Modern Woodmen Park facts for kids
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 Modern Woodmen Park
Location in Iowa
Modern Woodmen Park
Location in the United States
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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 minor league baseball stadium in Davenport, Iowa. It's home to the Quad Cities River Bandits, a team linked to the Kansas City Royals. The St. Ambrose University baseball team also plays their home games here.
This park is special because it sits right next to the Mississippi River. If a player hits a home run to right field, the ball might even splash into the river! It's also right by the Centennial Bridge.
Contents
History of the Ballpark
Building a New Stadium
Long ago, baseball teams in Davenport needed a better place to play, especially for night games. The city decided to build a new stadium downtown, right by the river. This new park, called Municipal Stadium, opened on May 26, 1931. It cost about $185,000 to build. The very first night game was played on June 4, 1931.
Growing and Changing Names
Over the years, the stadium got bigger. In the 1940s, it could hold 6,200 fans. By 1962, it could fit 8,500 people! It's one of the oldest minor league ballparks still used today.
The stadium has had a few different names. On May 27, 1971, it was renamed John O'Donnell Stadium. This was to honor John O'Donnell, a sports editor for the local newspaper who had recently passed away. Then, on December 12, 2007, it became Modern Woodmen Park. This happened because a company called Modern Woodmen of America bought the rights to name the stadium. John O'Donnell's name is still on the press box, though!
Football Games at the Park
For many years, Modern Woodmen Park wasn't just for baseball. It also hosted football games in the fall. Both Assumption High School and Saint Ambrose College played their home games there. They stopped playing football at the stadium in 1987. The football seating and press box were removed in 1989.
Cool Renovations and Features
Protecting from Floods
Before the 2004 baseball season, the stadium got some big upgrades. A nine-foot-high grassy hill, called a berm, was added. This berm gave fans a nice place to sit on the lawn. It also worked as a flood wall to protect the stadium from the Mississippi River when it flooded. Before this, floods sometimes made the team play games at other parks. In 2019, the area around the park flooded, but the stadium stayed dry thanks to these improvements.
Fun New Additions
After the 2007 season, new owners made even more exciting changes. They brought back the "River Bandits" team name. They also added lots of fun things to the park:
- A hot tub deck in right field.
- A "tiki village" with tiki bars and a big tiki bed.
- A special cornfield along the left-field line. Players run out of the cornfield at the start of games, just like in the movie Field of Dreams!
In 2009, they added a huge, 80-foot-long (24 m) HD video board. They also put in new "loge boxes" for small groups of fans. Before the 2010 season, the entire field was replaced to help with drainage and prevent rain-outs.
Rides at the Ballpark
In 2014, something really cool was added: a 110-foot (34 m) Ferris wheel! It's located just beyond the left field wall. Then, in 2017, the park added a double-decker carousel. Imagine riding a Ferris wheel or carousel at a baseball game!
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Awards and Recognition
Modern Woodmen Park has won several awards for its improvements.
- In 2008 and 2009, it won the "Best Ballpark Improvement" Award from Ballparkdigest.com.
- In 2013, fans voted it the top minor-league ballpark in the United States in a USA Today poll. It beat other parks by thousands of votes!
- In 2018, it was recognized for having one of the "Best Views in the Minors," coming in third place.
Memorable Events
Baseball Games
- The first game at the newly renovated Modern Woodmen Park was on April 29, 2004. The River Bandits won 1–0!
- The park has hosted the Midwest League All-Star Game eight times, including in 2006 and 2011.
- On October 1, 1936, a special exhibition game was played. It featured famous players like Baseball Hall of Fame members Satchel Paige, Cool Papa Bell, Rogers Hornsby, and Johnny Mize.
Movies and Music
- In the summer of 2007, parts of the movie Sugar were filmed at the park. Many local people got to be extras in the movie!
- The stadium has hosted many concerts over the years. Famous artists like Johnny Cash, The Beach Boys, Bryan Adams, and Def Leppard have played there. Johnny Cash even played for free twice, drawing over 10,000 people each time!
- "Mississippi River Jam II" was a big concert held on June 3, 1979. It featured bands like AC/DC and Heart.
About the Stadium
Baseball historian Tim Rask wrote a book about the stadium in 2004. It's called Baseball at Davenport's John O'Donnell Stadium.
