| Alexian Field (as it was originally known), located in a northwest suburb of Chicago, has been referred to as a "mini Wrigley Field", but from the naked eye, the resemblances to the Cubs ballpark are few. That said, this is still a fine ballpark, especially for the independent Northern League. Its suburban location makes for a rather boring setting as it's basically just surrounded by parking lots (parking is free) and highways. There is also a small airport nearby, so planes can be seen going overheard quite frequently. The ballpark itself resembles numerous other parks built since the 1990's. Fans enter onto a concourse that overlooks the field and there are luxury boxes stacked above. Unfortunately, it does not have a full wraparound concourse. There are grassy berms down each line and a picnic area behind the left field fence, but the concourse does not continue into the outfield. The concourse also feels a bit narrow in spots, even when there aren't big crowds on hand. The seats are green fold downs, so you'll be comfortable wherever you sit. Sightlines are good, but there is a bit too much foul territory for my liking. The similarities to Wrigley come in the dimensions of the park, the first base dugout (which is crooked), and the manual scoreboard in left field. Concessions are well varied and quite tasty, but the prices a bit high for the minor leagues. Some of the unique food items include brats, cheddar sausages, and Italian beef sandwiches. There is also a restaurant on the suite level which is open to the public. The atmosphere is pretty laid back, due mostly to the organ music that is played instead of the normal pop and rock music. The Flyers have a mascot, Bearon, who works the crowd pretty well. There are also a few between inning games, the most interesting of which was "Dress Like a Hooter Girl", which pitted two guys going head to head. Alexian Field is a looking a bit worn, so some upgrades may be in order. Sometimes I think teams don't think new parks need to be spiffed up occasionally, but they in fact do. Still, Alexian Field is a comfortable and pleasant ballpark, but there just isn't much memorable about it. In 2011, nobody will be creating memories here as the Flyers folded. Fortunately a new team, the Boomers, launched in 2012.
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