as their Single A team beginning in 1995. The choice was made in large part based on the construction of the new stadium. Although budgeted to be completed for $5 million, in November Salem approved an additional $1 million to be spent on stadium construction. The following April, costs again rose to $10.1 million for its completion primarily as a result of low construction estimates. Slated to open for the start of the 1995 season, its opening was pushed back to May 22 then to June 20 and July 25 due to construction delays. On August 7, the stadium opened before a

standing-room only An event is described as standing-room only when it is so well-attended that all of the chairs in the venue are occupied, leaving only flat spaces of pavement or flooring for other attendees to stand, at least those spaces not restricted by occup ...

crowd of 6,421 with the Avalanche defeating the

Frederick Keys The Frederick Keys are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. The Keys are based in Frederick, Maryland. The franchise is named for "Star-Spangled Banner" writer Francis Scott Key, a native of Frederick County. A new team masco ...

3–2 in 15 innings. The venue hosted the

2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...

and

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...

Atlantic Coast Conference baseball tournaments, won by

Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...

and

Florida State Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...

, respectively. The capacity was reduced from 6,300 to 4,968 for the 2009 season when the new Red Sox ownership decided to place

tarps The Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance Pod System (TARPS) was a large and sophisticated camera pod carried by the Grumman F-14 Tomcat. It contains three camera bays with different type cameras which are pointed down at passing terrain. It was ori ...

over four sections of the general admission seats in an effort to create a more "intimate" fan experience. Due to increased attendance, two of the four tarps were removed towards the end of the 2010 season to expand the stadiums' capacity to 5,503.

Notable events

All-Star Game

On March 3, 2005, Salem Avalanche officials announced that Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium was selected to play host to the

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

Carolina-California League All-Star Game. Before a crowd of 5,133, and live television and radio audiences, the team of Carolina League All-Stars defeated the team of California League All-Stars by a score of 6-3.

Chad Reineke Chad Karl Reineke (born April 9, 1982) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Oakland Athletics, and Cincinnati Reds. Personal life Reineke attended Ayersville High ...

(Carolina – Salem Avalanche) was the winning pitcher, Rodrigo Escobar (Carolina – Salem Avalanche) earned a save, and

José Arredondo José Juan Arredondo (born March 12, 1984) is a Dominican Republic, Dominican former professional baseball relief pitcher. He also played for the Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Cincinnati Reds of the Major League Baseba ...

(California –

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are located in Rancho Cucamonga, California, and play their home games at LoanMart Field. The franc ...

) was the losing pitcher. Both teams awarded a "Top Star," with each earning a place in the XM Satellite Radio All-Star Futures Game at the

2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game The 2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 77th playing of the midseason exhibition baseball game between the all-stars of the American League (AL) and National League (NL), the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game w ...

. The selection from the Carolina League was

Nolan Reimold Nolan Gallagher Reimold (born October 12, 1983) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles, Toronto Blue Jays, and Arizona Diamondbacks. Early ...

(

), and

Reid Brignac Reid Michael Brignac (pronounced Brin-yack) (born January 16, 1986), is an American professional baseball manager and former professional baseball infielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays, Colorado Rockies, New ...

(

Visalia Oaks Visalia ( ) is a city in the agricultural San Joaquin Valley of California. The population was 141,384 as per the 2020 census. Visalia is the fifth-largest city in the San Joaquin Valley, the 42nd most populous in California, and 192nd in ...

) was selected from the California League. Justin Hedrick (California –

San Jose Giants The San Jose Giants are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Located in San Jose, California, the Giants play their home games at Excite Ballpark. Games San Jose Giants ga ...

) was named Pitcher of the Game. Salem also hosted the 2017 All-Star Game, which featured a skills competition at Salem's old ballpark as part of a celebration of Salem's 50th anniversary in the Carolina League. The Northern Division All-Stars defeated the Southern Division All-Stars 2-0. Salem third baseman Michael Chavis, whose two-run double in the first inning scored the only runs of the night, received the MVP Award.Red Sox’s Chavis Wins MVP In Carolina League All-Star Game
Baseball America

No-hitters

Salem Memorial Ballpark has been the setting for three

no-hit game In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...

s since its opening in 1995. The first took place on August 4, 1996, when

Luther Hackman Luther Gean Hackman (born October 10, 1974) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Colorado Rockies, St. Louis Cardinals, and San Diego Padres, in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) ...

pitched a 4–1 no-hit game against the

Kinston Indians The Kinston Indians were a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League (CL) located in Kinston, North Carolina, from 1978 to 2011. They played their home games at Grainger Stadium, which opened in 1949. The team began play in 1978 as the Ki ...

