{| class="toccolours" style="width:320px; float: right; margin: 0 0 1em 1em;" |- style="vertical-align: top;" | colspan="2" style="text-align: center; font-size: larger;" | '''Hoover Metropolitan Stadium''' |- style="vertical-align: top;" | colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | "The Met" |- style="vertical-align:top;" |colspan="2" style="text-align: center;"| |- style="text-align:center;" !style="background: #efefef;" colspan="2"|Facility statistics |- style="vertical-align: top;" | '''Location''' || Hoover, Alabama |- style="vertical-align: top;" | '''Broke ground''' || 1987 |- style="vertical-align: top;" | '''Opened''' || 1988 |- style="vertical-align: top;" | '''Owner''' || City of Hoover |- style="vertical-align: top;" | '''Operator''' || City of Hoover |- style="vertical-align: top;" | '''Surface''' || Natural Grass |- style="vertical-align: top;" | '''Construction cost''' || ? |- style="vertical-align: top;" | '''Architect''' || ? |- style="text-align:center;" |- style="text-align:center;" !style="background: #efefef;" colspan="2"|Tenants |- style="vertical-align: top;" | colspan="2" | Birmingham_Barons (Southern League) 1988-
Hoover High School |- style="text-align:center;" !style="background: #efefef;" colspan="2"|Seating capacity |- style="vertical-align: top;" | colspan="2" | 10,800 (seated) |- style="text-align:center;" !style="background: #efefef;" colspan="2"|Dimensions |- style="vertical-align: top;" | colspan="2" | Left Field: 340
Left-Center: 385
Center Field: 405
Right-Center: 385
Right Field: 340 |} '''Hoover Metropolitan Stadium''', also known as '''The Hoover Met''', is a Minor_league_baseball park located in the Birmingham,_Alabama, USA, Suburb of Hoover. It has been the home of the Birmingham_Barons of the Southern League since 1988, replacing historic Rickwood_Field in Birmingham. The stadium also serves as the home for the SEC baseball tournament as well as Hoover High School football. The Hoover Met is located in the Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area near Interstate 459 at Exit 10. Many sports experts regard the stadium as one of the best of its kind in the nation. The Seating_capacity is 10,800 for baseball and can accommodate up to 16,000 when the patio, banquet, and grassy side areas are used. The stadium also houses 12 suites and state-of-the-art dressing and training rooms. The stadium also features a meeting/banquet room named for Michael_Jordan, who played for the Barons during his brief foray into professional baseball, during which time the stadium experienced its largest crowds. The City of Hoover operates the stadium and an adjacent Recreational_vehicle park. Hoover Metropolitan Stadium hosted the AVP Birmingham Open on July 13-16, 2006, the first beach volleyball tournament to ever be played in Alabama. The feature court was above the baseball diamond as well as eight other courts on the field, made of 222 tons of sand per court. ==External links== *Hoover Metropolitan Stadium Views - ''Ball Parks of the Minor Leagues'' *City of Hoover - The Hoover Met *City of Hoover - RV Park *AVP Birmingham-Hoover Open presented by Vault Category:Sports_in_Birmingham,_Alabama Category:Landmarks_in_Alabama Category:Minor_league_baseball_venues Category:High_school_football_venues Category:Sports_venues_in_Alabama