This has been one of the wettest seasons on record, and all that rain is causing some serious Mississippi River flooding — with Modern Woodmen Park, home of the Quad Cities River Bandits (Low Class A; Midwest League), prepped for the water. In and of itself, Modern Woodmen Park is very protected from the rising […]
Tag Archives | iowa
Broken Field of Dreams in Iowa
Since the 1989 release of Field of Dreams, there have been various efforts to monetize the Iowa cornfield used as a film set. The latest attempt, which includes 24 playing fields, an indy team and a $70M budget, appears to be in trouble as well. Ever since the world saw Kevin Costner greet the likes […]
Ferris wheel on tap in Quad Cities?
Davenport (Ia.) officials and the owners of the Quad Cities River Bandits (Low Class A; Midwest League) are looking to add a Ferris wheel and carousel to Modern Woodmen Park, which would change the downtown skyline. We’re not talking about a London Eye kinda installation here, but something large enough to be seen from a […]
Bees to welcome three-millionth fan
The Burlington Bees (Low Class A: Midwest League) are on the verge of a major milestone: the team should welcome to Community Field the three-millionth fan in team history before the end of the season. “It’s really quite a big number when you think about it,” said Bees General Manager Chuck Brockett. “We owe a […]
Explorers mark 20th anniversary with commemorative logo
The relaunch of the Northern League happened 20 years ago — really! — and the Sioux City Explorers are marking the occasion with a new commemorative logo. Out of the original six teams in the independent circuit, three are still in business in their original markets: the Explorers, the Sioux Falls Pheasants (originally the Canaries) […]
River Bandits prep for Mississippi River flooding
If it’s spring, it’s time for Mississippi River flooding. And that means the Quad Cities River Bandits (Low Class A; Midwest League) are preparing Modern Woodmen Park for access to the ballpark while the waters invade the parking lot. Improvements made to Modern Woodmen Park over the last five or six years, such as the […]
Flavor Flav to throw out first pitch for LumberKings
We thought it a bit odd when we saw the news about Flavor Flav — that’s right, formerly of Public Enemy but perhaps best known for his Flavor of Love series on MTV — opening a fried-chicken restaurant in Clinton, Iowa, but here’s even odder news: he’s throwing out the first pitch at the Clinton […]
River Bandits installing state-of-the-art HD videoboard
The Quad Cities River Bandits (Low Class A; Midwest League) will join the small number of Class A team installing high-def videoboards after unveiling plans for a new system at Modern Woodmen Park. Every year we try to do something to enhance the ballpark and make the game day experience more enjoyable for our fans,” […]
In memoriam: Bob Feller
Bob Feller, the hard-throwing Cleveland Indian who went right from the Van Meter, Iowa farm to the bigs during his summer vacation following his junior year of high school, passed away today. He was 92. Feller joined the Indians in 1936 and instantly became one of the biggest draws in baseball, a hard-throwing kid whose […]
Burlington squared: Oakland signs PDCs with Bees, Lake Monsters
The Oakland A’s joined forces with two of the three Burlington minor-league teams today, as the last teams left standing in low A — the Vermont Lake Monsters (short season A; NY-Penn League), playing out of Burlington, Vt., and the Burlington Bees (Low Class A; Midwest League), from Iowa — officially announced player-development deals. “We […]
More improvements on tap for Modern Woodmen Park
More improvements on tap for Modern Woodmen Park, the home of the Quad Cities River Bandits (Low Class A; Midwest League): a new floodwall and walkway will be installed next to the Mississippi River, while a gravel parking lot will be paved and the plaza outside the front gates upgraded. “When the city first shared […]
Modern Woodmen Park / Quad Cities River Bandits
This was already one of our favorite ballparks in the minors before it was dramatically revised in 2004. Basically, a classic 1930s-era was enhanced for the new millennium in dramatic fashion, with an iconic exterior retained and the best of modern facilities — club seating, suites, a wraparound concourse, integration with the waterfront, inserted. Since […]
Community Field / Burlington Bees
There is nothing ostentatious about Community Field, the home of the Burlington Bees. Yes, there are some theater-style seats behind home plate — but not too many. There’s a single suite on the second level of the grandstand, but there’s no private entrance or even an elevator leading up there — you need to walk […]