| John O'Donnell Stadium sits
just a few yards from the banks of the Mississippi River. This along with
the large bridge that is visible in right field provide a great backdrop
for this classic old-time ballpark. Though it was built in 1931, it is
hardly noticeable due to major renovations in 1989. The exterior is a beautiful
brick facade. Railroad tracks run right by the outside of the stadium,
and the rumble of the trains can be heard inside during the game. Inside,
almost all the seats are under the large covered grandstand. Only a few
rows of box seats are not covered by the roof. Seating is made up of box
seats, benches with backs, and small bleacher sections down both lines.
There are two large scoreboards in left field - one keeps the score and
the other is a message board. The message board was not operating the night
I was there, however. The concourse area is located under the grandstand
seating and contains several concession stands as well as one souvenir
stand. There is also a grill area down the right field line and a picnic
area down the left field line. They do a few on-field contests and have
a mascot named Rookie who is a raccoon. He was pretty active most of the
evening. The night I was there it was Bingo night, and many of the fans
(and P.A. announcer) seemed more interested in that, than the game that
was going on. A nice scenic ballpark - it's a wonder that they don't draw
better. Unfortunately, the park underwent a complete rebuilding prior to the 2004 season and now looks much like every other new ballpark.
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