Modern Woodmen Park facts for kids
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| Former names | Municipal Stadium (1931–1971) John O'Donnell Stadium (1971–2007) |
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| Location | 209 South Gaines Street Davenport, IA 52802 |
| Coordinates | 41°31′7.21″N 90°34′56.07″W / 41.5186694°N 90.5822417°W |
| Public transit |  Davenport CitiBus |
| Owner | City of Davenport |
| Operator | Main Street Iowa |
| Capacity | ? (1931–1940s) 6,200 (1940s–1961) 8,500 (1962–1988) 5,200 (1989–2003) 4,024 (2004–present) |
| Field size | Left field: 343 feet (105 m) Left center field: 383 feet Center field: 400 feet (102 m) Right center field: 370 feet Right field: 318 feet (97 m) |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | November 6, 1930 |
| Opened | May 26, 1931 |
| Renovated | 1989, 2004 |
| Construction cost | $185,000 (1931) ($3.56 million in 2022 dollars ) $12.5 million (2004 renovation) |
| Architect | Clausen, Kruse & Klein (original) Populous (1989, 1999, 2004 renovations) |
| General contractor | Tunnicliff Construction Company |
| Tenants | |
| Baseball Quad Cities River Bandits (MWL/High-A Central) (1931–present) Football Assumption High School (–1987) St. Ambrose Fighting Bees (NAIA) (–1987) |
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Modern Woodmen Park is a cool place to watch minor league baseball games. It is located in Davenport, Iowa. This stadium is home to the Quad Cities River Bandits baseball team. They are part of the Midwest League and are connected to the Kansas City Royals.
Since 1987, the St. Ambrose University baseball team also plays their home games here. The park sits right next to the Mississippi River. If a player hits a home run to right field, the ball often lands in the river!
Contents
History of the Ballpark
Baseball teams in Davenport needed a new stadium with lights for night games. The city decided to build a new ballpark downtown, right by the river. This new stadium was called Municipal Stadium. It opened on May 26, 1931, inside LeClaire Park. Building it cost about $185,000. The very first night game was played on June 4, 1931.
Over the years, the stadium was made bigger. In the 1940s and again in 1962, more seats were added. The number of seats grew to 6,200 and then to 8,500. Modern Woodmen Park is one of the oldest minor league ballparks still in use today. It had big updates in 1989 and 2004. These updates made it a modern stadium. The seating capacity is now 4,024.
On May 27, 1971, the stadium got a new name: John O'Donnell Stadium. This was to honor John O'Donnell, who was a sports editor for the local newspaper. He had recently passed away. Then, on December 12, 2007, the stadium changed its name again to Modern Woodmen Park. This happened because a company called Modern Woodmen of America bought the naming rights. John O'Donnell's name is still on the press box at the ballpark.
Football Games at the Park
For many years, Modern Woodmen Park was not just for baseball. It also hosted American football games in the fall.
- Assumption High School
- Saint Ambrose College
Both of these teams played their home games at the stadium until 1987. In 1988, they moved to Brady Street Stadium. After that, the football bleachers and press box on the left side of the field were removed in 1989.
Cool Renovations and Features
Before the 2004 baseball season, the park got some major upgrades.
- A nine-foot-high grassy hill, called a berm, was added. Fans can sit on this berm to watch the game.
- This berm also works as a flood wall. It protects the stadium from the Mississippi River when it floods. Before this, the team sometimes had to play games at other parks during floods. In 2019, the area around the park flooded, but the stadium stayed dry!
After the 2007 season, new owners made even more improvements. They changed the team's name back to "River Bandits." They also added many fun things to the ballpark.
- In 2008, a hot tub deck was built in right field.
- A "tiki village" was also added. It has three tiki bars, a covered lounge, and a huge tiki bed.
- They even planted field corn along the left-field foul line. By mid-season, the corn grows tall. Home team players run out of the cornfield when they are introduced, just like in the movie Field of Dreams!
The improvements kept coming in 2009.
- A new 80-foot-long (24 m), 6-foot-tall (1.8 m) HD ribbon board was installed along the right field fence.
- Four new "loge boxes" were added for small groups of fans.
Before the 2010 season, the entire field was replaced. This helps the field drain better and means fewer games are canceled due to rain. Other changes for 2010 included a new food stand and a new group area next to the Tiki Village.
In 2014, a 110-foot (34 m) Ferris wheel was built just beyond the left field wall. This is a very unique feature for a baseball park! In 2017, the park added a double-decker carousel. This carousel was bought from Pier 39 in San Francisco.
Awards and Recognition
Modern Woodmen Park has won several awards for its great features.
- In 2008 and 2009, it won the "Best Ballpark Improvement" Award from Ballparkdigest.com. This is a top publication for the baseball industry.
- In 2013, USA Today and 10best.com asked readers to vote for the best minor-league ballpark in the United States. Modern Woodmen Park won first place! It beat the second-place park by about 2,000 votes.
- In 2018, the park came in third in the "Best View in the Minors" competition.
Exciting Events at the Park
Modern Woodmen Park has hosted many memorable events over the years.
- On April 29, 2004, the River Bandits (then called the Swing of the Quad Cities) won the first game at the newly renovated park. They beat the Burlington Bees 1–0.
- The Midwest League All-Star Games were held here in 2006 and 2011. The park has hosted a total of eight All-Star Games, starting in 1964.
- In summer 2007, parts of the movie Sugar were filmed at the park. Many local people came to be extras in the movie. The film is about a young man from the Dominican Republic who dreams of becoming a baseball star in America.
- The stadium was the site of a big boxing match called "Rumble on the Riverbank" on May 10, 1991.
- "Mississippi River Jam II," a music festival, took place here on June 3, 1979. It featured famous bands like AC/DC and Heart.
- Many other famous musicians have played concerts at the stadium. These include Johnny Cash, The Beach Boys, Def Leppard, and REO Speedwagon. Johnny Cash played for free twice, in 1974 and 1976, and over 10,000 people came each time.
- On October 1, 1936, a special exhibition baseball game was played. It featured famous players from the major leagues and the Negro National League. Some of the Baseball Hall of Fame players who played were Satchel Paige, Cool Papa Bell, Rogers Hornsby, and Johnny Mize.
Media About the Park
A book has been written about the stadium and its teams. Baseball historian Tim Rask wrote Baseball at Davenport's John O'Donnell Stadium. It was released in 2004.
Images for kids
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Joshua Hill pitching with the Centennial Bridge in the background, 2003
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