Zephyr Field

Gold Mine on Airline, formerly Shrine on Airline, is a 10,000-seat stadium in Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans. It is home field for the New Orleans Gold team in Major League Rugby. Known as Zephyr Field when built in 1997 as the home ballpark for the New Orleans Zephyrs (later New Orleans Baby Cakes), 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, where they continue as the Wichita Wind Surge. 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's reorganization of Minor League Baseball, the league ceased operations in 2021 and the campaign ultimately failed.

The facility hosted the 1998 and 2001 Conference USA baseball tournaments and the 1999 Sun Belt Conference baseball tournament. Shrine on Airline was also the site of the Class 5A Louisiana High School Athletic Association (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), defeated the Oklahoma City 89ers 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, 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, was undergoing renovations. The renovations were scheduled to be completed in time for the 2006 season, but Hurricane Katrina 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 and the Federal Emergency Management Agency 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' training facility, located behind the ballpark, and the New Orleans Arena.

The stadium hosted the 1999 Triple-A All-Star Game in which the Pacific Coast League All-Stars defeated the International League All-Stars, 9–5. New Orleans' Daryle Ward 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 Wally Pontiff Jr. Classic college baseball game was held annually at the Shrine on Airline beginning in 2004. The LSU Tigers baseball 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 defeat LSU 6-5. In 2022 it was announced that the 2022 game (to be played in Baton Rouge, and again against Louisiana), will be the final game for the Classic.

The ballpark is featured in several scenes in the 2004 movie ''Mr. 3000'', and one from the 2006 movie called ''Failure to Launch''. Also, part of an episode of Spike TV's Pros vs Joes 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.

Ballpark attractions

Concessions at Shrine on Airline feature traditional ballpark fare as well as several regional offerings, such as fried catfish, muffulettas, po' boy sandwiches, jambalaya, 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 speaking at the Shrine on Airline (then Zephyr Field) in 2001

See also

*Baseball in New Orleans
* List of NCAA Division I baseball venues
*List of music venues

References

External links

Shrine on Airline

Ballpark 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