New Covenant Health Park may bridge communities
By Steve Williams
The site where the Knoxville Smokies’ Bill Meyer Stadium once stood long ago is less than a mile from where the Smokies’ brand new Covenant Health Park now stands.
The two homes of the Smokies’ baseball teams may have turned out to be close as far as their locations, but because of technology and modernization over the years, the two ball parks weren’t close at all in comparison.
Like the sign near Covenant Health Park’s First Base Gate states, ‘It’s a Whole New Ball Game.’
A grand opening celebration for business and community leaders and elected officials was held Monday, April 14 inside the new stadium in Knoxville’s Old City the day before the very first home opener.
Knoxville Smokies owner Randy Boyd headed up the special occasion.
“Literally thousands of people – from the people that voted for it, the people that helped us construct this, the people that had envisioned it – so just a blanket ‘thank you’ to everybody,” he said.
“And a quick word about the stadium. Many of you have already been through it, but for those that haven’t; this is the best baseball stadium in America!”
That statement from Boyd triggered a loud cheer.
“I can say that with some authority, because I have been to 45 baseball stadiums,” pointed out Boyd. “I’m kind of a baseball stadium junkie. I’ve been to every baseball stadium that’s active today plus a bunch of the older ones – the old Yankees stadium and the two old Braves stadiums and so on.”
Randy said ever time he goes to a stadium he walks all around it and looks at it from different points of view.
After having walked around Covenant Health Park, he summed up: “We’ve got some of the most amazing views of any stadium I’ve ever seen.”
Like the water tower behind right field and a bandbox with all kinds of games.
There’s even a bridge that runs behind the outfield. Randy and his wife Jenny disagree about what runs under the bridge. He says it’s a river. She says it’s a creek. No big deal, but the context of the word bridge will mean much more near the end of Randy’s talk.
“It’s more than just a baseball stadium,” said Boyd. “It’s an athletic field with all kinds of sports.”
It will have high school baseball and football, and soccer games for men and women, he said.
“But it’s more than an athletic venue,” continued Boyd. “It’s an entertainment venue.”
Concerts. A light show at Christmas time. Farmers’ markets. Weddings.
“But it’s even more than that,” said Boyd. “Most importantly, it’s a bridge. This is a bridge for our community to bring people together. People from downtown to East Knoxville. People from North Knoxville to South Knoxville.
“All across our community we will come together to enjoy not just baseball but each other and build a community. That’s what this is about.”
Then Boyd flipped the page to thank the people who helped make it happen.
“Our two mayors were the heroes in the story,” he said, referring to Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon and Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs.
Boyd also thanked the city council and county commission, particularly East Knoxville representatives Gwen McKenzie and Damon Rawls, and many more that supported the project, which took over 10 years from start to finish.
