Fifth Third Field (Toledo, Ohio) facts for kids
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 Fifth Third Field
Location in Ohio
Fifth Third Field
Location in the United States
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| Location | 406 Washington Street Toledo, Ohio United States |
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| Coordinates | 41°38′54″N 83°32′20″W / 41.64833°N 83.53889°W |
| Owner | Lucas County |
| Operator | Toledo Mud Hens Baseball Club, Inc. |
| Capacity | 10,300 (8,943 fixed seats) |
| Field size | Left field: 320 ft (98 m) Center field: 400 ft (120 m) Right field: 320 ft (98 m) |
| Surface | Natural Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | October 20, 2000 |
| Opened | April 9, 2002 |
| Construction cost | $39.2 million ($63.8 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | HNTB The Collaborative Inc. Finkbeiner, Pettis & Strout Inc. |
| Project manager | The Gateway Group |
| Services engineer | H. T. Bernsdorff, Inc |
| General contractor | Lathrop Construction Associates, Inc. |
| Tenants | |
| Toledo Mud Hens (IL) 2002–present | |
Fifth Third Field is a cool baseball stadium in Toledo, Ohio. It's where the Toledo Mud Hens play their home games. The Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team. They are part of the International League and are the Triple-A team for the Detroit Tigers. This means they are just one step below the major leagues!
The stadium opened in 2002 and can hold 10,300 fans. Newsweek magazine once called it one of the best minor league ballparks in America. In 2007, ESPN.com even said that "The Roost" section of the stadium had the best seats in minor league baseball. The stadium got its name because Fifth Third Bank bought the rights to use their name.
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Where is Fifth Third Field?
Fifth Third Field is right in downtown Toledo. It's only two blocks away from the Maumee River. This new stadium took the place of an older one called Ned Skeldon Stadium. The old stadium was in a different town, Maumee. The new park was built to help bring more people and businesses to downtown Toledo.
A fun area called Hensville has grown up around the stadium. It has shops, restaurants, and even rooftop bars. Hensville is a great place for concerts, movie nights, and other events. It helps make downtown Toledo a lively place, even when there isn't a baseball game. The stadium's address is 406 Washington Street. It's also near the SeaGate Convention Centre and the Huntington Center.
Fun Features of the Ballpark
Fifth Third Field has many different kinds of seats for fans. Here's a quick look at how many people can sit in different spots:
- Fixed seats: 8,943
- Picnic seats: 776
- Handicap seats: 86
- Seats in "The Roost": 282
- Club Level seats: 1,200
- Suites: 32
The biggest crowd ever at the ballpark was on July 29, 2017. A total of 13,406 fans came to watch the Mud Hens play the Rochester Red Wings.
Awesome Scoreboards
The stadium has really cool scoreboards that show lots of information. In 2009, new "ribbon scoreboards" were added along the first and third base sides. These colorful boards show graphics, player stats, and the game score.
Also in 2009, a big new video board was put in left field. It's a full-color screen that shows the game's score, animations, fun games, and instant replays. It also highlights the current batter.
In 2019, the Mud Hens got even newer, bigger video displays. The main video board is about 37 ft (11.28 m) tall and 68.5 ft (20.88 m) wide. It shows live video, replays, and game info with amazing clarity. Two new ribbon scoreboards, about 3.5 ft (1.07 m) tall and 157 ft (47.85 m) long, were also added. These boards show extra details like player stats and sponsored messages.
The Very First Game
The first game ever played at Fifth Third Field was on April 9, 2002. The Toledo Mud Hens played against the Norfolk Tides. The Mud Hens started strong with a 2–0 lead. But then the Tides scored five runs to go ahead 5–2. The Mud Hens didn't give up! They scored five more runs to win the game 7–5. It was an exciting start for the new stadium!
Hosting the Triple-A All-Star Week
Fifth Third Field was chosen to host the 2006 Triple-A All-Star Game. This big event happened on July 12, 2006, and was even shown on ESPN2. Before the game, there was also a Triple-A Home Run Derby on July 10. Fans could enjoy the All-Star FanFest at the Seagate Centre with activities for everyone.
Triple-A All-Star Game
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In the All-Star Game, the International League All-Stars beat the Pacific Coast League All-Stars with a score of 6–0. The winning pitcher was Heath Phillips from the Charlotte Knights. The game was completely sold out, with 11,300 people watching!
Triple-A Home Run Derby
The Home Run Derby was a fun competition to see who could hit the most home runs. Andy Marte from the International League's Buffalo Bisons won the event. He beat Ryan Ludwick from the Mud Hens in the final round. Andy Marte hit an amazing 29 home runs during the whole competition!
