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Rosenblatt Stadium
/ Omaha Royals
| Year Opened | 1948 |
| Capacity | 23,100 (17,700 grandstand, 5,400 general admission) |
| Architect | Leo A. Daly Co. in 1948; Bahr Vermeer & Haecker for expansions and renovations |
| Dimensions | 335L, 375LC, 408C, 375RC, 335R |
| Playing Surface | Grass |
| Last Visit | 2005 |
| Web Site | www.oroyals.com, www.cwsomaha.com |
| Online Broadcasts | Yes |
| Online Ticket Sales | Yes |
| Phone | 402/738-5100 |
| Ticket Prices (2005) | Field Box Seats; $10; Reserved Seats, $8; General Admission, $6 |
| League | Pacific Coast League |
| Parking | Free in adjoining lots. The ballpark shares parking lots with a local zoo, and these can fill up on a busy weekend. |
| Address/Directions | 1202 Bert Murphy Av. Omaha. From I-80, take the 13th St. exit and follow the signs to the ballpark. From downtown, take 10th Street South all the way to the ballpark |
| Written by: | Kevin Reichard |
| Rating |  |
We are now in the era of the specialized ballpark, as the relatively rigid rules concerning the size and makeup of ballparks make sure all facilities conform to the level of play.
There are good business reasons for this in the minors: by ensuring supply counterbalances demand, ballpark attendance -- and therefore business success -- can be maximized.
Pity the Omaha Royals, whose supply of 24,000 seats will never match demand. The Royals may play the vast majority of baseball games at Rosenblatt Stadium, but they play second fiddle to the College World Series when it comes to the ballpark.
(click on the image
for a larger photo)
Not that there's anything wrong with the College World Series: it's a major event that brings a lot of recognition to Omaha. And in terms of hosting such an event, Rosenblatt is actually a cozy home; though the tournament could probably find a home in a larger major-league facility (let's not forget officials running the Metrodome in Minneapolis once made a run at hosting the series), there's something charming about the NCAA keeping the College World Series in a midsized city like Omaha. (No, we're not going to get into the politics of the NCAA and the College World Series.) On that level, we'd expect Rosenblatt Stadium to be a great place to watch the best college teams square off.
But in terms of a Class AAA facility, there's just too much ballpark. The Omaha Royals certainly don't need 24,000 seats, which is why they've brought up a Royals-only ballpark near downtown Omaha. The city, after shelling $35 million to renovate Rosenblatt Stadium to appease the NCAA, says they can't afford to spend anymore on baseball facilities. There's a chance the city could set up an entertainment district to fund a new ballpark (pending state approval), but for now the Royals are stuck at Rosenblatt.
(click on the image
for a larger photo)
And, for the most part, making the best of it. Despite the spending, the ballpark is not exactly in pristine shape ($35 million just doesn't buy what it used to, apparently); the concourse underneath the grandstand is a little dingy and there's a lot of rust all around the older parts of the ballpark. (Of which there are many; the grandstand dates back to 1948.) There are whole sections of the ballpark not open to the public during a Royals game, such as the outfield and side bleachers, and yet a crowd of six or seven thousand gets totally lost in the vastness of the ballpark. Also, $35 million in upgrades doesn't get you simple amenities like cupholders or a video scoreboard.
(click on the image
for a larger photo)
At some point the Royals and the NCAA will need to decide who is king here. There's a lot of history associated with the College World Series; stars like Dave Winfield, Roger Clemens, Robin Ventura and a young George Bush all made names for themselves in the College World Series, but there's nary a mention of them at the ballpark except for the private Stadium View Club. (Contrast that with the odes to great NBC performances at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium in Wichita.)
In the end, Rosenblatt Stadium is a perfectly charming place to view a baseball game. Too bad it's totally unsuited to the needs of the Omaha Royals.
(click on the image
for a larger photo)
Concessions
When you walk right in the ballpark you're
presented with a huge Omaha Steak Company
concession booth, and it's hard to pass on some
good corn-fed Nebraska beef in the form of steak
sandwiches ($7.50) and hamburgers ($6).
There are other concession stands in that outer concourse area, featuring chicken strips, hot dogs, and Dippin' Dots ice cream.
(Speaking of hot dogs: they're a must at Rosenblatt. Have two.)
Other specialty stands in the concourse feature Sammy Sortino's Pizza, funnel cakes, mini-donuts and Sno Kones down the third-base side of the concourse, and Famous Dave's BBQ down the first-base side of the concourse (where you can also get good beer in the form of Leinenkugel Red and Honey Weiss). The beer prices are generally good: $5.50 for 18 ounces and $5 for 12 ounces. Also available: Bud, MGD and Lite.
(click on the image
for a larger photo)
Parking
The best parking -- the south lot -- is
reserved for season-ticket holders. However,
there's an abundance of free parking in the
general vicinity, as the ballpark shares lots with
a local zoo and a visitors' center.
Ballpark History
Omaha Municipal Stadium was built in 1948
after Omaha voters approved a $480,000 bond to
built a new baseball facility. The town had been
without professional baseball since 1936 when
League Park (located at 13th and Vinton) burned
down.
However, that $480,000 wasn't enough to finish construction, even after the original plans were scaled back (a brick exterior was downgraded to a concrete exterior), so the city passed a second $290,000 bond issue.
The building of Municipal Stadium coincided with the resurrection of the Western League in 1946. The Omaha Cardinals played at Legion Park in Council Bluffs until the new ballpark was completed.
In 1955 the Omaha Cardinals moved up to the American Association and stayed in that league until its demise in 1962. The Omaha Royals were part of a reformed American Association in 1969, playing as a farm team of the expansion Kansas City Royals. The O-Royals were owned by parent team Kansas City until 1985, when the team was sold to Irving "Gus" Cherry. In 1991 the team was sold to United Pacific Railroad, with Warren Buffett as a minority owner.
In 1964 the ballpark was renamed Rosenblatt Stadium in honor of former Omaha mayor Johnny Rosenblatt, whose initial efforts led to the construction of the ballpark.
In 1950 the College World Series was shifted to Omaha and has been played there ever since. The city of Omaha has spent more than $35 million in ballpark renovations to keep the NCAA tournament in Omaha.
What to Do
Before/After the Game
There's not a lot in the general vicinity.
Starsky's (4020 S. 13th St.), just down the street
from the ballpark, features $1.25 Pabst Blue
Ribbon on tap. Zesto, located right next to the
ballpark, features Italian sausage and ice cream.
The Bohemian Cafe (1406 S. 13th St.; 402/342-9838)
is known for its German/East European cuisine;
it's the place to find goulash, dumplings
and kraut, liver-dumpling soup and sauerbraten in
Omaha.
Most fans will want to be downtown Omaha before and after the game. There's a pretty active nightlife in downtown's Old Market region; with a compelling mix of bars (almost all with outdoor seating), restaurants, shops and art galleries, you can end up spending quite a bit of time there.
Recommended: the Dubliner Pub (1205 Harney St.), Mr. Toad Library and Pub (1002 Howard St.), Bar 415 (415 S. 13th St.), Das Rheinland (414 S. 10th St.), Delice European Bakery (1206 Howard St.), and the Upstream Brewery (514 S. 11th St.).
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