Paul Eames Sports Complex

Approaching the stadium field at the Paul Eames Sports Complex, Aug-2002.

A look at the facility from down the first-base line.

The park is designed to keep baseballs in.

Chronological Tour: Stop 238

• Location: Ball Park Drive, off Blaylock Street, Albany, Ga. (map it using Google Maps)
• Opened: 1993
• Home team: Albany Polecats, South Atlantic League (1993-95); Albany Alligators, All-American Association (2001); South Georgia Waves, South Atlantic League (2002); South Georgia Peanuts, South Coast League (2007)
• Capacity: 3,000

Rating: 2 baseballs

After three seasons, the Polecats left town. The women’s pro experimental Colorado Silver Bullets spent some time here in 1997, and the park was also used for the one season of the All-American Association. For 2002, the Wilmington (N.C.) Waves, disgruntled at efforts to replace Brooks Field, took up residence here.

The park is part of a city-owned complex that includes three other baseball fields. This stadium, designated Field No. 1, has dual walkways from street/field level to the concourse that flank the main reserved seat section, behind which the press box is located. However, the only difference between the reserved seats and general admission is that the reserved seats have backs. Both sections are aluminum bleachers. As is common, the box seat area, closest to the field, features stadium seating.

The field faces southeast, minimizing sun problems during night games, but the edifice was constructed without a roof. That makes day games impossible, especially in the summer. The city of Albany is working on obtaining funding for a roof. This project was proposed for 2003, but in January of that year the Waves announced that they would move to a new park being built in Evansville, Ind., for 2004. That deal fell through, but the Waves still moved to Golden Park in Columbus for 2003.