Globe Life Park in Arlington, more commonly referred to as “The Globe”, is located in the north east portion of Arlington, Texas, which is roughly half way between the cities of Fort Worth and Dallas. This has been the home field of the Texas Rangers since 1994, and was previously called Ameriquest Field in Arlington before the Rangers ended the 30-year, $75 million naming agreement. Globe Life and Accident Insurance Company snapped up the naming rights in 2014.
This ballpark was the replacement to Arlington Stadium, which served as their home field for 21 years. Construction for The Globe started on April 2nd, 1992 and opened two years less a day later, on April Fools of 1994. The cost for this stadium was $191 million.
During the planning phase of The Globe, it was suggested that the facility would benefit from a retractable roof similar to Rogers Center, in order to protect against the Texas heat. However, the cost of adding this feature was considered too expensive. In recent times, the suggestion of adding a roof over the stadium has been a non-starter topic.
Texas Rangers Stadium
After an awful 2014 season in which they resided in the basement of the American League West division, the Texas Rangers have turned it around in a big way, leading to the potential of a long run in the post season. After going 33-48 at home during 2014 – one less win than they had on the road – the Rangers improved to above .500 at home while winning more than 10 extra road games compared to 2014, leading to their 2015 success.
Globe Life Park in Arlington was a hitter-friendly park in 2015, with a top five ranking for hits and runs according to MLB Park Factor statistics. This field produced home runs and triples at a slightly above average rate, while doubles production fell just outside of the top five. Interestingly, the ballpark is so hitter friendly that it also resulted in a top five rate of walks over 2015. For the most part, these stats confirm what many believe to be one of the most hitter-friendly parks in the majors.
Part of the reason revolves around the dry air in Texas, allowing the ball to become harder and fly further. Pitchers also have to deal with the near constant winds that flow across the stadium, carrying fly balls into the stands while wreaking havoc on control.
Stadium Vitals
Date Opened: April 1, 1994
Construction Cost: $191 million
Architect: David M. Schwarz Architectural Services Inc.; HKS Inc.
Ballpark Type: Retro Classic
Capacity Attendance: 48,114
Playing Surface: Latitude36 Bermuda Grass
Previous Texas Rangers Stadiums
Griffith Stadium; RFK Stadium; Arlington Stadium
Other Major Events
First Interleague MLB Regular Season Game
The first interleague regular season game in Major League Baseball history took place at The Globe on June 12th, 1997. The San Francisco Giants had the honor of winning the game by a score of 4-3, while Glenallen Hill ended up being the first National League designated hitter during the regular season.
College Baseball
In 2002 and 2004, the Big 12 Baseball Tournament took place at this venue, inviting many of the best college teams in the conference to take home the championship while earning an automatic berth in the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament.