Arnold Field
Sonoma, CA
Review by Mike
Arnold Field in Sonoma, California is the home of the Sonoma Stompers of the summer California Collegiate League. Opened in 1952 and maintained ever since by a steady stream of dedicated volunteers, this is a tiny ballpark in the heart of California wine country that proves that if there is a will, there is a way.
I arrived to find the high school coaching staff doing some post-season work and met Rich, the coach of the Sonoma High School Dragons. He was kind enough to let me explore and took me under the grandstand to check out the Dragons locker room. I even got a very sharp looking hat to remember my visit. Thank you, Rich.
The main grandstand is small, a cinderblock structure with six rows of aluminum bench seating and a space for the PA announcer and scoreboard operator at the top. There is no roof, but an innovative shade solution has been implemented by suspending large swaths of fabric over the seating area, providing relief from the sun, while allowing the breeze to pass through the gaps.
The field-level dugouts and the sharp looking scoreboard are recent renovations. There are a couple of sets of grandstands and another scoreboard/press box building beyond the outfield fence, which I imagine are used when football is on the schedule. The field is square-shaped, which means that dead center field is a distant 90-degree angle with shrubs growing in play. I can’t imagine hitting a ball that far and having it called a ground rule double because the ball was lost in the foliage.
There is a batting cage along the right field line and a block concession stand on the 1st base side. Parking is right along the right field line, so mind where you park unless you have good glass insurance. Arnold Field is one of those places that is more than the sum of its parts. As a baseball stadium, it’s about as basic as it gets, but as a well-tended community ballpark in the heart of some of California’s most beautiful countryside, it is a small gem.
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2024
252
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