Globe Life Field

BUILT: September 28, 2018 - March 14, 2020

CAPACITY: 40,300

Win-Loss Record:

FIRST GAME: July 24, 2020 vs. the Colorado Rockies

• Texas 1, Colorado 0. W: Lance Lynn; L: German Marquez; SV: Jose Leclerc. No attendance.

• First Hit: David Dahl
• First Double: David Dahl
• First Triple: Isiah Kiner-Falefa
• First HR: Joey Gallo (July 26)
• First Run: Danny Santana
• First RBI: Rougned Odor
• Highest Attendance: 42,500 (October 28, 2023 - Game 2 of 2023 World Series)

DIMENSIONS:

Left field: 329 feet

Left-center field: 372 feet

Center field: 407 feet

Right-center field: 374 feet

Right field: 326 feet

Globe Life Field opened as the home of the Texas Rangers in 2020. This was one year ahead of the original schedule, as when plans were first announced in 2016, it was with a target opening date of 2021. But it was also three months behind schedule, as it should have been in April; however the date was pushed back to July 24th by the coronavirus pandemic.

On September 28, 2018, ground was broken for construction in Arlington, TX, across the street from the team's then ballpark, Globe Life Park in Arlington. Commissioner Rob Manfred attended the ground-breaking ceremony and stated that new ballpark would be "perfect for events like an All-Star Game or World Baseball Classic final." The similarity in name of the two venues is due to the fact that the Rangers retained the same corporate sponsor in spite of the move: the Globe Life and Accident Insurance Company secured naming rights for the new ballpark through 2048.

The ballpark is designed by the firm HKS and features a retractable roof, but also, in a very rare design decision for a modern ballpark, artificial turf. Construction costs were estimated at $1.1 billion. The architecture took inspiration from local landmarks, such as the historic missions of the San Antonio, TX area. The exterior is covered in specially-designed bricks produced by a company in nearby Fort Worth, TX. Seating capacity is around 40,000. Reviews about the ballpark's looks have been mixed, with some comparing it to a "giant Wallmart" or a roasting pan.

The ballpark was scheduled to be first used on March 31, 2020, the Rangers' home opener against the Los Angeles Angels, but this was pushed back by Major League Baseball's decision to delay the opening of the 2020 season because of the coronavirus pandemic. A country music concert scheduled for March 14th, coinciding with the completion of construction, was slated to be the first public event in the venue and was scheduled to be preceded by a ribbon-cutting ceremony, but it was also postponed. Thus, the first regular season game was the Rangers' delayed season opener on July 24th and was played without any spectators present, given health and safety protocols put in place because of the pandemic. It was preceded by two exhibition games between the Rangers and Colorado Rockies on July 20th and July 21st, the same two teams that met on opening day. On May 29th, the ballpark had hosted a large high school graduation ceremony, its large dimensions allowing the event to be organized while maintaining a safe distance between participants, an important consideration in the middle of a pandemic; this became the first public event of any kind at the new facility.

On September 15th, Major League Baseball announced that the ballpark had been selected as one of four neutral sites that would hold postseason series. It served as a venue for one of the two National League Division Series, for the National League Championship Series, and for the 2020 World Series, the idea being to limit travel and create a secure virtual bubble around the participating teams in these series. The ballpark was finally able to host its first fans for Game 1 of the NLCS, when a total of 11,500 were allowed to be present at the game, including 10,700 fans dispersed throughout the ballpark with all the required distance between them. They were also the first fans to attend any professional game in North America since spring training, as none had been allowed during the Division Series, also played in part here, and none were allowed in California, where the ALCS was under way. The World Series were also played with attendance at about 25% of capacity.

In the first months of 2021, the State of Texas announced it was lifting almost all of its pandemic-related restrictions, including its mask mandate and limits on attendance at public events. While this attracted a lot of criticism, including by President Joe Biden, for being highly premature, it meant that the Rangers were putting all tickets for their home games up for sale. The first event to enjoy this possibility was a spring training tune-up game on March 29th, but it attracted only 12,911 fans (there were some 45,000 tickets available). Still, it set a new attendance record for the venue, although it was certain to be short-lived. Indeed, over 38,000 fans showed up for the team's opener, a 6-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on April 5th. It was the first completely open public event to take place in the U.S. since the start of the pandemic. The ballpark soon proved to be a haven for no-hitters: on April 8th, Joe Musgrove of the San Diego Padres threw the first no-hitter in Padres history at the ballpark, and on May 19th, it was the turn of Corey Kluber of the New York Yankees to muff the Rangers' bats with a second no-hitter in less than two months. On October 4, 2022, however, it was a hitting record that was set here as Aaron Judge hit his 62nd home run of the year, breaking the single-season American League record he had shared with Roger Maris as the first batter of the second game of a doubleheader between the New York Yankees and the Rangers.

The ballpark hosted the Rangers for postseason games for the first time during their run to the 2023 World Series. When it was designated as the site of Game 1 against the Arizona Diamondbacks on October 27th, it marked its second time as a World Series venue, but its first under "normal" circumstances.

Globe Life Field has been designated as the site of the 2024 All-Star Game.

The field's dimensions are unexceptional, although the power alleys are quite deep, cutting down on homers, but the delineation of the outfield fence is unusual as it is composed of a series of straight lines meeting at jagged angles and creating a number of unexpected corners, as if it had been patched together from broken pieces.

Further Reading

• Anthony Castrovince: "Rangers look to make history of their own at Globe Life Field", mlb.com, October 25, 2023. [1]
• John Henry: "Rangers reveal Globe Life Field renderings: Construction details laid out for venue, which opens in 2020", mlb.com, March 7, 2019. [2]
• Kennedi Landry: "Rangers to host 2024 ASG at Globe Life Field", mlb.com, November 17, 2022. [3]
• Quinn Roberts: "Rangers' new park dubbed Globe Life Field: Naming rights will be extended through 2048", mlb.com, August 24, 2017. [4]
• T.R. Sullivan: "Rangers' new ballpark opening delayed", mlb.com, March 12, 2020. [5]