Baseball poised to make a comeback at historic Golden Park in new Columbus deal
Organized baseball is one step closer to returning to Columbus.
The Columbus City Council approved entering into a lease Tuesday night with Golden Park Restoration Inc., which includes the use of historic Golden Park for a summer baseball team. The agreement would last five years.
The team will be identified by Jan. 1, and will compete in the Sunbelt Baseball League, according to information provided with the council’s agenda.
Golden Park Restoration Inc. is required to commit at least $100,000 toward renovating the park. Renovations must include, at a minimum:
- Repairing the grandstand roof
- Installing field lighting for night games
- Repairing and replacing concession stand equipment
- Replacing the water heater in the locker room. The city will repair the locker room prior to opening day.
- Initial cleaning and painting.
Golden Park sits on the banks of the Chattahoochee River in Columbus. The park opened in 1951 and has served as the home for several minor league baseball teams, including the Mudcats and the RedStixx.
It also hosted the 1996 Olympic Softball games. The arrival of the Olympics booted the RedStixx out of Golden Park for the summer, and minor league baseball in Columbus never recovered.
After a one-year move to Columbus State’s campus, attendance for the RedStixx, then Catfish, was abysmal. The Catfish finally left town after 2008.
Minor league baseball has not been played in the park since then, when the South Atlantic League affiliate left. A college wooden-bat team played there in 2009.
In 2013, Golden Park hosted the Beep Baseball World Series Championship game.
The city has owned the property since 1928.
This story was originally published September 22, 2020 at 7:19 PM.
