View source for Excite Ballpark

{{Short description|Baseball stadium in San Jose, California, US}}
{{Infobox stadium
| name = Excite Ballpark
| nickname = Muni Stadium
| former_names = San Jose Municipal Stadium (1942–2019)
| logo_image = File:Excite_Ballpark.jpg
| image = Minor league.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| location = 588 East Alma Avenue<br>[[San Jose, California]]<br>[[United States]]
| coordinates = {{coord|37|19|14|N|121|51|44|W|display=inline,title}}
| broke_ground = April 1941
| built = 
| opened = March 8, 1942
| closed = 
| demolished = 
| public_transit = {{rint|bus|1}} [[Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority|VTA Bus]]: [[List of Santa Clara VTA bus routes#Regular bus service|73]]
| owner = [[San Jose, California|City of San Jose]]
| operator = [[San Jose Giants]]
| surface = Baby Bermuda Grass
| construction_cost = US$80,000<br>(${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|80000|1942}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}})
| architect = [[Works Progress Administration]]
| tenants = [[San Jose Giants]] ([[California League|CL]]) 1988–present<br>[[San Jose Bees]] (CL) 1983–1987<br>[[San Jose Expos]] (CL) 1982<br>[[San Jose Missions]] (CL) 1979–1981<br>[[San Jose Missions]] ([[Pacific Coast League|PCL]]) 1977–1978<br>[[San Jose Bees]] (CL) 1962–1976<br>[[San Jose Pirates (baseball)|San Jose Pirates]] (CL) 1958<br>[[San Jose JoSox]] (CL) 1956–1957<br>[[San Jose Red Sox]] (CL) 1947–1955<br>[[San Jose Owls]] (CL) 1942<br>[[San Jose State Spartans]] ([[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]) 1970–present
| seating_capacity = 2,900 (1942)<br>4,200 (current)
| dimensions = '''Left Field''': {{convert|320|ft|m}}<br>'''Left-Center''': {{convert|365|ft|m}}<br>'''Center Field''': {{convert|390|ft|m}}<br>'''Right-Center''': {{convert|365|ft|m}}<br>'''Right Field''': {{convert|320|ft|m}}
}}

'''Excite Ballpark''', previously known as '''San Jose Municipal Stadium''' or '''Muni Stadium''', is a [[baseball park]] in [[San Jose, California]]. It is the home of the [[Minor League Baseball]] [[San Jose Giants]], an affiliate of the [[San Francisco Giants]]. The team plays in the North Division of the [[California League]]. The [[stadium]] is also home to the [[San Jose State University]] [[San Jose State Spartans#Baseball|Spartans]] [[college baseball]] team. Local high school baseball divisions also use the ballpark as their championship field. The stadium also hosts concerts, weddings, car shows, and many other community events. It has been the home field for the San Jose Owls, [[San Jose Red Sox]], San Jose Jo Sox, San Jose Pirates, [[San Jose Missions]], [[San Jose Bees]], and the [[San Jose Expos]] minor league teams.

The facility is located one block from [[Spartan Stadium (San Jose, California)|Spartan Stadium]], home to the [[San Jose State Spartans football]] team. The area across Alma Avenue from Excite is home to the San Jose State practice fields for soccer, baseball, and softball. Additionally part of the stadium's parking lot was converted into an indoor ice area, [[Solar4America Ice]], which is the practice venue for the [[San Jose Sharks]] [[National Hockey League]] [[ice hockey|hockey]] team.

==History==
San Jose Municipal Stadium was built from 1941 to 1942 as a [[Works Progress Administration|WPA]] project at a cost of US$80,000. It was one of the first stadiums to be built entirely of reinforced [[concrete]]. It opened in 1942 with a game that featured the [[San Francisco Seals (PCL)|San Francisco Seals]] as the home team.

Fans sit very close to the field in four distinct seating areas. The first seven rows of the main grandstand are numbered box seats. General admission seating is available in the upper rows of the main grandstand on straight-backed benches. Down the left and right field lines are several bleachers that are accessible for general admission use. There is table seating down the third base line as part of "Turkey Mike's BBQ Area". The stadium has remained largely unchanged from its original configuration. However, renovations to the bathroom facilities and clubhouse were done in 1994 and three extra rows of box seating were added in 1996.<ref>{{cite news |title=Changes at Municipal Stadium a Hit with S.J. Giants Fans|newspaper=[[San Jose Mercury News]]|date=April 13, 1994}}</ref> In 1999, the dugouts were expanded toward the field.

