Herschel Greer Stadium is an older ballpark that gets lost in the mix. Its original intent was to create a place to play baseball (interesting concept), and while the Sounds have done what they can to keep up with the Minor League Baseball boom by building patio decks and adding children’s play areas, it’s the ballpark’s quirkiness and aura that gives Greer Stadium its charm, not its family atmosphere.
FAST FACTS
Year Opened: 1978
Capacity: 10,700
Dimensions: 327L, 400C, 327R
Website: nashvillesounds.com
Phone: 615/242-4371
Ticket Prices: Reserved, $12 day of game, $10 advance; General Admission, $8 day of game, $6 advance.
League: Pacific Coast League (AAA)
Affiliation: Milwaukee Brewers
Parking: Lot on the stadium site is more than enough for a Sounds game.
Directions: 534 Chestnut St., Nashville The ballpark is on the southern tip of downtown Nashville. From I-65 in either direction, take Wedgewood (exit 81). turn right onto 8th Avenue and go to the first stoplight (Chestnut St.), turn right onto Chestnut St., Greer Stadium will be on your left.
Written by: Dewayne Hankins
The stadium is not situated in a ground-level bowl like most of the prototypical minor-league ballparks of today; it’s built completely above ground. Therefore, there is no berm seating in the outfield but there are two patio areas, one in right field and one along the third base line. The stadium has one deck of individual club seats. The main-level concourse offers no view to the action on the field and the only coverage from the elements is a small sheltered area behind home plate.
The concourse is also nontraditional by today’s standards because it sits at field level. There are concession stands built into the structure of the bowl directly under the seating area.
You can take a painfully slow elevator up to the third level, which has the team offices, souvenir stand and press box, or the fourth-floor suite level. Situated above the stadium is the suite area, which connects with the stadium’s other central perk, the bar area.
Herschel Greer Stadium will, of course, forever live in baseball lore for its guitar-shaped scoreboard. Years from now when the Sounds are playing at their riverfront stadium, photos of old Greer Stadium will feature the unique scoreboard. It’s definitely the first thing you notice as you walk to your seat. It’s clear that the Sounds have squeezed just about every possible amenity they can out of Greer Stadium. The stadium is simply outdated for today’s version of Minor League Baseball, with unfriendly concourses and an undesirable location on the outskirts of Nashville.
CONCESSIONS
Not only have the Sounds taken on Brewers’ minor leaguers in the newest player-development contract, but they have also adopted some of the team’s menu items as well. One stand offers the Milwaukee-style “Vondersnitzel” bratwurst to complement their Black Angus hot dogs and Chicago-style dogs. They have just about everything on the menu including Chick-Fil-A chicken and fried cheesecake.
FOR THE KIDS
There’s a children’s play area near the third base side in the parking lot, but Greer Stadium is not really configured to cater to children.
WHERE TO SIT
Because the ballpark is wide open with no obstructed views, there isn’t a bad seat in the house. The right-field patio deck provides a unique view because it’s situated at field level. There are a small section of bleachers on the first base side but every other seating area has individual box seats. We didn’t get a chance to go to the fourth-floor suites, but they sit high above the field.
BEFORE/AFTER THE GAME
The stadium sits alone on the outskirts of downtown Nashville but Broadway, the main strip, is only a few minutes away by car and certainly defines the Nashville experience. Live bands play at almost every bar and street corner.