A Diamond in the Central Texas Rough

Texas limestone dominates the exterior of The Dell Diamond, Aug-2000.

Looking down the third-base line.

The outfield berm fills quickly on sellout nights.

Chronological Tour: Stop 190

• Location: Palm Valley Boulevard (US 79) at Harrell Parkway, 3½ miles east of Round Rock, Texas (map it using Google Maps)
• Opened: 2000
• Home team: Round Rock Express, Texas League (2000-2004), Pacific Coast League (2005-present)
• Capacity: 10,000 (including berm seating)

Rating: 4 baseballs

The Dell Diamond – which had no official name until Dell Computer, possibly the area’s largest employer outside of the state government, came through – is one of the most attractive facilities from the outside, with a considerable amount of Texas limestone incorporated into the exterior.

It’s a nice-looking park inside, too, with lots of stadium seats and only limited sections of benches down the lines. An unusual feature is that Round Rock’s locker room is in left field, rather than under the stands, and the players walk down (and up) a ramp near the left-field foul pole.

There was something I did not care for. To accommodate additional concession stands, they were built perpendicular to the concourse in eight mini-buildings. But the design is such that the concourse isn’t wide enough for all the foot traffic it draws.

For the 2005 season, the Express added capacity and became a Triple-A team. The Edmonton Trappers moved to Round Rock; the existing Double-A team relocated to a new stadium in Corpus Christi. Alas, both clubs are getting $10 to park in their lots now, and here at Round Rock fans have no choice because of the location. Concession prices have also risen through the roof.