Fifth Third Field Dayton, OH
Stadium Minor League History: Midwest League 2000-present
Current Status: Home
of the Dayton Dragons of the Midwest League (single-A)
What's Good: Fifth
Third Field (one of three minor league parks now sporting that particular
corporate moniker) is a slick, state-of-the-art ballpark. With a
second deck, a large number of skyboxes, and a fancy
scoreboard, the stadium seems much more like a double-A or even triple-A
facility than a Midwest League venue. Regardless, though, the sightlines
are terrific, the atmosphere is charged, and the seating is very comfortable.
The concourse, which runs behind the last row of seats, continues around
the outfield, providing great views of the ballpark
(and an opportunity to snag home run balls), and large, grassy
seating areas beyond the outfield walls offer cheap seats and a chance
to stretch out. The downtown setting is great, providing a very real
sense of place, but plenty of nearby lots seem to provide adequate parking.
Overall, Fifth Third Field is a fine place to see baseball, even if it
is a bit ostentatious.
What's Not So Good: It
all depends on what one thinks of the new breed of minor league ball --
if someone likes the comfortable amenities, high-tech scoreboard, and sold-out
games then that person is bound to love Fifth Third Field. If, however,
a fan is more enamored of older ballparks, crowds that are truly baseball-savvy,
and a more relaxed atmosphere, they may find the over-the-top baseball
experience here a little overwhelming. Me, I'm somewhere in the middle.
It certainly is an attractive and comfortable place to watch a game, but
it feels more like a triple-A atmosphere than what I've become accustomed
to in the Midwest League, where I see most of my games. I can tell
you, however, that (presumably due to laws of supply and demand) a game
at Fifth Third is very expensive, particularly for single-A ball.
The first half of the seating area around the infield is $11 a seat, and
the cheapest seats (the sections farthest down the lines) are $7 a pop
(lawn seats are $4 a ticket). In the souvenir store, postcards were
$2 (seriously), and other trinkets were similarly expensive (a shot glass,
for example was $6, a coffe mug was $14, and a bumper sticker was $3.50).
Worst of all (at least for the average fan), games are sold out before
the season even begins, and the only tickets available on a daily basis
are the lawn seats in the outfield.
This Photo: June 24, 2001 Dayton Dragons vs. Cedar Rapids Kernels
