ALL DECKED OUT
Hall of Fame Stadium goes from gem to crown jewel
Full disclosure: Craig Cress has a vested interest in Hall of Fame Stadium.
He's the executive director of USA Softball, which oversees the Oklahoma City venue, but still, when he talks about how the recently expanded and renovated facility now compares to other softball stadiums, he knows of what he speaks. He's seen stadiums across the country and around the world. He's seen facilities modest and magnificent.
None, though, is better than the stadium across the parking lot from his office.
“This is the premier facility in the world for our sport of softball,” Cress said Wednesday morning as he stood atop the steps leading into the stadium, “and we're excited to share it.” Share it, USA Softball did. Wednesday morning brought the first official event at Hall of Fame Stadium since the coronavirus shutdown, a tour for local media. All the reporters and photographers on hand had been inside the venue many times over the years, and even though the final phase of $27.5 million voter-approved renovations promised change, you had to wonder how big a change it would really be.
Well, it's big.
An upper deck with 4,000 new permanent chair-backed bleacher seats steals the show. Towering high above
where the stadium used to top out, the added level changes the entire look and feel of the stadium.
Of course, it was empty Wednesday. The vibe will change even more when those seats are packed for the Women's College World Series.
The view from the upper deck is spectacular, and it's not just what you'll see on the field. What you'll see far beyond the stadium is amazing, too. Buildings. Highways. Landmarks. The top rows are best for gawking at the surrounding scenery, but really, every seat has a view of something unexpected.
The best view, by the way, is behind the second level of the press box, beyond the expansive new bathrooms and the additional concession stands. The downtown skyline and the state capitol dome rise in the distance while the zoo fills the foreground. It's a background we're bound to see in lots of Instagram photos in the
coming years.
Thing is, the upper deck isn't the only new major feature at the stadium.
The main concourse has become almost entirely shaded by that second level. With its exposed beams and joints, walking the concourses feels a bit like an old-timey stadium, too.
The playing surface has
been completely upgraded, too. The old field plus about 18 inches of material were dug out and replaced with an underground drainage system, irrigation system, new turf for the outfield and new dirt for the infield.
“After a big rain, we can play,” said Chuck White, field turf superintendent. “The grass can take up to 15 inches of rain per hour.”
The field is better. The stadium is bigger. The amenities are broader.
Hall of Fame Stadium was a gem before. Truly. It was a fabulous facility nestled in the trees just southwest of the junction of I -35 and I -44. But now, it seems to have stood up and thrown back its shoulders. It rises out of the green like never before.
We had a jewel before. Now, we have the Hope Diamond of softball stadiums.
“This,” Cress said, “is the best softball facility bar none.”
Just because he might be a little biased toward Hall of Fame Stadium doesn't mean he's wrong about how great it is.