Inside Globe Life Field, crews continue to hustle as they get ready to debut the new baseball stadium in the next 10 days.
“At this stage we’re working on some last-minute seating, we have a lot of furniture that’s coming into the building now it’s being taken out of boxes and being put into place and we’re working on our IT infrastructure," said Rob Matwick, Executive Vice President of Business Operations for the Rangers.
The 1.8 million square foot ballpark has been in the works since Sept. 2017. It sits on 13 acres, just south of Globe Life Park.
Matwick said the building is 98% complete. Matwick said crews will start a deep clean process this weekend, in anticipation of their first event on Saturday March 14. Country music star Chris Stapleton along with special guests Willie Nelson & Family, Jamey Johnson and Yola will perform at Globe Life Field.
"We've got a quality surface... a facility that’s second to none and we can’t wait to open our doors for our guests to come in and see it," said Matwick.
One of the most notable aspects of the building is the retractable roof.
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“I think this is a transformational move for us to able to take weather out of play if you will, so the heat, the threat of rain, or storms," said Matwick. "[We'll be able] To provide air conditioning for our guest, but then to also be able to provide heat in the winter, we now have a facility that’s available 365 days a year.”
Another notable difference is the field. They're using synthetic grass and coconut husks to fill it. The dirt surrounding the filed is from the old stadium.
Matwick said everyone is still learning the new building and how to get around and that it will be an adjustment for fans too.
"It’s a new building, it’s like moving into a new home and we know a lot of things will be different," said Matwick. "So we just want people to be patient and to learn with us. It’s a fantastic building. It's going to be a great experience so we just ask everybody to be patient and we’re learning the building and the staff is learning the building and let's enjoy rangers baseball.”
He said there will be new security for fans. People can only bring in a backpack that has one opening, they'll be allowed one sealed water bottle, and a gallon-sized zip-lock back with snacks and food.
"If you want to put a sandwich in there or snacks for the kids you can certainly bring anything up to gallon size and that’s okay to come in. We always make exceptions for parents that maybe have diaper bags or young kids that need snacks or juice boxes, or medical needs and needs to bring a different type of bag in," explained Matwick.
The Rangers will play the St. Louis Cardinals in an exhibition game on March 23, 2020 and the home opener will be on March 31, 2020 against the Los Angeles Angels.
