Central Park

A ballpark with a view but not much else can be found in Trinidad, CO, where the aging Central Park became a pro park for the first time in 2012 thanks to the independent Pecos League, which placed a team named the Triggers in the southern Colorado city that is less than 15 miles from the New Mexico border.

Central Park is a dual name, as both the half-century old ballpark and the city park that it's within are called Central Park. The ballpark is located in one end of the park and has a simple, crumbling concrete grandstand that holds less than a thousand people, all on bleachers that are covered by a decaying wooden roof. The concession stand was ingeniously placed at field level, within the grandstand on its third base side, and a hill/berm spans the majority of the ballpark's first base side, where the parking lot overlooks the playing field. From a low wall there and the hill in front of it are the best "seats," as the bleachers in the grandstand are protected by a backstop of too thick chain-link fencing.

Backdrops are the best part of this ballpark. Rocky mountain mesas can be seen beyond each of its sides, and looming large and quite close behind the park's third base side is the golden dome of the high school gymnasium. The Trinidad High Miners and the JUCO Trinidad State Trojans also play at Central Park, which is old, but not really historic, and probably wouldn't pass for a pro park in any other league than the Pecos.

Although it's a bare bones ballpark that could never be home to an affiliated minor league team, Central Park still feels like much more than a glorified high school field. Despite its well-worn condition, the covered concrete grandstand confers a degree of professionalism upon the place, so it certainly wouldn't strike a first-time visitor as suitable for the Miners but not the minors. Yet a big-time demerit must be issued to the small-time stadium since public bathrooms aren't contained within it; they're in the parking lot instead.

I didn't get to see a game on my visit to Central Park, but because the ballpark is in an always open during daylight hours city park I had free reign of where the Triggers and their amateur co-tenants play. What I found was a beautiful setting for a basic structure, and one that was obviously never intended to be judged as a pro park. In that regard, Trinidad's baseball grounds certainly aren't among the finest in a small town. They are, however, a fine example of how a ballpark can maintain a prominent place in a small town.

Parking is free at the stadium, although it's a risky proposition given the lot's proximity to the field. Not too far from the field is the gold-domed gym that stands on the edge of the Trinidad High School campus. The city's landmark rocky bluff, called Simpson's Rest, is the naturally noticeable part of the park's third base side backdrop. A pond then railroad tracks are behind the right field fence.

Location

Central Park is just west of I-25 in the Las Animas County seat city of Trinidad. While the city has less than 10,000 residents, the county is Colorado's biggest -- and the fifth biggest in the United States -- based on land size. Central Park, the ballpark, doesn't take up too much space in its place within the bigger park of the same name. The baseball field and its surroundings are at the northwestern end of the city park, with residences just beyond its behind home plate boundary. A big multi-use field is behind left and center field. A short hop from the right field fence is a pond that's stocked with trout. Only a paved walking trail that is golf cart path sized in width is between the outfield fence and pond. On the other side of the small pond are elevated railroad tracks, which means it's possible to see, and not just hear, a train passing by during games.

Two of the more prominent and permanent sights in Trinidad lie north of the ballpark and are quite visible from within its confines. Combining to create a very unique sense of place are the Trinidad High School gym and Simpson's Rest. The gymnasium is just a block from Central Park and is topped by a golden golf ball-like dimpled dome. Rising above it in the distance is a sandstone bluff upon which stands a sign with lettering that spells out TRINIDAD. The sign is lighted at night and there's also an American flag flapping in the breeze next to it atop Simpson's Rest, which doubles as an adventurous-to-reach-by-car city park that allows its visitors an aerial overview of the area.

Parking

The venue is small and so is its on-site parking lot, which is paved and free to park in. Starting near first base, the sliding fence gated parking lot extends down the right field line but is much too close to the field for cars that aren't bulletproof, as most spaces are in prime foul ball territory for right-handed hitters. So if you can't park in the furthest away reaches of the ballpark lot it's better to park a little further away elsewhere. Among the nearby options is the big parking lot at the quirky-looking high school gym.

Features

The facade is about as rudimentary as it can get, as it's just a wall behind the seating sections. Although smoothed over with painted stucco, you can see faint outlines from the cinder block the wall was constructed of. Three doorways were cut out from the facade. They act as entry portals for the grandstand, which has no concourse. There's also no paved plaza leading up or adjacent to the entrances. Just dirt and grass ground fronts the facade.

The grandstand was built on a not quite even hill, so the entrances into it are at slightly different elevations. Because of that, there's a range of no steps to four steps at the door-shaped entry portals.

All fixed seating is contained in the completely covered grandstand behind home plate that has three sections. Two of the sections are directly behind home plate, the other is positioned slightly towards first base. All seats within the grandstand are bleachers, and 4 of the 14 rows in each section have backs, although the rows with backs are not continuous. Instead, the bleacher benches in rows 4, 8, 12 and 14 are the chosen ones to have individually contoured seatbacks fastened onto them.

The grandstand is covered by a wooden roof. The roof has netting attached to its underside to protect the fans it covers from the now rotting wood the roof is constructed of, and debris from the decay can be seen caught in the net.

Instead of netting, chain-link fencing is used for the backstop. It's not easy to see through the fence so sitting in the grandstand provides much less than ideal views.

Additional seating is available on the hill that spans much of the first base side of the park. Those who sit in the grass outside of the grandstand have unobstructed views of the field.

This is perhaps the only pro-level ballpark in America where you can comfortably watch the game from the parking lot, which overlooks the field from along the right field line. In fact, the best “seats” here are found on the ledge of the retaining wall that separates the parking lot from the berm.

The third base side of the park is off-limits to spectators, as that's where the clubhouse and batting cage building is.

The permanent concessions building is at field level. It was built in place of where a third base side of seats could have been, thereby making it a part of the grandstand. The choice spot of location makes it possible for those in line at the concession stand to enjoy the modern convenience of being able to watch the game.

The top of the concession stand's roof doubles as a balcony that accommodates anyone with accessible needs. The flat fenced-in perch has plenty of room for wheelchairs and is the sole seating area in the grandstand that can be accessed without the need of stairs.

The stadium is small enough that the bathrooms are placed outside of it. The public park-style bathroom building is down the right field line, but at parking lot level, where it's a part of a three-tier overlook at the far end of the berm.

The scoreboard is in right-center field and dates to 2001. Donated by the Trinidad Miners Baseball Alumni Association, it's a traditional line scoreboard that's painted blue and framed on all sides with ads. Purchased and installed at a cost of $38,000, the scoreboard measures 60 feet wide by 26 feet high and was fully paid for by the advertisements that surround it.

The press box is a stand-alone shed-like structure that is at the top of the hill on the field's first base side, where it's adjacent to the grandstand. Like the scoreboard, the press box is a product of the 2001 fundraising campaign initiated by the Trinidad Miners Baseball Alumni Association, which was formed in 1994 to support the Trinidad High School baseball program. On the backside of the wooden press box is the Alumni Association's "Frame of Fame." It's where engraved bricks are framed and displayed. Most bricks list names and years of former Trinidad High School players. In the middle of the display is a stone tablet that is etched with words to commemorate the addition of the scoreboard, press box and sound system at Central Park.

The playing field has dimensions that are deep to the outfield corners but short to center field. The outfield walling is simply chain-link fencing that is draped with windscreen.

The press box is outside of the grandstand but the concession stand is within it at Trinidad's quaint Central Park.