. The second took place on April 10, 1997, when

Scott Randall Scott Phillip Randall (born October 29, 1975) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Randall's Major League Baseball (MLB) career began in June 1995 when he was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 11th round of the Major League B ...

and

Lariel González Lariel Alfonso González (born May 25, 1976) is a Dominican former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for one season. Before the 1998 season, ''Baseball America'' named him the 94th-best prospect in baseball. He pitched in the Colorado Roc ...

, combined to pitch a 1–0 no-hit game against the

Wilmington Blue Rocks The Wilmington Blue Rocks are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Wilmington, Delaware, and play their home games at Daniel S. Frawley Stadium. ...

. The third took place on June 30, 2010, when Nathan Moreau of the

pitched a 7–0 no-hit game against the Red Sox.

College baseball

In addition to serving as a second home field for the

Roanoke College Roanoke College is a private liberal arts college in Salem, Virginia. It has approximately 2,000 students who represent approximately 40 states and 30 countries. The college offers 35 majors, 57 minors and concentrations, and pre-professional pr ...

baseball team since 2002, Salem Memorial Ballpark has hosted several collegiate tournaments since 1996. In July

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...

, city officials announced that the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

Division III In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Association football *Belgian Thir ...

(D-III) Baseball Championship would be played at the then proposed stadium for five years between 1995 and 1999. Although scheduled to be played in the new ballpark, in April 1995 city officials announced the D-III Baseball Championship would be moved to nearby Municipal Field as a result of construction delays on the new facility. Due to sagging attendance, in 1998 the NCAA announced the D-III Baseball Championship would be moved to

Fox Cities Stadium Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium is a baseball park in Grand Chute, Wisconsin (although it has an Appleton mailing address). It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, the Midwest Lea ...

outside Appleton,

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

beginning with the 2000 tournament. In December

2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...

, the City of Salem was notified of their successful bid against both

Durham Bulls Athletic Park Durham Bulls Athletic Park (DBAP, pronounced "d-bap") is a 10,000-seat ballpark in Durham, North Carolina that is home to the Durham Bulls, the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball. It is also home to the Duke Blue ...

Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham *County Durham, an English county *Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States *Durham, North Carolina, a city in No ...

and L. P. Frans Stadium in

Hickory Hickory is a common name for trees composing the genus ''Carya'', which includes around 18 species. Five or six species are native to China, Indochina, and India (Assam), as many as twelve are native to the United States, four are found in Mexi ...

to host both the

and

ACC baseball tournaments. The 2003 tournament saw 18,276 attend the event with

defeating

NC State North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The university ...

by a score of 6-5. The 2004 tournament saw 23,092 attend the event with

defeating Georgia Tech, 17-5.

Facilities

Seating at the ballpark includes fixed stadium seats and ten

luxury box The luxury box (or skybox) and club seating constitute the most exclusive class of seating in arenas and stadiums, and generate much higher revenues than regular seating. Club ticketholders often receive exclusive access to an indoor part of th ...

es located above the main

concourse A concourse is a place where pathways or roads meet, such as in a hotel, a convention center, a railway station, an airport terminal, a hall, or other space. The term is not limited to places where there are literally pathways or roadways or t ...

behind

home plate A baseball field, also called a ball field or baseball diamond, is the field upon which the game of baseball is played. The term can also be used as a metonym for a baseball park. The term sandlot is sometimes used, although this usually refers ...

. As of 2011, fixed seating capacity is 5,503. Games can be watched from one of two picnic areas — one on the third base line and one on the first base line. The stadium features four concession stands, numerous other carts, and eight large restrooms. Lines are usually not a problem even with large crowds. There is ample free parking on site which is easily accessed from U.S. 11, U.S. 460, Virginia 419, and

Interstate 81 Interstate 81 (I-81) is a north–south (physically northeast–southwest) Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at I-40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island ...

. In part because of promotions, the Salem minor league baseball teams have been more successful in building and maintaining attendance than

Roanoke Valley The Roanoke Valley ( ) in southwest Virginia is an area adjacent to and including the Roanoke River between the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east and the Appalachian Plateau to the west. The valley includes much of Roanoke County, as well as the ...

's other minor league sports teams.

Naming

In May 1995, the Salem City Council unanimously voted to name the ballpark Salem Memorial Ballpark in honor of Salem's

veteran A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military. A military veteran that has ...

s. The name was the suggestion of then mayor Jim Taliaferro, with the

American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is a non-profit organization of U.S. war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militi ...

donating $5,500 for the memorial dedicated inside the stadium. In 2006, the

naming rights Naming rights are a financial transaction and form of advertising or memorialization whereby a corporation, person, or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, object, location, program, or event, typically for a defined period of t ...

of the stadium were sold to the

-based LewisGale Regional Health System, which retained them for eleven seasons. In 2017, naming rights were acquired by Haley Toyota of Roanoke.

References

External links

Haley Toyota Field , Salem Red Sox
{{Carolina League Ballparks Baseball venues in Virginia Minor league baseball venues Sports venues in Salem, Virginia Carolina League ballparks