The Ballpark in Arlington

Globe Life Park in Arlington

The Ballpark in Arlington, Rangers Ballpark in Arlington The Globe
Globe Life Park in Arlington
Former names	The Ballpark in Arlington (1994–2004) Ameriquest Field in Arlington (2005–2006) Rangers Ballpark in Arlington (2007–2013)
Address	1000 Ballpark Way
Location	Arlington, Texas
Coordinates	32°45′5″N 97°4′58″W / 32.75139°N 97.08278°W / 32.75139; -97.08278Coordinates: 32°45′5″N 97°4′58″W / 32.75139°N 97.08278°W / 32.75139; -97.08278
Public transit	Collins Street at Andrews Street
Owner	Arlington Sports Facilities Development Authority
Operator	Rangers Baseball Express
Executive suites	120
Capacity	48,114
Record attendance	52,419
Field size	Left Field Line – 332 feet (101 m) Left Center – 390 feet (119 m) Deep Left Center – 404 feet (123 m) Center Field – 400 feet (122 m) Deep Right Center – 407 feet (124 m) Right Center – 377 feet (115 m) Right Field Line – 325 feet (99 m) Backstop – 60 feet (18 m)
Surface	Latitude36 Bermuda Grass
Construction
Broke ground	April 2, 1992
Opened	April 1, 1994
Construction cost	$191 million ($309 million in 2017 dollars)
Architect	David M. Schwarz Architectural Services, Inc. HKS, Inc. (architect of record)
Structural engineer	Walter P Moore/Datum
Services engineer	M–E Engineers, Inc./Dunn Consulting
General contractor	Manhattan Construction Company
Tenants
Texas Rangers (MLB) (1994–present)

Globe Life Park in Arlington is a stadium in Arlington, Texas, located between Dallas and Fort Worth. It is home to the American League's Texas Rangers, and the Texas Rangers Baseball Hall of Fame. It was constructed as a replacement for nearby Arlington Stadium. It was known as The Ballpark in Arlington until May 7, 2004, when Ameriquest bought the naming rights to it and renamed it Ameriquest Field in Arlington. On March 19, 2007, the Rangers severed their relationship with Ameriquest and announced that it would be renamed Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. On February 5, 2014, Globe Life and Accident Insurance Company bought the naming rights to it. Globe Life is owned by Torchmark Corporation, which is based in McKinney, Texas, a northern suburb of Dallas.

In November 2016, voters agreed to build a new ballpark adjacent to where Globe Life Park currently stands. It will open as early as the 2020 season.

In April 1989, Rangers owner Eddie Chiles, sold the team to an investment group headed by George W. Bush. The aging Arlington Stadium was outdated and did not have amenities that helped make other baseball franchises more profitable. As a result, the team could not compete with other big-city teams for good players. In an effort to fund the project through public money instead of private financing, the Rangers threatened to leave Arlington. The city of Arlington spent $150,000 on an advertising campaign to persuade voters to approve the funding through a referendum by printing brochures, placing telemarketing calls, and planning a “Hands Around Arlington Day.” On January 19, 1991, over 30% of voters approved the deal, allowing the city government to cover 71% of the costs ($135 million out of $191 million) of building the new ballpark. The deal called for the city to raise the sales tax by half a cent to go toward construction. Both houses of the Texas Legislature unanimously approved the public purpose of the ballpark, and Texas Governor Ann Richards signed it all into law.