AutoZone Park
Memphis, TN
Review by Gary
The home of the Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, AutoZone Park, is located right in downtown Memphis, Tennessee, just a few blocks from the Old Man, the Mississippi River. With no shortage of dining and parking options on game day, taking in a Memphis Redbirds game at this great ballpark is a must. This 10,000-seat stadium is very much like a mini major league park, with a wide variety of seating options, all with great sight lines.
When I attended a game here in 2001, the second season in the new park, I foolishly bought a single ticket from a scalper who told me that the seat was behind third base. Instead, I enjoyed the game from under the scoreboard in right field, which was still a very good, albeit pricey, seat. Fans wishing to sit on the outfield berm beyond the left field wall can purchase tickets to this section, known as The Bluffs.
The second tier of seats provides a nice overhang for the last rows of seats on the main level and field itself is below street level, which helps keep the park from overwhelming the neighborhood. AutoZone Park is four blocks from Beale Street and were it not for the massive batter and “ticker-tape” message board greeting folks at the home plate entrance, one might walk right past the red-brick walls that blend nicely with the rest of the buildings on B.B.King Boulevard (Third Street when I visited) and Union Avenues. The Redbird’s vintage ballplayer entrance is in my top 10 favorite entry features of any stadium in the majors or minors.
Having eaten quite a tasty meal at B.B. King’s Blues Club before the game, I did not have a chance to try any of the ballpark offerings. I am not sure I would have anyway with the plethora of pubs and joints to choose from on every street around the park. I enjoyed the atmosphere of the crimson-laden crowd once the game started as Red Bird fans filled this park and cheered their team in the very cool stadium.
2001
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