Smith's Ballpark

History

Smith's Ballpark opened in 1994 with a seating capacity of 15,400, the largest in the Pacific Coast League. It is located on the site of its predecessor, Derks Field, with a similar unorthodox southeast alignment, toward the Wasatch Range. Derks Field was originally known as Community Field. The approximate elevation at street level is 4230 ft above sea level.

In its first season in 1994, the Buzz set a PCL attendance record with 713,224 fans. The team led the PCL in attendance in each of its first six seasons in Salt Lake. The largest crowd at the ballpark is 16,531 in 2000; the Saturday night opponent was the Albuquerque Dukes on July 22.

Besides hosting the Salt Lake Bees, Smith's Ballpark has played host to two exhibition games featuring the Minnesota Twins, a spring training game featuring the Seattle Mariners and the Colorado Rockies, concerts, soccer matches, and high school and college baseball games, including a Mountain West Conference tournament.

The ballpark has hosted the Triple-A All-Star Game twice. In 1996, a team of National League-affiliated All-Stars defeated their American League opponents, 2–1. Salt Lake's Todd Walker was selected as the PCL MVP. The game returned to the park in 2011 with the International League All-Stars beating the PCL team, 3–0.

In January 2023, the Larry H. Miller Company, owner of the Salt Lake Bees, announced that they would be building a privately financed stadium in the Daybreak section of suburban South Jordan, Utah, with a planned opening in the spring of 2025, ending a 31-year run at Smith's Ballpark.

In April 2023, the University of Utah announced plans to explore a fundraising drive for the construction of a new ballpark for the Utah Utes baseball program on the site of their current practice facility. The move—which could be completed as early as 2025—would relocate the Utes program from Smith's Ballpark to the new facility.

On June 21, 2023, Bees outfielder Jo Adell hit a 514-foot home run at the ballpark, the longest home run ever hit – in either minor or major league baseball – since Statcast tracking started in 2015.

The Bees left Smith's Ballpark for The Ballpark at America First Square, a new stadium in South Jordan, Utah, after the 2024 season.

Naming rights

When the ballpark opened in 1994, it was called Franklin Quest Field, for which the Franklin Quest Company paid $1.4 million in the summer of 1993 for 15 years of naming rights.

On April 7, 2009, the Bees announced that they had reached a multi-year naming-rights deal with Spring Mobile (a Salt Lake City-based AT&T authorized retailer) to provide the ballpark's new name of Spring Mobile Ballpark which ran for five seasons.

In March 2014, it was announced that Salt Lake City-based Smith's Food and Drug had signed a six-year naming rights deal, giving the park its current name.

Features

Smith's Ballpark is noted for its views of the Wasatch Mountains over the left and center field walls.

Redevelopment

In early 2024, the Miller family foundation announced a $22 million donation to Salt Lake City's Ballpark NEXT fund. This fund, managed by Salt Lake City, is conducting a $100-million program to improve the neighborhood, including and surrounding Smith's Ballpark.

In late 2025, Salt Lake City approved detailed redevelopment plans for Smith's Ballpark and the surrounding neighborhood.

References

References

1. Evensen, Jay. (May 20, 1993). "Dignitaries Dig in, Break Ground for New Stadium". [[Deseret News]].
2. Jorgensen, Loren. (April 12, 1994). "A new era". Deseret News.
3. (April 8, 2011). "2011 Salt Lake Bees Media Guide".
4. "About".
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6. (2017). "2017 Pacific Coast League Sketch & Record Book". Minor League Baseball.
7. Benson, Lee. (April 9, 2009). "Changing Names of Ballparks is a Tradition". [[Deseret News]].
8. "Official Baseball Rules – 2016 Edition – Rule 2.01: Layout of the field". Major League Baseball.
9. (September 20, 2024). "Andy Larsen: What are we losing with the Salt Lake Bees' move out of Smith's Ballpark?". Salt Lake Tribune.
10. Facer, Dirk. (August 29, 1997). "Buzz Attendance Falls but Still Tops PCL". [[Deseret News]].
11. Facer, Dirk. (June 28, 2009). "Ballpark Has Seen Plenty of Action in Its 16 Years". [[Deseret News]].
12. "Triple-A All-Star Game Results (1993–1997)".
13. "Triple-A All-Star Game Results (2008–2012)".
14. Apgar, Blake. (January 13, 2023). "Bees leaving Utah's capital for South Jordan's Daybreak. What this may mean for SLC's Ballpark area.". [[The Salt Lake Tribune]].
15. Reichard, Kevin. (April 11, 2023). "New University of Utah ballpark proposed". August Publications.
16. Butler, Alex. (June 21, 2023). "Jo Adell smashes longest homer in history of MLB's Statcast". [[MSN]].
17. Williams, Carter. (January 17, 2023). "Bees plan move to Daybreak; Salt Lake City seeks to 'reimagine' Smith's Ballpark".
18. Benson, Lee. (July 23, 1993). "Stadium's New Name Completes Salt Lake's Demolition of Derks". [[Deseret News]].
19. (April 7, 2009). "Home of the Bees Renamed: Spring Mobile Ballpark". Minor League Baseball.
20. (March 5, 2014). "Smith's Ballpark Unveiled as New Stadium Name for Bees". Minor League Baseball.
21. Jarvis, Gary. (July 4, 1999). "Franklin Covey Field". Minor League Ballparks.
22. (February 2, 2024). "Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation Pledges $22 Million to Salt Lake City's Ballpark NEXT Fund". Tech Buzz.
23. (December 11, 2025). "Salt Lake City approves Smith's Ballpark adaptive reuse plan". Ballpark Digest.