Wuerfel Park, Traverse City
Beach Bums
It's
not quite a Field of Dreams setup -- there aren't
any corn fields on the edge of the ballpark, just
some open spaces and seemingly random development
-- but a "build it and they will come" mentality
permeates Wuerfel Park, the home of the Traverse
City Beach Bums. It took a lot of passion, drive
and determination to get this ballpark built, and
the end result is a charming small ballpark that's
been taken to heart by the greater Traverse City
community.
Alexian Field, Schaumburg
Flyers
Alexian Field, the home of the Schaumburg Flyers
(independent; Northern League), may not be flashy,
but it has a lot of nice touches that make it a
pleasant place to watch a game. With field
dimension the same as those found in
Wrigley Field, a
manual scoreboard, good concessions, a popular
cheerleading squad, a safe environment for the
kids and plenty of berm seating, Alexian Field is
the perfect-sized ballpark
for this Chicago suburb. Marc Viquez details his
recent pleasurable visit to Alexian Field for a
Flyers game.
Melaleuca Field / Idaho
Falls Chukars
At a time when it seems the minimum cost for a new
pro-level ballpark is $12 million, the Idaho Falls
Chukars (rookie; Pioneer League) have accomplished
the seemingly impossible: open an impressive new
ballpark for $5.6 million without cutting corners
or scaling back expectations. In a world where
minor-league facilities are now starting to look
the same in terms of wraparound concourses and
oversized picnic areas, Melaleuca Field occupies a
great niche: a cozy neighborhood facility hosting
rookie-level baseball.
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