Warszawski: Chukchansi Park, known to friends as Chuk, finally has its say

When my gates opened for the first time on May 1, 2002, on four blocks of downtown Fresno between Tulare and Inyo streets, they called me Grizzlies Stadium.

For the last nine years, I’ve been known as Chukchansi Park, or Chuk for short. Except those nice people with the casino who fork over $1 million every year to name me that (right about now, come to think of it) have run into a few snags. I’m feeling the onset of an identity crisis.

Besides that, it’s a great time to be a stadium. Usually in mid-September things get pretty boring around here. Not this year. This year the Grizzlies are playing for the Pacific Coast League championship.

Pretty cool, I gotta say. Any day now a postgame champagne celebration will erupt in one of my clubhouses. Of course, I’m hoping it’s the home team’s – even though they’ll probably ruin the carpet.

You didn’t know stadiums could talk? We can’t, actually. That voice is coming from inside your head. But we do have ears. We can hear everything everyone says about us.

For instance, I know many of you were against the very concept of my existence. You fought and fought and fought. For so long and so hard that the Grizzlies had to play four years of second fiddle at Beiden Field until I was built. Brutal way to introduce a sports franchise.

Others still can’t get over the fact that I’m not on the north side of town. Like it’s so difficult to hop in your cars and proceed to the nearest freeway. They all lead straight to me. No, there isn’t an Applebee’s or Old Navy around. But you’ll get used to it, I promise.

Now that I’m venting, time to concede a couple things: First, my $46 million price tag was more than a tad exorbitant. Did I really need a pool, jacuzzi and rolling stage that was hardly used before being sold for pennies on the dollar? Probably not.

I certainly didn’t need 12,500 seats. So many the Grizzlies can never create a demand for tickets, even when they’re playing for the league title.

Still, it hurts when some politician or talking head calls me “a money pit.” Stadia have feelings, too.

It hurts because I take a lot of pride in what I bring to downtown Fresno.

Baseball works best in my configuration, but I’m also a home for Fuego and pro soccer, high school football and the occasional concert. (Wish there were more of those.) There’s plenty of space on my concourses for expos tied to running and cycling events. I’ve hosted mixed martial arts, outdoors shows, scavenger hunts, sleepovers and dance parties.

I’m a place that brings people and families together for activities they enjoy doing. I’m an anchor.

At 13 years old, I remain in fine shape. Sure there’s some faded paint, a few cracks in the concrete and an outdated scoreboard; those are mere blemishes. To be honest, I consider myself pretty darned handsome. Especially when seen from the corner of Tulare and H. That’s my best side.

The architects at HOK Sports did a fine job with my design, especially those gaps in my facade just inside third base. Anyone who stands or sits in front of them almost always feels a breeze – even on the steamiest Fresno evening.

Those gaps are also the reason why left-handed hitters like hitting in me so much, since they allow northerly winds to blow out toward right field. They also can’t resist my short fence down the line.

A year ago when the Giants bailed, things felt a little tenuous. I’ll admit that. I enjoyed those World Series trophy tours and replica ring giveaways as much as anyone. But the Astros have brought a new energy. The Grizzlies have never won so many games, especially at home.

I like it when fans leave me happy.

Speaking of fans, I sure wish there were more of them. And I wish there was more for them to do after games. More places for them to go besides Club One and Peeve’s. It’s crazy there’s never been a rooftop bar atop the old Luftenburg’s building beyond my left-field wall.

Let’s hope Mayor Swearengin’s plan for the Fulton Mall adds a little hustle and bustle around here. Because across other parts of downtown, new condos and rows of townhouses are popping up all the time. So there are signs it’s happening already.

And don’t forget about high-speed rail, which might be the largest public works project in California history. Fresno’s station is slated to go in right across the street.

I can already feel the money flowing in, and visibility. When future high-speed rail passengers headed to San Francisco or Los Angeles look through their thick windows at Fresno, they’ll see me. I want to make a good first impression.

Occasionally I hear people discuss which section of mine offers the best view. I want to tell them my best view is from the roof, especially on days when the downtown skyline is backed by the Sierra.

Yes, I realize fans aren’t normally allowed on the roof. Just tell ’em you’re friends with Chuk.

This story was originally published September 18, 2015 at 6:41 PM with the headline "Warszawski: Chukchansi Park, known to friends as Chuk, finally has its say."