With a metropolitan population of over 565,000 (and growing), Fort Wayne is a city whose architecture seems to belong in a smaller town. As a result, it is not surprising to discover Memorial Stadium, built in 1993 and current home to the Padres’ Class A Midwest League affiliate, is a comfortable place to watch a game. However, outside of a very short right-field fence, there is nothing very unusual about the ballpark.
FAST FACTS
Year Opened: 1993
Capacity: 6,516
Owner: Allen County Coliseum Authority
Architect: Richard Moake, MoakePark
Dimensions: 330L, 400C, 330R
Original Cost: $6 million
Playing Surface: Grass
Address: 1616 E. Coliseum Blvd., Fort Wayne, IN 46805
Written by: Dave Wright
Photos by: Jim Robins
Memorial Stadium was the home of the Fort Wayne Wizards from 1993 through 2008. The team, now called the Fort Wayne Tincaps, moved to a new downtown ballpark for the 2009 season. In the meantime, Memorial Stadium was torn down.
With a metropolitan population of over 565,000 (and growing), Fort Wayne is a city whose architecture seems to belong in a smaller town. As a result, it is not surprising to discover Memorial Stadium, built in 1993 and current home to the Padres’ Class A Midwest League affiliate, is a comfortable place to watch a game. However, outside of a very short right-field fence, there is nothing very unusual about the ballpark.
Not every ballpark can have a Green Monster, ivy-colored outfield walls or a nifty downtown skyline as a background to serve as a lure for fans. Some places need to rely on their wits, good service and a smiling face to make the trip worthwhile. Memorial Stadium is one of those places.
Mike Nutter, the energetic general manager of the Wizards, seems to understand this. From a small but efficient merchandise shop just inside the main door to an usher who actually retrieved a foul ball and handed it to a kid, one gets killed with little kindnesses. No one thing stands out alone but add it all up and you walk away with the feeling people were actually glad you came to visit — deficiencies in the ballpark not withstanding.
There are very good reasons for the extra effort. For openers, this is the Midwest League, a low Class A grouping where the talent differential can be immense. As a result, the rosters are dotted with some potential major leaguers; Joakim Soria, who pitched in Fort Wayne in 2006, is now the closer for the Kansas City Royals. This is a very unusual jump. It is more likely you will see players like OF Cedric Hunter, a top Padres’ prospect, mixed in with players who are considered long shots at best.
Secondly, the Wizards – and their ballpark — suffer from the fact the pro hockey team, the Komets, a Fort Wayne mainstay since 1952 and a power in the United Hockey League, play next door in a 13,000-seat palace that was renovated in 2003.
Fortunately, help seems to be on the way. The Fort Wayne City Council recently approved a $125-million project to be located downtown that includes a new ballpark, a shopping center, condos and hotels. If all goes well, the Wizards will be moving in 2009.
“The current plan calls for 5,200 hard seats, 500 rooftop seats (a la Wrigley Field) and a picnic area that can seat 650 people,” Nutter said. “The total capacity could be as high as 9,000 with berm seating.”
Before Nutter can envision the future, he has to face two years of the present. The Wizards draw fairly well at the gate during the summer months. (In 2006, they had 23 crowds of more than 5,000 and finished fifth in the Midwest League with an average of 3,842 per game.) Considering the team’s location in northeast Indiana, that’s a neat trick. Night games in April and May start at 6:00 p.m. … for good reason. The average low in April is 39 degrees. May isn’t a big improvement (49 degrees.) “Weather is part of the game here,” Nutter said. With no roof on the ballpark (and little room to stand, see the game and be protected from bad weather), Memorial is a true open-air experience.
Going to a game in Fort Wayne early in the year can require some persistence and advance planning. On one occasion in April, the staff removed three inches of snow from the ground in the afternoon and the game went on as scheduled that night.
Generally speaking, the Wizards are traditional in their approach to promotions. Standards such as Myron Noodleman, Jake the Diamond Dog, Fireworks Nights, Dollar food/drink nights, etc. are always on the docket. But so are unusual events like the July 18 game when the entire concessions menu will be peanut-free. Nutter freely admits this idea out of a request by a family with peanut allergies. In a town when they battle the Komets and the AFL2 team for attention, it makes sense for the Wizards to pull out all the stops.
As for the park itself …
The main grandstand, seats with backs on them, stretches from first to third base. (The box seats have armrests as well.) Unlike a lot of ballparks, there is a concession stand behind home plate that is easy to get to and allows fans to watch the action while waiting in line. The bleachers start past the third line and extend towards the left field corner. A decent size picnic area is available in right field.
Underneath the main grandstand (just inside the main entrance) is a small merchandise shop that offered a decent variety of items. Head underneath the stands towards the third base side and you find a grill where you can get a hamburger, hot dog or an excellent BBQ Chicken sandwich. On weekends, you can get brisket, a menu choice rarely seen in a ballpark, for the same price as the chicken ($5.50). Under first base is the usual board with lineups and standings. As an added bonus, there is a listing of Wizards currently playing in the major leagues. In addition to Soria, the list includes OF Torii Hunter and Mike Cuddyer (Minnesota), 2B Josh Barfield (Cleveland) and P Jake Peavy (San Diego).
It was very chilly the night of our visit and attendance was sparse but service was superb. One Wizards staff member was spotted in negotiations with a season-ticket holder over moving his seats for next season. The conversation went on for nearly 15 minutes but the ticket holder seemed satisfied at the end, adding, “Thanks for taking the time to hear me out.” An usher near first base retrieved a foul ball hit into an empty space of stands and handed it to a young boy several sections away. Another one brought a pencil to a woman who had broken hers while keeping a scorecard. Nutter himself took on the duties of running goodies up the steps to suite holders who won a between innings promotion. By themselves, these actions are not that uncommon. But, on a chilly night when about 200 people were in the stands (and some teams would have shrugged and remained in their warm offices), it was impressive.
While the field itself is symmetrical (330 down each line and 400 to center), the fences are anything but. Left field offers a 14-foot fence. Right field used to be the same way but the team cut it down to four feet a couple years back, making it one of the shortest walls in the game. As a result, the game gets interesting when the ball heads that way. On the night I was there, Hunter smoked one in that direction only to see Burlington OF O.D. Gonzalez made a terrific catch as he stumbled over the short fence. Pro baseball in Fort Wayne has quite a history, dating back to 1871 when the local Kekiongas defeated Cleveland, 2-0, in the first game in the history of the National Association of Baseball Players. The city hosted a night game as early as 1883. Babe Ruth reportedly hit a home run that landed in a boxcar and rolled into another state. The city was a member of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Alex Rodriguez hit his first pro home run at Memorial Stadium.
Because of this lore — and the success of the hockey team — the current Wizards and Memorial Stadium pale in comparison. There is some concern among natives that the new ballpark will cause the team to get a little snooty and forget its simple approach to service. But that is a 2009 problem. For now, Memorial Stadium reminds one of a family restaurant with plastic tablecloths but is always crowded because the food is good and the service is excellent.