Gold Mine on Airline, formerly Shrine on Airline, is a 10,000-seat stadium in
Metairie, Louisiana
Metairie ( ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States, and is part of the New Orleans metropolitan area. With a population of 143,507 in 2020, Metairie is the largest community in Jefferson Parish and was (a ...
, a suburb of
. It is home field for the
New Orleans Gold
The New Orleans Gold, stylized as NOLA Gold, is a professional rugby union team based in New Orleans. The team was founded in 2017 and competes in Major League Rugby. Since January 2020, French rugby power ASM Clermont Auvergne has owned a min ...
team in
Major League Rugby
Major League Rugby (MLR or USMLR) is a professional rugby union competition and the top-level championship for clubs in North America. In the 2022 season it was contested by thirteen teams: twelve from the United States and one from Canada. Off ...
. Known as Zephyr Field when built in 1997 as the home ballpark for the New Orleans Zephyrs (later
New Orleans Baby Cakes
The New Orleans Baby Cakes (formerly the New Orleans Zephyrs) were a Minor League Baseball team in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They were located in Metairie, Louisiana, a sub ...
), the stadium was renamed when the
Minor League Baseball team's name changed from Zephyrs to Baby Cakes in 2017. Shrine on Airline had been an unofficial name for Zephyr Field used by the public address announcer since the stadium opened and it became the new name.
Minor league baseball left New Orleans at the end of the 2019 season, when the Baby Cakes relocated to
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas, Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532. The Wichita metro area had ...
, where they continue as the
Wichita Wind Surge
The Wichita Wind Surge are a Minor League Baseball team of the Texas League and the Double-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They are located in Wichita, Kansas, and began play in 2021 at Riverfront Stadium.
The Wind Surge were supposed to b ...
. Initially, the city of New Orleans hoped to bring a
Double-A Southern League team to the city and continue operations as the Baby Cakes.
However, due to
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
's
reorganization of Minor League Baseball, the league ceased operations in 2021 and the campaign ultimately failed.
The facility hosted the
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...
and
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 ...
Conference USA baseball tournaments and the 1999
Sun Belt Conference baseball tournament
The Sun Belt Conference baseball tournament is the conference championship tournament in baseball for the Sun Belt Conference. The winner of the tournament receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, NCAA ...
. Shrine on Airline was also the site of the Class 5A
Louisiana High School Athletic Association
The Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) is the agency that regulates and promotes the interscholastic athletic competitions of all high schools in the state of Louisiana.
Organization
LHSAA was founded in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in ...
(LHSAA) baseball tournament in 2004 and 2005.
History
Zephyr Field hosted its first regular season baseball game on April 11, 1997, in which tenants New Orleans Zephyrs (later the
New Orleans Baby Cakes
The New Orleans Baby Cakes (formerly the New Orleans Zephyrs) were a Minor League Baseball team in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They were located in Metairie, Louisiana, a sub ...
), defeated the
Oklahoma City 89ers
Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...
8-3.
The stadium also hosted select games of the
Tulane University Green Wave baseball program. The team plays annual games at the ballpark against cross-town rival, the
University of New Orleans Privateers, and arch-rival,
Louisiana State University Tigers
The LSU Tigers and Lady Tigers are the athletic teams representing Louisiana State University (LSU), a state university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. LSU competes in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a ...
, at the ballpark. During the 2006 and 2007 baseball seasons, Zephyr Field was the primary home of the Green Wave, as Tulane's on-campus facility,
Greer Field at Turchin Stadium
Greer Field at Turchin Stadium is a baseball stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is the on-campus home the Tulane University Tulane Green Wave baseball, Green Wave college baseball team.
From 1893 to 1989, Tulane's home ballpark was Tulane Dia ...
, was undergoing renovations. The renovations were scheduled to be completed in time for the 2006 season, but
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
significantly damaged Turchin Stadium, forcing a delay in the project. In the hurricane's aftermath, Zephyr Field was utilized by the
Louisiana Army National Guard
The Louisiana Army National Guard (French: Garde nationale de Louisiane) is a component of the Louisiana National Guard, and the state's reserve force within the United States Army. The United States Constitution, Constitution of the United Stat ...
and the
Federal Emergency Management Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Exec ...
as a rescue facility. In 2006, the state of Louisiana approved $21 million to recover Zephyr Field from the effects of Katrina. Additional funds from the bill covered recovery costs for the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
' training facility, located behind the ballpark, and the
New Orleans Arena
Smoothie King Center (locally referred to as SKC) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is located in the city's Central Business District, adjacent to Caesars Superdome. The arena opened in 1999 as New Orleans Arena and ...
.
The stadium hosted the 1999
Triple-A All-Star Game
The Triple-A All-Star Game was an annual baseball game held from 1988 to 2019 between professional players from the affiliated Triple-A leagues of Minor League Baseball. These leagues were the International League (IL) and Pacific Coast League ( ...
in which the
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
All-Stars defeated the
International League
The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...
All-Stars, 9–5. New Orleans'
Daryle Ward
Daryle Lamar Ward (born June 27, 1975) is an American former professional baseball first baseman and left fielder. He played 11 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1998 to 2008 for the Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirat ...
was selected as the PCL MVP.
On July 3, 2003, the largest crowd in Shrine on Airline history for a Zephyrs game, 11,925, watches the Zephyrs lose 1–0 to the
Nashville Sounds
The Nashville Sounds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the ci ...
.
