Turtle Creek Stadium (formerly Pit Spitters Park and Wuerfel Park) is a 4,660-seat multi-use entertainment facility in

Blair Township, Michigan Blair Township ( ) is a civil township of Grand Traverse County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the township population was 8,994, making it the most populous civil township in Grand Traverse County. Blair Township is named ...

, in the United States that hosted its first regular season baseball game on May 24, 2006, as the tenants of the facility, the Traverse City Beach Bums, took on the

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. It was built as a new home of the Beach Bums baseball team, the first in Traverse City in 93 years. In 2018, the Wuerfel's retired and the park sold. In 2019, Wuerfel Park became home to Traverse City's new baseball team, the Traverse City Pit Spitters of the summer collegiate

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History

The ballpark is located on a site adjacent from the Chums Village commerce park, south of Traverse City near the intersection of

US 31 U.S. Route 31 or U.S. Highway 31 (US 31) is a major north–south U.S. highway connecting southern Alabama to northern Michigan. Its southern terminus is at an intersection with US 90/ US 98 in Spanish Fort, Alabama. It ...

and M-37. The groundbreaking for Wuerfel Park took place in late 2004 and was completed in time for the Beach Bums' inaugural 2006 season. The ballpark's façade resembles that of a resort hotel, a feature unique to baseball stadium architecture. John and Leslye Wuerfel (the namesakes of the ballpark), owners of Wuerfel Resorts and of the Beach Bums, designed Wuerfel Park to reference the region's resort industry and to their own type of business. In 2018, the Traverse City Beach Bums and Weurfel Park were sold to a new ownership group led by the CEO of the

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Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is the ...

.. A new team, the Traverse City Pit Spitters, began playing at the park beginning in 2019, with the name changed to Pit Spitters Park with the sale. In 2019, nearby Turtle Creek Casino purchased the naming rights for the park, changing the name to "Turtle Creek Stadium" for the 2020 season.

References

{{NWL ballparks Sports venues completed in 2006 Baseball venues in Michigan Minor league baseball venues High school baseball venues in the United States Sports in Traverse City, Michigan Buildings and structures in Grand Traverse County, Michigan Tourist attractions in Grand Traverse County, Michigan