Dow Diamond in Midland, Michigan is Loons' Home Field Great Lakes Loons Have Landed in Midland
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Special to MyBayCity
by Tom Baird
Well after a 16 month wait from the first of announcement that Professional Baseball was coming to the Tri-Cities the Great Lakes Loons have landed in Midland. After personally being involved in several attempts to bring a professional baseball team to Bay City it was with some trepidation that I attended the opening series in Midland on April 13 and 14. The excitement had been building during this 16-month time frame with the announcement that a Midland Baseball Foundation was formed and that they were going to purchase a team in the Midwest League and relocate it to Midland, Michigan for the 2007 season.
The Midwest League of Professional Baseball is Class A level for baseball players in their first or second year of baseball. The average age is from 20 to 24 years old. In Minor League baseball a player wants to move up the ladder and make it to the Major League level of that team. The Midland Baseball Foundation made up of many members of the Midland and Tri-City area secured a working agreement with the Los Angeles Dodgers a storied franchise in Major League Baseball. This effort was lead by former Dow executive William Stavropoulos secure funding for the purchase of the team and the building of Dow Diamond. They will compete in the 14 team Midwest League.
One of the most amazing feats with the bringing of professional baseball to the Midland area is the way in which Dow Diamond was built. Three Rivers Construction the lead contractor for this 30 plus million dollar project was pulled off in 366 days from the ground breaking to Opening Night on April 13th. The stadium will hold 5,500 people with room for a standing room crowd if needed. The opening 2 game series with now in state rivals the Lansing Lugnuts (Toronto Blue Jays) drew Sold Out crowds both nights with temperatures in the low 40?s at game time. The stadium was basically complete by the time of the first pitch in Dow Diamond history. Some minor things need to be completed. However the stadium and staff was ready for the record Opening Night crowd.
People all over the Tri-City area had been buzzing about the first game going to be played at Dow Diamond. Having been involved in baseball my entire life in one form or another anybody connected to baseball had to make the Dow Diamond the place to be on April 13th. I seen College and High School coaches, players and former players, amateur umpires, parents of players all in attendance for the first two games. I ran into many friends from Bay City and Saginaw that I have known over the years and talked to most of them and how it was great to finally have this in our neck of the woods.
By the way the Loons and Lugnuts played two games this weekend in some chilly temperatures at the Dow. The Lansing Lugnuts came out on top with 6-2 and 2-0 victories. Having followed minor league baseball for a number of years and having been a frequent visitor to Oldsmobile Park and the Fifth Third Field in Grand Rapids over the past years I personally enjoy watching these younger minor league players. Remember that these players were all stars were they came from and now have to work their way up to the Major League level. On an average 2 or 3 of these players on the Great Lakes Loons will eventually make their way to Dodger Stadium in 3 to 4 years.
Just a brief history note on the past 16 months from the announcement of getting a team to the first pitch. First plans had to be designed for a stadium and a location had to be selected. The MBF had done their homework when the announcement was made. An old Dow Chemical building had to be removed to help clear the land for the stadium. Boy did things move fast over the next year with the naming of a general manager, naming of a team and then to securing an agreement with a Major League team to send players through their system. I would drive by the stadium monthly over the 12-month construction period to keep an eye on how the stadium was coming along. They had a tight schedule to keep and they did an excellent job. Staff then had to be hired for basically everything connected with team.
The franchise that was purchased was the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays that was located in Battle Creek. They had been playing in a Stadium that was built in the 1950?s and could not compete with all the new stadiums in the Midwest League. It also hurt that it was located right between the Lansing Lugnuts and the West Michigan Whitecaps both with new stadiums being built in the last 10 years. So the MBF purchased the team and was to re-locate it to Midland following the 2006 season.
Another coup was the Loons and the Dodgers hiring of local and Michigan baseball legend Lance Parrish to manage this Class A ball team. This in itself will be drawing people to the ballpark to remember the Detroit Tigers in their glory days in the mid-1980?s when they won a World Series.
Now onto to Dow Diamond and the Opening Series with the Lansing Lugnuts. I have been fortunate to have been to over 40 Major League, Minor League and Independent League ballparks over the years. But after watching the Ribbon Cutting ceremonies and all of the hoopla surrounding the Opening Night I was in awe as I walked into the Dow Diamond. Having been to so many parks I have lots of things that I can compare this park with. It being brand new and very clean catches you right away. The staff was overly friendly. The design of the stadium itself is something to behold. On the main concourse which was extremely roomy their was more than enough food concessions located through out. Many restrooms were located all around. Out in the Left field corner was the Northern Lights pavilion for group outings. They provide a complete meal and tables and chairs for group to have a great day at the ballpark.
Both of the outfield (left and right) section is lawn seating and you can bring in your blanket or folding chairs to grab a great location to take in a competitive game. A walkway completely surrounds the entire field for easy access around the whole stadium. Down the right field line was a very large children?s area for kids to play on playground equipment with several Loons staff present to assist watching after the children. What I personally liked at the first two games at the Dow Diamond was a fireplace in the main concourse and then out in right field located directly below the very impressive scoreboard was a fire pit. This above ground fire in a brick enclosure with fencing around it provided a very nice place for one to stand on the railing and talk baseball with your friends and get warmed up.
Taking a look at the field itself looked in excellent shape considering the extremely bad spring that we have had here in Michigan to date. With numerous Major and Minor League games being canceled through out the Midwest already in the first two weeks of the season. The infield grass looked nice and green and the clay portion of the infield looked perfect. Another thing that impressed was the seating location was very close to the field. In some parks you can be a mile away from the field.
Things outside the Dow Diamond went very smoothly from everything that I could see from the pre-games tailgate parties hosted by the downtown businesses and the parking lots being run well. Getting in and out easily will bring many back to the Dow again and again.
During the time that I was up in the Press Box I ran into a couple of rather famous people one that you know and another I don?t many would know except if you have followed the Midwest League closely over the years the League President George Spelius. I spoke briefly to Dodger Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda who was in town to help open up the new Dow Diamond. He seemed very busy and just wanted to take a break from all of the media that he had been dealing with over the previous two days. But what I found interesting was the conversation and interview that I had with the President of the League George Spelius.
A very down to earth man who was there with the owner of the Beliot Snappers another team in the Midwest League. President Spelius stated ? That he was extremely impressed with entire Tri-Cities pulling around to support this minor league team.? ?Even though most of you are probably Detroit Tiger fans this is now your team here the Great Lakes Loons.? I mentioned that I had spoken to him 12 years earlier when Bay City was looking at attracting a team. He ? felt that the community would support the Loons and he looks for great things for years to come in Midland.?
For anybody that knows this author and my involvement with baseball my entire life in one form or another I was totally impressed with everything that the Great Lakes Loons and the Dow Diamond has to offer to the Tri-Cities. As my nephew said to me on Opening Night (he also worked on the construction of the Dow) when we standing out by the fire pit ?Your friends are going to love this place? I think he is going to be right.
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