| 8 |
Fifth Third Field |
| Dayton, Ohio |
Wait a minute. Wasn’t “Fifth Third Field” on the Top Ten list at number seven? Yes, it was, but Fifth Third Bank is a big believer in purchasing naming rights at baseball parks. Not only is Toledo’s beautiful baseball facility named after the bank, so are two others: the West Michigan Whitecaps’ field in Comstock Park, Michigan and the home stadium of the Dayton Dragons.
Dayton’s Fifth Third Stadium gets our nod for number eight as the success story of the Dragons is amazing. When the Midwest League placed a franchise in Dayton in 2000, many thought its proximity to Cincinnati would drag on attendance at Dragons games. The franchise has sold out every home game for the past six seasons, and is one of the few clubs to have a wait-list for season tickets.
Their secret? “We pride ourselves at being the best and putting out the best product for our fans,” said Derek Dye, the Dragons’ Director of Entertainment. The team is also proud of what the stadium and its attendance has done for the city. “Our ballpark has had an absolutely positive impact on the cleaning up of (Dayton’s) downtown area.”
Making the Food Line More Fun
Waiting in concession lines will be more enjoyable this season. “We’ve added LCD monitors to keep them entertained while they’re waiting,” Dye noted. “All of the screens will be showing something different, like the antics of our mascot, messages from our sponsors and game highlights.”
Even the game-day experience is being spruced up, with new skits and routines being rolled out between innings, and LED ribbon screens on the facing of the upper decks. “We can show a dragon breathing fire and the flames go all around the stadium.”
Experts Take
Brian Merzbach of ballparkreviews.com observes: “Finally a new park where the franchise does not feel it necessary to gouge the fans. Fifth Third is one of the nicest new parks in the country, and may also be one of the most affordable. It is only a Single-A park, but just as easily could serve as a Triple-A park. … (It) is a fantastic place to see a game -- certainly one of my favorite new parks.”
