Flooding has hit downtown Davenport, and in that past that would have meant a halt to games at Modern Woodmen Park. But as in past years, renovations to the ballpark cut down the flood threat — and even though the parking lots are filled with water, the game will go on. As in past years, […]
Tag Archives | midwest league
Ashford University Field / Clinton LumberKings
Ashford University Field is living proof of one prime rule for ballparks: Never, ever tear down an old facility. There are precious few ballparks out there that so successfully combine the old and the new as Ashford University Field, and any community trying to figure out what to do with a historic, old facility should […]
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 […]
Elfstrom Stadium / Kane County Cougars
Note: Elfstrom Stadium was renamed Fifth Third Bank Ballpark in 2012. This visit was filed in 2009. The stated goal of the owners and management of the Kane County Cougars is a simple one: operate a county fair that happens to have a ballgame in the middle. And now that county fair has a new […]
Parkview Field / Fort Wayne TinCaps
You can never accuse Parkview Field of being a cookie-cutter ballpark. The home of the Class-A Fort Wayne TinCaps, Parkview Field is one of the most intricately conceived and immaculately designed ballparks to come down the pike in years. The level of attention to detail is astonishing; it’s designed to be a place where a […]
Fox Cities Stadium / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
There’s a certain similarity to newer ballparks in the Midwest League and the Upper Midwest. That uniformity can be seen at Fox Cities Stadium, the home of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Class A; Midwest League). In most ways this is a ballpark that serves the residents of the Fox Valley (which includes Appleton and Green […]
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. […]
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 […]
Veterans Memorial Stadium / Cedar Rapids Kernels
It would be easy to get a sense of dread as you approach Veterans Memorial Coliseum, the home of the Cedar Rapids Kernels (Low Class A; Midwest League). The outside, a high brown-bricked area topped by aluminum in the upper echelons of the park, is rather unattractive and forbidden looking. It reminded us a bit […]
Midwest League
Today’s Midwest League has its root in several Class C and D leagues spread across Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois, including the Three-I League, the Illinois State League, the Wisconsin State League, and the Mississippi-Ohio Valley League. The direct predecessor to the Midwest League is the Illinois State League, a six-team Class D league that began […]