The outfield walls are lined with advertisements, much like the stadiums of the 1920s and 1930s. Over the scoreboard in right field is a Diamond Vision video screen. The out of town scoreboard provides scores for other California League games. Fans are treated to a variety of games and entertainment in-between innings. Such activities include a tire toss, a child footrace around the bases and a fan favorite, "Smash 4 Cash", a competition where players attempt to smash the headlights of an old delivery truck to split a $50 prize with a fan. Each year's [[Independence Day (United States)|Independence Day]] celebration, complete with fireworks, draws some of the stadium's largest crowds and sees the foul line seating turned into standing room only.

In 1997, the bullpens moved from along the foul lines to the outfield. The visitor and home bullpens create artificial home run porches in left and right field respectively. In 2007, the outfield fence was replaced and moved in {{convert|10|to(-)|20|ft}} in some areas and bullpens moved once again.<ref>{{cite news |title=Class A Upgrades|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-161943177.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140601042814/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-161943177.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 1, 2014|newspaper=[[San Jose Mercury News]]|date=April 12, 2007|access-date=May 31, 2014}}</ref>

Many major league players over the years have called San Jose Municipal Stadium home including, [[George Brett]], [[Rod Beck]], [[Joe Nathan]], [[Chad Zerbe]], [[Ron Hassey]], [[Shawn Estes]], [[Tim Lincecum]], [[Matt Cain]], [[Madison Bumgarner]], [[Buster Posey]], and [[Brandon Crawford]].

Stadium features include: the San Jose Giants Dugout Store, group spaces such as the Martinelli's VIP Deck, City National Futures Club and First Base Party Patio, the Astro Jump Family Fun Zone, Turkey Mike's BBQ, and a {{convert|36|foot|adj=mid|abbr=off}} HD video board. The San Jose Giants mascot, Gigante, is often found having fun with fans at the ballpark and throughout the community. 

In 2019, the San Jose Giants entered into a three-year naming rights agreement with Excite Credit Union to rename the facility Excite Ballpark.<ref>{{cite news |last=Spedden|first=Zach |title=New for 2019: Excite Ballpark|url=https://ballparkdigest.com/2019/04/03/new-for-2019-excite-ballpark|website=Ballpark Digest|date=April 3, 2019|access-date=April 4, 2019}}</ref> It is one of the oldest active ballparks in [[Minor League Baseball]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.milb.com/news/oldest-11-minor-league-ballparks |title=Been a while: Oldest Minor League ballparks |first=Benjamin |last=Hill |website=MiLB.com |date=February 18, 2021 |accessdate=April 18, 2021}}</ref>

In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, the [[Oakland Athletics]] used Excite Ballpark as their alternate training site.

==See also==
* [[List of NCAA Division I baseball venues]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120201192958/http://www.sjaa.com/sjmunicipal.html San Jose Municipal Stadium – San Jose Arena Authority]
* [https://www.littleballparks.com/Stadium/2003/San_Jose/San_Jose.htm San Jose Municipal Stadium View – ''Ball Parks of the Minor Leagues'']
* [http://www.sjgiants.com/ San Jose Giants]
* [https://www.sjsuspartans.com/ San Jose State Spartans]

{{California League ballparks}}
{{Mountain West Conference baseball venue navbox}}
{{San Jose State Spartans baseball navbox}}
{{San Jose State University}}
{{California NCAA Division I college baseball venue navbox}}
{{San Jose and Silicon Valley attractions}}

[[Category:Minor league baseball venues]]
[[Category:College baseball venues in California]]
[[Category:San Jose State Spartans baseball]]
[[Category:High school baseball venues in the United States]]
[[Category:Works Progress Administration in California]]
[[Category:Sports venues in San Jose, California]]
[[Category:1942 establishments in California]]
[[Category:Sports venues completed in 1942]]
[[Category:California League ballparks]]
[[Category:Baseball in San Jose, California]]