Chihuahuas battle Vegas to be voted best minor league ballpark
Sunday marked the final day of online voting in the El Paso Chihuahuas quest to have Southwest University Park named the best minor league ballpark in all of baseball.
The Chihuahuas faced some tough competition in the Las Vegas Aviators to claim the honors from Ballpark Digest‘s annual fan poll, in which over 100,000 votes were expected to be cast.
If Southwest University Park wins the balloting, the best ballpark honors would come as it prepares to host the AAA baseball All-Star Game in early July.
Seeing themselves as the underdog playing in a 6-year old facility going against a brand-new stadium in Vegas, the Chihuahuas hoped for a last minute surge in the voting from El Pasoans on the final day. The team rallied supporters on social media, writing: “Everyone loves a good comeback story! #PadresFam & Fans you can be a part of one by voting Southwest University Park!!”
El Paso topped Toledo, Ohio and Vegas moved past Nashville, Tennessee to make it to this year’s final fan ballot for best ballpark.
The unique features of the Southwest University Park experience were highlighted by ABC-7 back when it first debuted in downtown El Paso. Those include a playground for the kids, patios where small groups can sit at tables, and a couple of balconies with bars. As one fan told ABC-7 at the time: “It’s a really nice place where you can watch the game.”
