Glacier Bank Park Brings Home 2023 Ballpark of the Year Award

KALISPELL, MT – On June 1, 2024, Glacier Bank Park received their award for being selected as the 2023 Ballpark of the Year by BaseballParks.com, as published in the August 30th edition of USA TODAY Sports Weekly. The plaque representing this award was presented to Ridge Run Baseball, the ownership group of the facility and Glacier Range Riders team, at an on-field ceremony before the game scheduled on that day.

The Ballpark of the Year recognition was first awarded in 2000. The Major League recipient for the inaugural year was Pac Bell Park (now known as Oracle Park) which is the home of the San Francisco Giants. AutoZone Park in Memphis, Tennessee, was the first Minor League recipient that same year. Since 2002, the recognition has been awarded to a single ballpark in the Majors or Minors that is new or has been rebuilt.  

"Glacier Bank Park clearly shows that an indy-league ballpark can be as good as any in the affiliated leagues," explains Joe Mock, founder and webmaster of BaseballParks.com. "Everything about the Range Riders' facility was done in a first-class manner, with amenities for fans and players that are the equal of any stadium in the upper Minors." 

Mock is also a ballpark guide author and frequent contributor to USA TODAY publications. Having visited over 350 pro-baseball stadiums, Mock is exceptionally qualified to evaluate the superiority of a ballpark's design, desirable location, and amenities for the fans, which are primary criteria examined by the advisory panel that makes the BaseballParks.com award selection. Two other industry professionals with decades of experience in professional baseball as well, Broadcaster Doug Greenwald and Author Graham Knight, sit on the panel with Mock. 

"I also want to emphasize that this is – and always has been – a merit-based award," adds Mock. "A ballpark doesn't win this because a team was successful in getting its fans to go online and vote. A park wins because it deserves to, with exceptional facilities, a first-rate gameday experience, and a gorgeous setting. Glacier Bank Park has all that and more." 

As the 2023 award winner, Glacier Bank Park in the Flathead Valley is the 24th ballpark to join the list of recipients, many of which are nationally distinguished facilities including Pittsburgh's PNC Park (2001), San Diego's Petco Park (2004), the Las Vegas Ballpark (2019) and Major League Baseball's Field of Dreams Ballpark in Dyersville, Iowa (2021). 

Mock presented the award on behalf of BaseballParks.com and USA TODAY to Marty Kelly, Owner of Ridge Run Baseball, at the ceremony. Alongside Marty was Chris Kelly, President of Ridge Run Baseball, who led the massive and expedited effort to bring the family's dream of Glacier Bank Park to life. Dewey Swank, Executive Vice President at Swank Enterprises, and Mark Harwood, Project Superintendent, were also on the field to represent the general contractor team that defied all odds and hours to construct this state-of-the-art facility.

The original press release of the award announcement can be found here: https://baseballparks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Glacier-Bank-Park-Ballpark-of-the-Year-press-release-rev.pdf