The 2017 season has marked the Quad Cities River Bandits‘ (Low A; Midwest League) 10th under Dave Heller and Main Street Baseball, representing a milestone for the organization.
Since completing a purchase of the team after the 2007 season, Heller and Main Street Baseball have presided over the River Bandits. Changes to the fan experience at Modern Woodmen Park have not gone unnoticed over the years, as the team has added a variety of amusements to the facility–and could add more down the road–while introducing some unique traditions, including the Mega Candy Drop.
Those factors, combined with other ballpark upgrades over the years, have certainly helped to reshape the fan experience at River Bandits’ games over the last 10 seasons. The Quad-City Times recently did an interesting piece on Main Street Baseball’s run at Quad Cities, providing a chance to reflect on its tenure:
“It gets better every year,’’ Heller said earlier this week, watching the Midwest League team clinch sole possession of the second-half championship in the Western Division.
“I see pictures of me holding my nine-and-a-half-year-old son when he was an infant and it reminds me that it has been 10 seasons now. The time, it’s flown by.’’
He can frequently be found before and after games just beyond the entry gates, thanking fans who have helped the River Bandits top 200,000 in attendance in each of past 10 years for choosing to spend an evening at Davenport’s riverfront ballpark.
“There are a lot of entertainment options in the Quad-Cities. We’ve worked to make Modern Woodmen Park a family-friendly environment for everyone,’’ Heller said. “That has always been our goal, to make this a place people want to be.’’
As noted, the River Bandits have added a number of amusements to Modern Woodmen Park since Main Street Baseball took control of the team. One of the latest offerings to be installed was a double-decker carousel, which made its debut at the ballpark earlier this summer.