 The exterior of Golden Park, Aug-1997. |
 The main grandstand. |
 Looking out at the game. |
|
The exterior of Golden Park, Aug-1997. |
The main grandstand. |
Looking out at the game. |
 Chronological Tour: Stop 116 |
3 baseballs
I got there for a 1997 game, after the field had been restored to its usual baseball dimensions. It sits in the fairgrounds complex on the banks of the Chattahoochee, which at this point divides Georgia from Alabama before swinging into the Peach State and becoming Atlanta’s river.
The day I showed up, they played a doubleheader and no one seemed to know it. The stands were almost empty when the first pitch was thrown, but the fans streamed in steadily as the first game went on and it turned out to be a good night at the ballpark.
The RedStixx, a Cleveland Indians farm club, were moved to Eastlake, Ohio, for 2003. However, the South Georgia Waves relocated from Albany just prior to the start of the season. They were renamed the Columbus Catfish for 2004. However, the transfer of the Catfish to Bowling Green, Ky., for 2009 was approved by the South Atlantic League.
In early 2024, the Columbus city council approved bonds for a $50 million renovation of Golden Park, a condition for attracting another Minor League team. The Mississippi Braves announced that they would head to Columbus for 2025, bringing Double-A ball to the facility for the first time since 1990. The new tenant will be known as the Clingstones, for one of the two main types of peaches grown in this, the Peach State.
Photos and a full review of the newly rebuilt facility will appear after I see a game there in 2025.
| Game | Date | League | Level | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 270 | Tue 12-Aug-1997 | South Atlantic | A | Savannah 5, COLUMBUS GA 2, 1st |
| 271 | Tue 12-Aug-1997 | South Atlantic | A | COLUMBUS GA 3, Savannah 2, 2d |