MADISON, Alabama (RELATED) – The Rocket City Garbage Pandas are gearing up for their third season at Toyota Field. However, the team will need to make some improvements to the stadium before the first pitch of the 2023 season.
With a nearly new setup, many people ask, “why?” He asks the question.
In February 2021, MLB completed the realignment of 120 minor league teams. Part of the agreement between the major and minor leagues is a new set of standards for all MiLB ballparks across the country. This has led many teams to make major adjustments to their stadiums.
Unfortunately for Toyota Field, these standards came soon after construction was completed.
According to a resolution shared by the city of Madison, Toyota Field was awarded a score of 78 during the facility’s audit. The standards require all minor league teams to “have no more than 9 points at the start of the 2025 season.”
The city and the Garbage Pandas have created a two-phase plan to bring the stadium up to the new MiLB standards. The first phase should be completed by the beginning of the 2023 season.
Since the city owns Toyota Field and leases it to the Trash Pandas, that leaves the city with the bill for most facility upgrades.
On Monday night, the Madison City Council approved a resolution to fund the first phase of improvements “not to exceed $300,000.”
Several councilors expressed concern about spending more money to keep the stadium up to standard and wondered if it would happen again in the future.
“The question in my mind is how often do we get new standards?” said Teddy Powell, District 3 Councilman and Finance Committee member.
Finally, the resolution was passed; however, details of the tender process for the first phase project have not yet been announced.
The board explained that they allocate $300,000 annually to the maintenance fund for Toyota Field renovation projects, so funding is readily available.
Phase one improvement projects include:
- Lockers – Add two to the home club, add two to the away club
- Clubhouse – Add two people to the staff locker room
- Home Club Commissary – Add Freezer and Dishwasher
- Create a visitor pavilion commissary – add a refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher, sink, microwave, eight-seater table, storage cabinets.
- Guest Exercise Room – Add office and second hot tub
- Batting Cage Netting – Height Increase and Repair
- Canoe – Add non-slip material to the steps
- Women’s House – temporary trailer rental for two years
News 19 reached out to the Rocket City Trash Pandas to learn more about the first phase of updates and rule changes.
“There will be great achievements from this [the new standards], but it’s just one of those unfortunate things that happened right after we built the ballpark,” general manager Garrett Farmann said. “You know, with construction going on, we didn’t think we needed to make these changes so quickly.”
He said adding two closets to the indoor and outdoor pavilions is not a big deal because there is room for them.
In addition to the new lockers, the team must add “a non-slip step to one of the steps of each canoe.”
The “biggest boost” of the first phase update will be the addition of women’s facilities.
As a temporary solution, Farman said, they use a trailer parked near the center field gate.
“For the first couple of years, we’re going to have to rent a trailer or something like that until we get a permanent place for a couple of female referees and some female staff,” she said. he declares.
He said the stadium has women’s toilets, but not a dedicated club area with showers and changing rooms.
“You know, if we have a concert, we have a lot of facilities for women,” she said. “But when we have two baseball teams, we don’t have special facilities for women.”
Farmann said the council agrees that general maintenance and maintaining MiLB standards are important to the longevity of the Trash Pandas franchise in Madison.
“We certainly don’t want things to go the way they think they did at Joe Davis Stadium a few years ago,” Farmann said.
“There’s going to be a time when we’re going to have to change the seats in the playground, there’s going to be a time when we’re going to have to change the lighting in the ballpark, so it’s [maintenance] “Maybe the fund will be built every year and hopefully we won’t have to use it every year,” he added.
The second phase projects are slightly more in-depth and should be completed by June 2025.
This includes the creation of permanent facilities for women and the construction of a brand new pavilion for visitors. According to Farman, they plan to convert the current visitors’ club into a women’s facility.
According to Farman, they will have to build a new visitor pavilion that will be added to the stadium, most likely near one of the outfield ball markers. He said the new visitors’ club would be “very similar to a local clubhouse”.
According to Farman, this will be the most expensive part of the required upgrades.
“This will be the biggest part of the second phase,” he said.
According to Farman, the new MiLB standards for visiting clubs are that they don’t hurt the visiting team.
“In 2019 and before, the visiting clubhouse was always smaller and less attractive in design than home,” he said.
This is a true statement as there is a size difference between the two available pavilions and the cabinets are made of different materials.
“With Major League Baseball’s new requirements, they have to be even,” he said.
In the meantime, the Trash Pandas staff is excited to welcome players ahead of the upcoming season.
“The team will appear around April 3 or 4, so it’s not too far away,” Farmann said.
News 19 has previously covered changes in minor league housing needs. Click here to read this story.
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