‘It’s a sad thing’: Salt Lake Bees opens final season at historic Smith’s Ballpark

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The end of an era begins on Tuesday, April 2 as the Salt Lake Bees, Utah’s minor league baseball team, plays their final opening day at Smith’s Ballpark in Salt Lake City.

It was announced the beloved baseball team would leave the 30-year-old ballpark at the end of the 2024 season early last year. Starting in 2025, the Bees will play ball at their new home in the heart of the Daybreak community in South Jordan.

The Bees have called Smith’s Ballpark home for the entirety of its 30 years. Originally known as Franklin Quest Field, the Bees played their first game in April 1994 against Edmonton. Since then, the Bees have played 29 memorable seasons, filled with fireworks, hot dogs and nachos, claiming eight division titles and three conference titles.

Many of the players such as starting pitcher Kenny Rosenberg expressed his nostalgia for the ballpark. Rosenberg, who is starting his third season with the Bees, said Smith’s Ballpark will always hold a special place in his heart.

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“It being downtown, I think certainly has its perks and its drawbacks,” said Rosenberg. “But for us, and for what the stadium has been and been able to provide for the community, it’s been nothing short of a great experience.”

But the players weren’t the only ones feeling some emotions about the ballpark. Smith’s Ballpark groundskeeper Kennie Deluna told ABC4.com it was going to be sad seeing the Bees go.

“It’s actually pretty sad knowing they are moving just because this is a sentimental spot,” said Deluna. “There are a lot of fans that come here and support this stadium.”

Deluna said the ballpark, from which the surrounding neighborhood took its namesake, will always be loved by the community. He said for those who were born and raised in the area, the ballpark has held many sentimental memories that they’ll never be able to share with their kids.

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“I’ve got a kid and I would love to bring my daughter here too but it’s a sad thing. It’s a sad thing,” said Deluna.

For the final season, Deluna and the rest of the grounds crew have been working hard to clean up the ballpark on 1300 South. He told ABC4 they’ve been doing their best to pick up trash around the stadium, clean up the lawns and replace old equipment that has needed to be replaced. He said he worries a lot of that work to make the ball more attractive and presentable will go to waste once the Bees move out.

But the future of the ballpark is still up in the air.

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall launched the Ballpark NEXT competition in 2023, inviting Utahns to submit concepts for the 13-acre lot. Over 150 members of the community submitted ideas, emphasizing a desire to keep a community-focused location – whether that be a green space and parks, a performance center or a community recreation center.

The winning submissions saw the park transformed while keeping the outward-facing facade and ballpark look. The final vision for the ballpark is still a ways off though.

The Salt Lake Redevelopment Agency is currently working to select a Design Consultant Team, according to the project’s timeline. Once the team is selected, they will work to create an Urban Design Framework which will be used as the blueprint for the project.

For now, though, it’s not too late to make some final memories and enjoy one more hot dog at a Salt Lake Bees game at the historic ballpark. The Bees 2024 season begins on Tuesday, April 2 with several multi-day home stretches for 75 home games until the final home game on Sunday, Sept. 22.

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