Smokies Stadium

• Year Built: 2000

• Primary Tenant: Tennessee Smokies (Cubs AA Affiliate)

• Capacity: 6,412

• Date Visited: June 30th, 2022

Smokies Stadium, which, if you couldn't tell by the name, is located within the mountainous region of Tennessee. Does that affect what I think of the ballpark? Let's find out all the details regarding America's Friendliest Ballpark.

Outside the Ballpark

Since the ballpark is located in Kodak, a small town not too far from Knoxville, TN, that meant they were given plenty of room to build this ballpark. What do you do when you’re a Minor League team with plenty of space? You build a large parking lot that surrounds the stadium. Unsurprisingly, the area was built near a hill, so the parking lot can’t completely surround the ballpark, but you get the idea.

The exterior of the ballpark itself is easy to look at. The dark green roof combined with the muted colors of the exterior make for an aesthetically pleasing look.

Near the gate behind home plate (the main gate) is where you can find the ticket office. There isn’t much to say about it, except for the seating chart, which enlightens fans on different seating options located throughout the ballpark.

To the left of the ticket office is the main gate. It does everything you’d expect it to. You walk up, they scan your ticket(s), and you’re in. There are no metal detectors or emptying of pockets at this ballpark, making the process just a little quicker.

Inside the ballpark

The concourse is covered from dugout to dugout, which is similar to what you’d find in most modern ballparks. The concourse, along with the main seating area is mostly symmetrical, which I’ll get into later.

The Team Store

The Smokies team store is called the GoTeez Locker Room, which is also the name of a nearby clothing store which has partnered with the Smokies. The store has your typical items, such as hats, shirts, baseball card sets, etc. The unique thing about the store is located in the back (or front if you enter from outside the ballpark). Located there is a small baseball card shop, which includes $10 and $20 spinners, in which you can win fun prizes, such as baseball cards, bobbleheads, and Smokies tickets.

Food Options

There are several food options located down both baselines, including a build your own nacho stand located near first base, which was one I personally enjoyed. Located down the third base line is The Batter's Box, a full service restaurant, which is open every day, even during non gamedays.

Seating Options

There are several seating options throughout the ballpark, so let me break each of them down for you.

The field level seating is the most prevalent type of seating to be found in the ballpark. These tickets range from section 103 to section 116 (just past first base to just past third base) and cost $11.50 per seat. There is no club seating behind home plate, so all tickets behind home plate fall under the field level seating description, and are usually available for any given game. Section 111 is the family section, which means that alcohol is prohibited. Section 108 is the giveaway section, in which ticket holders can expect to occasionally win prizes and other giveaway items. Seats in both of these sections cost $11.50, the same as all other field level tickets.

The top three rows of Section 116 (just past third base) are padded. For $24, you can sit at these comfortable padded seats and get a great view of the whole field. These seats also have about twice as much leg room as the rest of the field level seats.

Sections 101, 102, the top five rows of 103, 117, and 118 are fully comprised of bleacher seats. Bleacher tickets cost $9.50, and provide a good view from down the baselines. The bleachers have backs on them, which adds to the comfort aspect. These seats are also close to the bullpens, where players can interact with players before and after the game.

The berm is located from the right field corner to right-center field. These tickets also cost $9.50, and provide a great view from the outfield. With plenty of room to run, this area is prime real estate for catching home runs and foul balls. In addition to the main berm, there is a small berm section in the left field corner, just past section 117.

Also located in right field is the Pioneer Porch. For just $25 per person, you can enjoy a ballpark style meal and a great view in home run territory. I don't think any groups rented out the porch for the game I went to, since I was able to access the area despite not having a ticket.

In left field is the Yee-Haw At The Yard, a multi level deck consisting of many tables and chairs (with umbrellas). Groups can rent out this section for just $29 per person, and includes an all-you-can-eat buffet with your ticket. Most of the things I said about the Pioneer Porch can be said about this area, but on a larger scale.

The Cheerwine Patio is located in the upper deck above the third base dugout. For $900 per game, up to 25 people can enjoy a great vantage point, along with both stadium seating and outdoor patio seating. You also have the opportunity to enjoy a complimentary buffet of your choice. The Garza Law Terrace is very similar to the Cheerwine Patio, and is located on the first base side of the ballpark. Group tickets start at $46 per person, and include many of the same features as the Cheerwine Patio, including access to an all you can eat buffet.

There are several luxury suites in the upper deck of the ballpark. For $850 per game, up to twenty guests can enjoy indoor and outdoor seating from a high vantage point. Like the other areas I just mentioned, the suites also grant access to an all you can eat buffet.

Other Stuff

This part of this entry is going to cover many different parts of the ballpark that I haven't mention yet, so I wasn't exactly sure what to call this section.

If you remember the beginning of this entry, you know that I referred to Smokies Stadium as 'America's Friendliest Ballpark.' This sign greets you in a fittingly friendly way as you walk through the main gate at Smokies Stadium. I'm not exactly sure where the name comes from, or how true the name is, but it seems to be a good way to invite fans into your ballpark.

Here is the scoreboard, which is located in left field. The video screen only takes up a small portion of the total area, with the rest of the area being taken up be the line score and advertisement space.

The press box behind home plate is nothing out of the ordinary. The only thing that sticks out about it is the cameraman standing in front of it to get a great view of the game for the ones watching at home.

Each section of field level seating in this ballpark is marked with green diamond shaped signs like the one you see in the image above. Some signs are named after legendary Cubs players, for example, section 107 is named Sandberg Alley.

I believe the view beyond the outfield is very important to any ballpark. At Smokies Stadium, the view they provide you with is simple; just trees on top of a hill. When you're in rural Eastern Tennessee, this view is plentiful, to say the least. The view isn't the best or most unique in baseball, but it works well and is fitting for the location.

Both bullpens are located in foul territory at this ballpark. While it may be worse for players than an outfield bullpen for various reasons, it gives fans the opportunity to get closer to their favorite pitchers, and even get them to sign things before the game.

In 2022, many MiLB teams displayed these 'Major Fun' signs in their ballparks. This gave me the idea to begin documenting each sign in every ballpark I go to. The Smokies' Major Fun sign is located beyond the right field corner, just past the foul pole on the outer wall of the berm.

Also near the right field corner of the ballpark is Homer's Playland, an inflatable play area for kids. For $5, you can purchase a wristband which gives you unlimited play time (or, at least for the duration of the game), which is a perfect way to keep your kids distracted if they couldn't care less about baseball.

Grade

I've come up with a new system of rating ballparks, in which I rate several aspects of each ballpark on a scale from 1-10, then I add up the total score out of 100.

Here is the grade for each aspect

Seating Options: 10/10

Food Options: 9/10

Accessibility: 10/10

Parking: 9/10

Location: 5/10

Atmosphere: 7/10

Amenities: 8/10

Non-baseball entertainment: 6/10

View beyond the park: 7/10

Ticket Pricing: 9/10

Overall Grade: 80/100

For the most part, visiting this ballpark was an enjoyable experience. This ballpark delivered on many of the things you would expect in a modern ballpark, but still lacked on a couple of things. The ballpark isn't in the best location; more than a twenty minute drive from downtown Knoxville. There also isn't much for the non-baseball enthusiasts, but that isn't as much of a bad thing as it seems, since baseball is obviously the main focus. Those things aren't a complete deal breaker, and I would still recommend catching a game here if you're ever in the Knoxville area.