The Wally Pontiff Jr. Classic college baseball game was held annually at the Shrine on Airline beginning in 2004. The
LSU Tigers baseball
The LSU Tigers baseball team represents Louisiana State University in NCAA Division I college baseball. The team participates in the West Division of the Southeastern Conference. It ranks seventh overall with 18 College World Series appeara ...
team played an opponent in the game to honor the former Metairie resident, LSU Baseball player and Oakland A's draftee, Wally Pontiff Jr., who died at the age of 21 from a genetic heart disorder. In 2004, LSU won the first game of the series vs. Southeastern Louisiana, 9-3. The last Classic played at Zephyr Field was played in April of 2019, and saw the Ragin Cajuns of
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
defeat LSU 6-5. In 2022 it was announced that the 2022 game (to be played in Baton Rouge, and again against
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
), will be the final game for the Classic.
The ballpark is featured in several scenes in the 2004 movie ''
Mr. 3000
''Mr. 3000'' is a 2004 American sports comedy film directed by Charles Stone III. It stars Bernie Mac and Angela Bassett. The film's plot surrounds a retired Major League Baseball player who makes a comeback at age 47 in order to attain 3,000 h ...
'', and one from the 2006 movie called ''
Failure to Launch
''Failure to Launch'' is a 2006 American romantic comedy film directed by Tom Dey, and starring Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker. The film focuses on a 35-year-old man living with his parents who shows no interest in leaving the comfo ...
''. Also, part of an episode of
Spike TV
Paramount Network is an American basic cable television channel owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Media Networks. The network's headquarters are located at the Paramount Pictures studio lot in Los Angeles.
The channel was o ...
's
Pros vs Joes
''Pros vs. Joes'' was an American physical reality game show that aired on Spike from 2006 to 2010. The show featured male amateur contestants (the "Joes") matching themselves against professional athletes (the "Pros"; mostly of retired male and ...
was also filmed at the ballpark.
A new playing surface was installed prior to the 2008 season. Its new dimensions are from home plate to left and right fields, and to center. The ballpark traditionally has allowed some of the fewest home runs in the Pacific Coast League. The ballpark's grass berm seating area, "the Levee", is located beyond center field and is the highest point in Metairie.
As a soccer venue, Shrine on Airline served as home of the
New Orleans Storm soccer team in the late 1990s and hosted the semifinals of the
1998 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
The 1998 U.S. Open Cup ran from June through October, 1998, open to all soccer teams in the United States.
The first-year Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire won the Cup with a 2–1 overtime victory over the Columbus Crew at Soldier Field i ...
.
Ballpark attractions
Concessions at Shrine on Airline feature traditional ballpark fare as well as several regional offerings, such as fried
catfish
Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive, ...
,
muffuletta
The muffuletta or muffaletta is both a type of round Sicilian sesame bread and a popular sandwich that originated among Italian immigrants in New Orleans, Louisiana, using the same bread.
History
The muffuletta bread has origins in Sicily.
T ...
s,
po' boy
A po' boy (also po-boy, po boy derived from the non-rhotic southern accents often heard in the region, or poor boy) is a sandwich originally from Louisiana. It almost always consists of meat, which is usually roast beef or some sort of fried sea ...
sandwiches,
jambalaya
Jambalaya ( , ) is an American Creole and Cajun rice dish of French (especially Provençal cuisine), African, and Spanish influence, consisting mainly of meat and vegetables mixed with rice.
Ingredients
Traditionally, the meat includes sau ...
, and pigskin nachos.
The New Orleans Zephyrs added an extra $5 million to the 2006 state-funded recovery bill for additional amenities, including 16 luxury suites, a swimming pool, two hot tubs, the Coors Light Party Shack, and the Metairie Bank Home Run Porch.
Gallery
Image:Zephyr Field - New Orleans, LA.jpg, Main Entrance
Image:Zephyr Field - New Orleans, Louisiana.jpg, Shrine on Airline
Image:Zephyr Field - Grandstand, Leftfield.jpg, Grandstand, Left field
Image:Zephyr Field - Grandstand.jpg, Grandstand, Right field
Image:Zephyr Field New Orleans, LA.jpg, Grandstand
Image:Zephyrs v Beavers.jpg, View behind home plate
Image:Zephyr Field.jpg, Then-U.S. President George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
speaking at the Shrine on Airline (then Zephyr Field) in 2001
See also
*
Baseball in New Orleans
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
*
List of NCAA Division I baseball venues
This is a list of stadiums that currently serve as the home venue for National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA NCAA Division I, Division I college baseball teams. Conference affiliations reflect those in the coming 2023 NCAA baseball season. ...
*
List of music venues
This is a list of notable venues worldwide including theaters, clubs, arenas, convention centers, and stadiums, all which can host a concert (music related).
Africa
Algeria
Angola
Egypt
Libya
Morocco
Nigeria
Republic of Congo
...
References
External links
Shrine on AirlineBallpark Reviews
{{Music venues of Louisiana
American football venues in New Orleans
High school football venues in Louisiana
Baseball venues in New Orleans
Minor league baseball venues
New Orleans Baby Cakes stadiums
New Orleans Gold stadiums
New Orleans Storm
New Orleans Zephyrs stadiums
Soccer venues in New Orleans
Tulane Green Wave baseball venues
Music venues in Louisiana
Rugby union stadiums in New Orleans
Buildings and structures in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana
1997 establishments in Louisiana