Small-Town Baseball Stadiums With a Classic Feel

Bruce Adams

Special from Bottom Line/Personal
March 1, 2000

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CALIFORNIA

The Epicenter is a miniature of Baltimore’s famed Camden Yards, just an hour due east of Los Angeles in California’s sprawling suburbs.

Special: These folks have a sense of humor (the team is called the Quakes and they play in the Epicenter). The mascot is a huge green dinosaur named Tremor the "Rallysaurus." When it became clear Tremor was too scary for some young Quake fans, the ball club added a smaller mascot named Aftershock. 909-481-5252. Season: April to Labor Day.

PORTLAND, MAINE

Hadlock Field. The Portland Sea Dogs play here, and the team’s mascot, Slugger, is a seal.

Special: When the Sea Dogs win or there’s a home run, a lighthouse rises from the outfield fence, emits a loud foghorn and shoots off fireworks. Seats nearly run up to the field. 207-879-9500. Season: April to Labor Day.

ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA

Midway Stadium, home of the St. Paul Saints, has a sense of fun inspired by president Mike Veeck, son of the famous baseball entrepreneur.

Special: The team mascot is a pig that carries new balls to the umpire. Haircuts and massages are available in the stands. When a train passes just 20 feet from the outfield fence and blows its horn, everyone rises and waves to the engineer. 651-644-6659. Season: End of May to Labor Day.

HELENA, MONTANA

Kindrick Legion Field was built in 1939 and is home to the Helena Brewers.

Special: Perhaps the most picturesque view from any stadium. You can see the gold dome of the state capitol, Mt. Helena is two miles past center field and the Rocky Mountains can be seen beyond. 406-449-7616. Season: June 16 to September 1.

ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

McCormick Field is one of the most beautiful little ballparks in all of baseball. Built in 1924, and wonderfully restored in 1992, it has a classic feel with modern comforts.

Special: Babe Ruth hit home runs in each of two exhibition games at McCormick Field in 1931, and Kevin Costner hit one here in the filming of the 1988 movie Bull Durham. From the grandstand of this red brick beauty, fans see a gorgeous stand of tall trees on the hillside beyond the outfield fence. 828-258-0428. Season: April 6 to September 4.

PAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND

McCoy Stadium. The Pawtucket Red Sox play in this 1942 purist’s stadium.

Special: Life-sized portraits in the staircase to the grandstand of former team stars. Nearly all seats are under a roof. Before game time, kids fish for autographs by lowering plastic soda bottles attached to strings over the dugout. The bottles have a door cut in the side, and pens and baseballs are inside. 401-724-7300. Season: April to Labor Day.

CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE

BellSouth Park, the brand-new downtown ballpark for the Chattanooga Lookouts, overlooks the Tennessee Aquarium.

Special: When the home team hits a home run or wins a game, a huge, colorful Chattanooga Choo-Choo train emerges from behind the scoreboard, puffing smoke and blaring its horn. Mascot Looie the Lookout is a red creature resembling a tomato. 423-267-2208. Season: April to Labor Day.

Bottom Line/Personal interviewed Bruce Adams, a writer who, with his wife and coauthor, Margaret Engel, has visited more than 100 baseball stadiums in the US and Canada. They are authors of Baseball Vacations: Great Family Trips to Minor League and Classic Major League Baseball Parks Across America (Fodors).