Addition of a tiered picnic area is high on the list of offseason improvements.The city of Billings and the Billings Mustangs (rookie; Pioneer League) are discussing changes to Dehler Park for 2009, as an unexpected budget surplus and the willingness of the Mustangs front office to fund changes allows improvements in the facility’s second year. […]
Author Archive | Kevin Reichard
Durham Bulls Athletic Park / Durham Bulls
The Durham Bulls don’t play any longer at classic Durham Athletic Park, but Durham Bulls Athletic Park captures the spirit of a classic Carolina League park while providing all the amenities sought by today’s baseball fan. It is, after more than a decade, a classic ballpark of the minor leagues, aging quite nicely as the […]
Dunedin Stadium / Dunedin Blue Jays / Toronto Blue Jays
Tucked away in the corner of a Tampa/St. Pete suburb, Dunedin Stadium (formerly known as Knology Park) is a facility designed for spring-training needs, not to serve the audience of a Class A Florida State League team. As a result, there’s not a lot of excitement surrounding a Dunedin Blue Jays game: the team is […]
Wade Stadium / Duluth Huskies
Is there a better place on the planet to watch a ballgame? Forget about Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park — give us the simple joys of a Duluth Huskies game at Wade Stadium. Sure, there’s no exploding scoreboard, no sideshows like trained pigs or Norwegians, no nuns dispensing massages. But the Wade — which faced […]
Dow Diamond / Great Lakes Loons
Having a chemical plant is your backyard isn’t usually the mark of a great ballpark, but the location of the Dow Diamond, the new home of the Great Lakes Loons (Low Class A; Midwest League), and its proximity to a large chemical and manufacturing plant isn’t as much of a minus as you might think. […]
Doubleday Field / Cooperstown Hawkeyes
It is a relic of the myths surrounding the origins of America’s Pastime, a quaint village ballpark that for many years hosted a major-league exhibition game due to its proximity to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Still, Doubleday Field in downtown Cooperstown is a charming little ballpark that plays host to high-school, college and […]
SunLife Stadium / Florida Marlins
SunLife Stadium is a great place to catch a football game, but so far unsuccessful in sustaining any kind of fan base for baseball. This will be the final season there for the Florida Marlins. FAST FACTS Year Opened: 1987 Capacity: 47,622 Architect: Populous Dimensions: 330L, 385LC, 434LC, 404C, 385RC, 345R Playing Surface: Grass Website: […]
Dodger Stadium / Los Angeles Dodgers
When you talk about venerable major-league ballparks, a short list must contain Dodger Stadium. Built in 1962 by the O’Malley family and designed by Emil Praeger on the hillside of Chavez Ravine, Dodger Stadium for many years was the gold standard in ballparks, the facility by which all other ballparks were compared. FACT FACTS Year […]
Dickey-Stephens Park / Arkansas Travelers
If you’re going to replace a legendary ballpark, you had best make sure the replacement is a worthy successor. In the case of Dickey-Stephens Park, the new home of the Arkansas Travelers is a worthy successor to Ray Winder Field, the team’s longtime home. FAST FACTS Year Opened: 2007 Capacity: 5,288 fixed seats; berms […]
Dehler Park / Billings Mustangs
It is so hard to follow in the footprints of a legend. Dehler Park, home to the Billings Mustangs, is the replacement for Cobb Field, one of the great old ballparks in the minor leagues. Cobb Field ended up being one of the sadder ballpark stories in recent years: built in 1948 and housing a […]
Dick Putz Field / St. Cloud River Bats
Dick Putz Field was originally built as the home of the St. Cloud Rox of the original Northern League, with the team playing in the unfinished facility in 1971. When that circuit folded, the ballpark served the needs of St. Cloud’s many amateur, Legion, high-school and college teams. For them, a 2,000-seat ballpark was more […]
Jackie Robinson Ballpark / Daytona Cubs
You don’t get any more Floridian than Jackie Robinson Ballpark, home of the Daytona Cubs of the Florida State League. Much of Florida’s baseball history intersects on this small island outside of downtown Daytona Beach, while one of the most important events in baseball history took place there as well. FAST FACTS Year Built: […]
Fifth Third Field / Dayton Dragons
Fifth Third Field would fit well within the Class AA Eastern League or even the Class AAA International League: the ballpark is highly comfortable, and the management of the Dayton Dragons throws a great ballgame. There’s little to dislike about the Midwest League’s flagship. And the fans of Dayton seem to agree: Dragons games are […]