Baseball Field Construction Photos and Updates

Follow construction at the Wilpon Baseball and Softball Complex with photos and updates. The seating bowl at baseball's historic Ray Fisher Stadium, built in the early 1920s, will be upgraded and a new two-story addition to house barrier-free seating, a press area, improved public restrooms, concession areas and team administrative functions will be built. A new team clubhouse and indoor hitting facility also will be erected during the project.

1/10/07 :: Exterior Fisher Stadium was built in 1923 and is named in honor of Ray Fisher, Michigan's baseball coach from 1921-58. His teams won 15 Big Ten titles and the 1953 College World Series. Renovations began in fall 2006, and by January 2007 the exterior area was ready for the major construction to begin.		1/10/07 :: Third Base Side Ground-breaking for the new locker room and adjacent hitting facility began in January, after tearing down the maintenance shed and concessions area along the third base line.

8/6/07 :: Exterior By August, the addition begins to take shape with insulation on the facade of the three levels and the framework of the stairwells behind first and third base.		8/6/07 :: Locker Room and Hitting Facility A view from right field of the locker room (left) and hitting facility (right). The 5,750-square-foot hitting facility is heated so it can be utilized year-round.

9/23/07 :: Exterior The base of the stairwells will house ticketing, concessions and merchandise. The three-level structure will include coaches' offices, a video room, conference room, weight room, and an alumni room and reception area highlighting the history of Michigan baseball.		9/23/07 :: Exterior (Looking Northwest) The second floor includes offices. The 3,400-square-foot top level will include a state-of-the-art press box with TV and radio facilities.

9/23/07 :: Outdoor Batting Cages There are three outdoor hitting cages down the left field line and an additional four down the right field line. Including the three indoor cages, there will be a total of 10 batting cages.		9/23/07 :: Hitting Building Interior The interior of the indoor hitting facility will feature two dirt mounds on the south end, enabling pitchers to throw live to hitters year-round. Pitching machines and a state-of-the-art video hitting system at the other end will also be used year-round.

9/23/07 :: Locker Room and Hitting Facility The 1,600-square-foot state-of-the-art locker room connects directly to the indoor hitting facility, which features retractable doors for ventilation during the summer months.		9/23/07 :: Locker Room The locker room will feature a 60-inch plasma TV on the south wall and a 46-inch plasma TV on the north wall (above). It will include a seating area with leather couches and 30-inch lockers.

9/23/07 :: Press/Suite Level Head coach Rich Maloney's office suite and an additional guest suite book-end the press area on the third floor.		10/8/07 :: Exterior Closeup The entrance to the new stadium will be guarded by four pillars that surround the brick plaza leading into the entrance to the baseball offices.

10/8/07 :: Exterior With much of the brick work and window framing complete, the public plaza at the stadium entrance is now under construction.		10/8/07 :: Exterior (Looking Southeast) The first base line stairwell will include a ticket office. Connected on the second and third levels, adjacent to the stairwell, will be offices and the guest suite.

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