Dow Diamond Ranks Among MiLB's Best

"Stadium Journey" pegs Loons home as 14th-best out of 160 teams

By Matt DeVries

October 31, 2016

MIDLAND, Mich. - According to the website "Stadium Journey," the home of the Great Lakes Loons ranks among the best ballparks in all of Minor League Baseball. In the "2016 MiLB Ballpark Experience Rankings," released on Oct. 28, Dow Diamond checked in at No. 14 on the list.

"We're very proud of the fan experience that we provide at Dow Diamond and it is great to be recognized nationally as one of the leaders in Minor League Baseball," Loons General Manager Scott Litle said. "We strive to keep Dow Diamond a safe, clean, enjoyable venue for our fans to visit game in and game out. This ranking reflects the hard work of the over 300 people that work at the ballpark during the season to put on the 70 home Loons games each year."

Stadium Journey Review: Dow Diamond is a great minor league ballpark. Everything is set up for fans to have a wonderful time at the game. This is both a large park, and a cozy park. The concourses are wide, and the leg room in the seats is a little better than average. There are two fireplaces found behind the home plate area and two fire pits in the outfield concourse. Both are fantastic for cool summer nights, or downright cold spring night games.

For the full rankings, click to visit Stadium Journey

In Dow Diamond's most recent review from August 2015, it received a perfect 5-star rating in Food and Beverage, Access and Return on Investment, while earning 4 out of 5 stars in Atmosphere, Neighborhood and Extras. Overall, the Fanfare Score for Dow Diamond is 4.2 out of 5 stars.

Of the 25 teams included in the list, eight are of Triple-A classification, while another six are from the Double-A level. The largest number came from Single-A with 11 teams cracking the Top 25, four of which are in the Midwest League: Fort Wayne TinCaps (#1), Dayton Dragons (#10), Loons (#14) and Quad Cities River Bandits (#16).

Having reviewed over 2,400 sports experiences, Stadium Journey used the following criteria to formulate their list:

"Stadium Journey re-reviews every ballpark in minor league baseball at least once every three years. Our rankings are based on our FANFARE scale rating of each ballpark in MiLB. We look at several factors including the food and beverages served in the stadium, the overall game day atmosphere, the neighborhood where the ballpark resides, the fans, access within and to/from the ballpark, the overall return on investment, and one category for any unique extras. Our reviews are meant to serve as a guide to any fan who may be going to a game."

Since the first game was played at Dow Diamond in 2007, more than 2.5 million fans have attended Loons games in Midland. The team saw its highest playoff attendance since 2010 with 9,652 fans attending the four MWL Playoff games leading up to the Loons claiming their first-ever MWL Championship.

Dow Diamond is also set to host the MWL All-Star Game presented by GoGreat.com during the upcoming 2017 season. It will be the second time the stadium has hosted the mid-season showcase, with the other in 2008.

The 2016 Midwest League Champions and hosts of the 2017 MWL All-Star Game presented by GoGreat.com have been a Single-A partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers since the team's inception in 2007. For tickets and more information about the Great Lakes Loons, call 989-837-BALL or visit Loons.com.