The Quad Cities River Bandits (Low A; Midwest League) are settling back into Modern Woodmen Park, eager to welcome fans after losing many early-season home dates because of flooding issues.
Mississippi River flooding and related issues this spring created significant scheduling changes for the River Bandits. It forced the cancellation of the team’s scheduled May 9-11 home series against the Great Lakes Loons, and overall the River Bandits had to play 12 of their first 15 scheduled home dates in other ballparks, with another home date lost because of rain.
On Friday, the River Bandits will return to Modern Woodmen Park and face the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers to begin a seven-game homestand. On the operational side, the River Bandits have been transitioning back into Modern Woodmen Park leading up to Friday’s game, with the box office open during regular business hours and the staff working out of the ballpark’s offices. Having the schedule affected in such a way has proved to be a challenging experience for the River Bandits, but the team has received significant support from the community. Ahead of Friday’s game, team owner Dave Heller and general manager Jacqueline Holm are emphasizing their eagerness to reward that support by welcoming fans back to Modern Woodmen Park. More from the Quad-City Times:
The strength of the team’s community partnerships have been tested during the opening weeks of the season, and Holm has found the support to be strong.
“We have a good organization, a good staff, and they’ve helped us continue to work and connect with the community,” Holm said. “This hasn’t been easy for a lot of businesses and organizations, and we’re here for each other.”
Heller has been encouraged by the cooperative spirit he has seen as not only the River Bandits, but other downtown Davenport businesses clean up and work to rebuild.
“We’ve seen what we already knew, that the people of the Quad-Cities love the River Bandits,” Heller said. “We appreciate the support that we have received from a lot of people in a lot of areas. It has kept us going, looking forward to welcoming fans back to Modern Woodmen Park.”
The River Bandits are slated to face the Timber Rattlers through Memorial Day, with the Beloit Snappers arriving on May 28 for the beginning of a three-game series.
RELATED STORIES: Heller: River Bandits Aren’t Going Anywhere; Flooding Forces Cancellation of River Bandits Series; River Bandits Shift May 6-8 Home Series; Floods Hamper Modern Woodmen Park Access; Scenes from a ballpark flood in Davenport