One thing that had escaped my attention this offseason is that, because of company mergers, two existing stadiums are being renamed. The Giants will now play at AT&T Park, and the Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Here are all the new stadiums/names the last few years:
2006: Busch Stadium opens (replacing "Old Busch" Stadium); SBC Park renamed AT&T Park; Bank One Ballpark renamed Chase Field.
2005: RFK Stadium reopens for baseball (replacing Olympic Stadium); SkyDome renamed Rogers Centre; ProPlayer Stadium renamed Dolphins Stadium; Network Associates Coliseum renamed McAfee Stadium
2004: Petco Park opens (replacing Jack Murphy Stadium); Citizen's Bank Park opens (replacing Veteran's Stadium); PacBell Park renamed SBC Park; The Ballpark at Arlington renamed Ameriquest Field; Edison Field renamed Angel Stadium of Anaheim
2003: Great American Ballpark opens (replacing Riverfront Stadium); Comiskey Park renamed US Cellular Field
2002: Enron Field renamed Astros Field, then Minute Maid Park
2001: Miller Park opens (replacing County Stadium); PNC Park opens (replacing Three Rivers Stadium)
2000: Comerica Park opens (replacing Tiger Stadium); PacBell Park opens (replacing Candlestick Park), Enron Field opens (replacing the AstroDome)
1999: SafeCo Field opens (replacing the KingDome)
1998: Tropicana Field opens, Bank One Ballpark opens (for expansion teams); UMAX Coliseum renamed Network Associates Coliseum
1997: Turner Field opens (replacing Fulton County Stadium), Oakland Coliseum renamed UMAX Coliseum; Anaheim Stadium renamed Edison International Field
1996: Joe Robbie Stadium reamed Pro Player Stadium
1995: Coors Field opens (replacing Mile High Stadium)
1994: Ballpark at Arlington opens (replacing Arlington Stadium), Jacobs Field opens (replacing Cleveland Municipal Stadium)
1993: Mile High Stadium and Joe Robbie Stadium open for baseball (for expansion teams)
1992: Oriole Park at Camden Yards opens (replacing Memorial Stadium)
1991: Comiskey Park opens (replacing Old Comiskey Park)
These changes involve all but six teams (Red Sox, Yankees, Cubs, Royals, Dodgers, and Mets), with 11 name changes in the last 5 seasons. You have to go back to 1989-1990 to find back-to-back seasons with the same list of parks. I suppose with naming rights being such a big deal, that'll be the norm from here on out.
It is interesting. At this point (14 years) you would think that there would be gobbs of evidence to point to whether or not naming rights is profitable. My guess, based on this list is the evidence came back and it is profitable.
ReplyDeleteI for one, will personally boycott (as to the best of my ability) any company that renames Fenway.