A rare construction for this level: to fit all the seats, a regular upper deck.
A rare construction for this level: to fit all the seats, a regular upper deck.
4 baseballs
They squeezed the park between First and Monument Streets. With nowhere else to go, they made do in the tight confines by building a second deck, containing about 8 rows of seats, and the sky boxes behind those rows. It’s one of the few parks in Single-A with a second deck. In addition, both foul lines are pinched a little bit by the two streets (but the fence is higher along those lines). There are outfield seating areas as well -- bleachers in left field, a grass berm in right -- but it isn’t possible to walk all the way around the park. (Correspondent Matt Thornton of Dayton advises, as of 1-Jan-2001, that the concourse has been completed around the outfield perimeter.)
The video board worked, but they hadn’t figured out how to run the message board or the scoreboard clock. Concessions are reasonable, and the staff seemed friendly. There is on-street parking if you arrive early enough; otherwise, area lots charge $3.
All in all, Fifth Third Field (named for an Ohio bank) is an impressive effort and a fine showcase for baseball in this Midwestern city. There is a problem, though, with the name. The bank also sponsors ballparks in Toledo in the International League and Comstock Park in the Midwest League. That's too many Fifth Thirds, if you ask me.
| Game # | Date | League | Level | Result |
| 411 | 21-Jul-2000 | Midwest | A | DAYTON 10, Lansing 3 |