Hoover Metropolitan Stadium

Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, also known as The Hoover Met, is a minor league basebal] park located in the Birmingham suburb of Hoover. It has been the home of the Birmingham Barons of the Southern League since 1988, replacing historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham. The stadium also serves as the home for the SEC baseball tournament as well as Hoover High School football. The Hoover Met is located at 100 Ben Chapman Drive, just off Stadium Trace Parkway in the Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Statistical Area near Interstate 459 at Exit 10.

Many sports experts regard the stadium as one of the best of its kind in the nation. The seating capacity is 10,800 for baseball and can accommodate up to 16,000 when the patio, banquet, and grassy side areas are used. The stadium also houses 12 suites and state-of-the-art dressing and training rooms. The stadium also features a meeting/banquet room named for Michael Jordan, who played for the Barons during his brief foray into professional baseball, during which time the stadium experienced its largest crowds.

The City of Hoover operates the stadium and an adjacent recreational vehicle park.

Hoover Metropolitan Stadium hosted the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) Birmingham Open on July 13-16, 2006, the first beach volleyball tournament to ever be played in Alabama. The feature court was above the baseball diamond as well as eight other courts on the field, made of 222 tons of sand per court.

References

• Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. (2006, December 25). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 14:49, January 31, 2007, [1]

External links

• Hoover Metropolitan Stadium Views - Ball Parks of the Minor Leagues
• City of Hoover - The Hoover Met
• City of Hoover - RV Park
• AVP Birmingham-Hoover Open presented by Vault