Werner Park facts for kids
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Werner Park scoreboard in 2011
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| Location | 12356 Ballpark Way Papillion, Nebraska United States (Highway 370 & 126th St.) |
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| Coordinates | 41°09′04″N 96°06′25″W / 41.151°N 96.107°W |
| Owner | Sarpy County |
| Operator | Omaha Storm Chasers |
| Capacity | 9,023 total; 6,434 permanent seats, 15 private suites, and grass berm seating |
| Field size | Left field: 310 ft (94 m) Center field: 402 ft (123 m) Right field: 315 ft (96 m) |
| Surface | Natural grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | August 12, 2009 |
| Opened | April 11, 2011 |
| Construction cost | $36 million ($46.8 million in 2022 ) |
| Architect | DLR Group |
| General contractor | The Weitz Company |
| Tenants | |
| Omaha Storm Chasers (PCL/Triple-A East) 2011−present Omaha Mavericks (NCAA) 2013−present Union Omaha (USL1) 2020−present |
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Werner Park is a cool minor league ballpark located near Papillion. This city is a suburb southwest of Omaha. The park first opened its doors in 2011.
Sarpy County owns Werner Park. It is the home field for the Omaha Storm Chasers. This baseball team plays in the Triple-A East. The park also hosts USL League One soccer games for the team Union Omaha.
The Storm Chasers moved to Werner Park on December 17, 2010. Before that, they played at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha. Building Werner Park cost about $36 million. It is located close to 126th Street and Highway 370. Since 2013, the Omaha Mavericks college baseball team has also played some of their home games here.
Park History
Moving to a New Home
From 1969 to 2010, the Omaha Royals baseball team played at Rosenblatt Stadium. This stadium was very large, with 23,000 seats. It was much bigger than most stadiums for Triple-A teams. The Royals also had to leave their home field every year. This was for about two weeks in late May or early June. They did this so the NCAA's College World Series could use the stadium.
The city of Omaha decided to build a new baseball park downtown. This new park, TD Ameritrade Park, was mainly for the College World Series. At first, there were plans to make it smaller for the Royals' games. However, the Royals chose to build their own stadium instead. This new park would have fewer seats. Having their own park lets the Storm Chasers play at home even when the College World Series is happening.
Building Werner Park
Work on Werner Park began on August 12, 2009. On November 11, 2010, the Storm Chasers announced the park's name. They made a deal with Werner Enterprises. This company is based in Omaha and has been a long-time sponsor. The exact details of the agreement were not shared.
The very first event at the stadium was a high school baseball game. It took place on April 11, 2011. The game was between two local high schools: Papillion South and Papillion-LaVista. Papillion South won the game 2–0. Five days later, on April 16, the Storm Chasers played their first game at the park. They won 2–1 against the Nashville Sounds. A talented player named Eric Hosmer played very well in that game.
In 2013, a statue of a famous baseball pitcher was put up outside the park. This statue honors Bob Gibson, who grew up in the area.
Hosting Big Events
In July 2015, Werner Park hosted two major baseball events. These were the Triple-A All-Star Game and the Home Run Derby. It was the first time these events were held in Omaha. The Home Run Derby happened on July 13. Dariel Álvarez of the Norfolk Tides won the competition.
The All-Star Game took place two days later, on July 15. Several Storm Chasers players were chosen to play in the game. These included Cheslor Cuthbert, Louis Coleman, and John Lamb. The team's trainer, Dave Innicca, and manager, Brian Poldberg, were also part of the event. The International League All-Stars won the game against the Pacific Coast League All-Stars, with a score of 4–3.
