UCHealth Park


UCHealth Park is a professional baseball stadium on the eastern edge of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The stadium was the home of the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, a Triple-A Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League from 1988 to 2018. Beginning in 2019, it hosts the Rocky Mountain Vibes of the Pioneer League.

History

Before the completion of Sky Sox Stadium, the Sky Sox played at Spurgeon Stadium, a public field at Memorial Park in downtown Colorado Springs which had hosted the original Sky Sox. Sky Sox Stadium opened late for the 1988 season at a cost of $3.4 million and remained the home of the Sky Sox until their 2018 departure.
The Sky Sox won Pacific Coast League championships in 1992 and 1995, and attendance was generally good; however, at the end of the 2004 season, facing declining turnout and an assortment of problems that showed the ballpark's age, team executives decided to renovate the ballpark. Changes included an improved sound system, a more modern scoreboard with video screen, a new walkway leading to the gates, a banquet facility at the end of the right field concourse, and a readout in the right field wall displaying the speed of each pitch.
Along with these changes, the park's naming rights were sold to Security Service Federal Credit Union. The naming rights deal expired after the 2018 season, and on May 8, 2019, it was announced that UCHealth, as part of a sponsorship deal with the Vibes, had purchased the naming rights to the field, giving it its current UCHealth Park name.
The current attendance record was set on July 4, 2004 when the Sky Sox lost to the Omaha Royals 6–5 in front of 9,505 fans.

Trivia

The names of some of the great players in Sky Sox history ring the upper deck. Known as the members of the Sky Sox Hall of Fame, they are Luis Medina, Sam Hairston, Charlie Manuel, Alan Cockrell, Norm "Bulldog" Coleman, Ryan Hawblitzel, Trenidad Hubbard, and Brad Mills. All historical players have their jerseys retired and statistics shown in the Hall of Fame Bar & Grill located within UCHealth Park.
UCHealth Park is 6,531 feet above sea level, making it the highest professional baseball park in North America. The stadium faces east, toward the plains and the Springs Ranch housing development, meaning that fans cannot see the Rocky Mountains to the west. This is due to the fact the sun sets over the mountains and would be a distraction to batters if the stadium faced west.
Covering most of the first base line is the Coors VIP Picnic Terrace. It holds nearly a thousand people and is the site of many weddings and other special occasions. At the end of the right field foul line, there is an 8-person hot tub that is recognized as "The Highest Hot Tub in Professional Sports". Guests are served champagne and acknowledged on the main display.