Stadium Minor League History:
South Atlantic League
1955-1961
International League
1962-1968
Southern League
1970-present
Current Status:
Home of the Jacksonville Suns of the Southern
League (AA)
What's Good: Like Bill Meyer Stadium in Knoxville, Wolfson Park is a good example of 1950s traditional ballpark design. The grandstand angles around the infield and almost all the seats are covered by the intricately-supported roof. The concourse, concessions, souvenir stand, and restrooms are all tucked away under the stands, and there's plenty of parking in the lot across the street. One unique feature is the infield dirt -- or lack thereof. The infield was completely covered by grass except for the pitcher's mound and the sliding pits around the bases. It looked like your typical artificial turf infield, except it was real grass (see the picture above), an arrangement that is quite unique (though I've heard that Mile High Stadium had a similar infield when it hosted minor league ball). Regardless, there's just something comforting and satisfying about sitting in the covered grandstand of an old ballpark on a warm summer evening, and I enjoyed this one quite a bit.
What's Not So Good: I found the ballpark a little hard to get to coming from the interstate. Also, the nearby Gator Bowl (or whatever it's called) dominates the view from the third base stands, with is huge modern concrete structure seeming very out of place against the winsome lines of the ballpark.
This Photo:
June 10, 1996 Jacksonville Suns vs. Memphis Chicks