This is why I love MILB.
Quad Cities creating its own 'Field of Dreams'
Modern Woodmen Park blends old and new with an eye toward Hollywood
By Bryan Smith / MLB.com
Formerly John O'Donnell Stadium, Modern Woodmen Park is located on the banks of the Mississippi. (Quad Cities)
Clearly, when Dave Heller bought a Minor League team in Quad Cities last year, he was aware of the image conjured by Iowa baseball. Thanks to Hollywood, specifically Field of Dreams, the state is associated with one bit of dialogue.
"Is this heaven?" Shoeless Joe Jackson asks after he walks out of the corn stalks and onto a baseball field constructed in the middle of farmlands.
"No, it's Iowa."
So, when Heller looked around his newly purchased Modern Woodmen Park near the end of 2007, picturing the alterations he could make to heighten the fan experience, it made sense to make an aesthetic choice that would stay consistent with a tourist's expectations: corn stalks. With the help of head groundskeeper Ben Kratz, a mere gravel pit in the left-field corner was transformed into a burgeoning corn field.
"I could see people driving through Iowa wanting to stop to see that stadium with the corn stalks," said Ben Chiswick, the Quad Cities' broadcaster.
That corner is still just soil and seeds at this point, but with the promise of fully grown corn stalks in August. Heller's plan is a continuation of Field of Dreams, where the River Bandits will host player introductions from the left-field corner, with the starting lineup emerging from the stalks.
However, don't let the corn stalks fool you; despite Heller's acceptance of the Iowa stereotype, this is no rural ballpark. Formerly John O'Donnell Stadium, it was built in the heart of Davenport in 1931, making it the third oldest stadium in professional baseball -- only Wrigley Field and Fenway Park are older. Its antiquity leaves it with the best real estate in town, just yards from the Mississippi River with a scenic bridge set in the backdrop.
"I don't know of another park that has the scenery like it does," said manager Steve Dillard.
If nothing else, the stadium is one of contradictions, an ideal blend of old and new. The red brick exterior proves its age, on par with creating feelings of baseball nostalgia that make Wrigley and Fenway so popular. But a major renovation done in 2005, which preceded Heller's purchase of the team, has modernized the stadium: 20 luxury suites align the stadium's third floor, and a 360-degree walk-around allows fans to see the game from any angle, including one just feet from the river's bank.
Since Heller's purchase, changes have been even more rampant. A previously dull food and beverage menu was revamped with four new themed concession stands, with refreshments from wine to snow cones now all available. Heller's team expanded the kids play area, including enclosing a miniature baseball field that had previously stood just outside the stadium's gates.
Without question, though, Heller's biggest changes to the stadium have come in the corners, with the corn stalks in left and a right-field corner that might be the most chic spot in Iowa. Heller's team, with the sponsorship from local Jumer's Casino, also constructed a Hot Tub Deck, where a private party can rent a deck with a hot tub just feet from the foul line.
Beyond the right-field fence is a new Tiki Village, flush with three tiki bars, a lounge and even a tiki bed that the organization is billing as "the most comfortable seat in all of sports." The bed will be rented out as a couple's package and come with champagne, chocolate-covered strawberries and a candlelit dinner.
If the corn stalks were a product of Hollywood, the rest of the renovations must merely be inspired by Tinseltown itself.
"When I look down the right-field line, a smile comes to my face," Heller said in a press release announcing the stadium's upgrades. "I would come to the ballpark last season and see a magnificent facility with so much untapped potential, so much empty space."
Heller's ability to conceptualize has made a quick impression on the River Bandits staff, and early returns are promising, as attendance is up.
"He's got a little crazy in him, but it's good crazy, it's exciting crazy," said Chiswick. "It's that Veeck-type of crazy," referencing famous baseball owner Bill Veeck, known for his ability to crowd the stands.
Of course, a stadium's responsibility is not only to augment the fan experience, but the player experience as well. Luckily, Modern Woodmen Park seems to be a hit with the River Bandits.
"The stadium is awesome, I love it," said shortstop Pete Kozma, in his first full season in the Minor Leagues. "Where it's set right off the bridge and with the river right there, it's great."
While the setting is a hit with all the players, there's no question that the stadium's dimensions are a bigger hit with the pitching staff.
"I'd say it's a pitcher's park for sure," said ace Nick Additon. "They keep the grass kind of long, which helps when the balls go into the gaps. And it's pretty deep to left field and center field."
While the real Field of Dreams is a tourist attraction in Dyersville, Iowa, Modern Woodmen Park is quickly becoming a product of Dave Heller's dream, a dream for River Bandits players and a requisite stop for any tourist or passerby.
Bryan Smith is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.
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