Dayton's ballpark packs a big-league feel

DAYTON, Ohio -- If compared to the Class A ballparks of old, Dayton's Fifth Third Field would have easily stood out as a diamond in the rough.

But since most of the ballparks in the Midwest League are new or have at least received a face lift in the past 20 years, it might be more appropriate to refer to the gem of downtown Dayton, Ohio, as the cream of a bumper crop.

From its first impressions to its most intimate details, Fifth Third Field can blow away the casual Minor League fan more accustomed to glorified high school parks at the Class A level than a facility providing a big-league feel.

Upon entering the ballpark, it's hard to miss the impressive scoreboard looming in left field. Two dragons shooting menacing stares sit atop the structure, which houses a good-sized video board -- enormous by Class A standards.

Another welcome feature is that the field has two tiers of seats, allowing those on the ground level some shade during balmy afternoon games and decreasing the chances of getting a bad seat.

That is, if such a thing as a bad seat exists at Fifth Third Field.

"I want to say that the furthest seat from home plate in this park is only 117 feet," said director of media relations and broadcasting Mike Vander Wood. "It sounds cliché to say that there's not a bad seat in the house.

"In all honesty, the guy who sits one row behind the screen, smack dab behind home plate -- he's got great seats. But they're really not that much better than the guy who's in the last row in one of the sections down the lines. He's going to be almost as close to the field."

The primo digs come in the form of the suites, 30 in all, located on both sides of the press box on the second level down the first- and third-base lines. Even though they are set back a bit, fans will still get the feeling that they are right on top of the action.

For the everyman, two Budweiser-sponsored party decks highlight the corners of the suite level and allow fans a chance to mix beverages with an excellent view of the action on the field. High foul balls down the first- and third-base lines have a good chance of landing in your lap -- or beverage -- as well, so make sure to bring a glove.

Fans looking to shag home run balls rather than errant foul balls should take in a game from the party deck in left-center field. It's 402 feet to the wall, so keep an eye on the plate when the heavy hitters are up.

And like most next-generation ballparks, Fifth Third offers plenty of picnic-style seating perfect for large groups or families. Picnic tables just past the wall in left field are a great spot to take in the game with the family, or to stop and snack before heading back to your seats. Also, the stadium's version of a 'home run hill' stretches from the first-base line to right-center.

All the ballpark vittles can be found around the stadium's concourse, including inside the Fifth Third Field Café on the first-base side.

Vander Wood said that the field dimensions provide much of the Major League feel of the ballpark.

"To me there's not that much special about a park that's 325 down the lines, 370 to the gaps and 400 to center," he said. "That's cookie cutter, and it looks like every other park.

"The fact that [Fifth Third Field] has some short dimensions, staggered wall heights and different angles that make the ball bounce around -- it's a park that's fun for hitters to hit in and for fans to watch games in."

And Vander Wood promises a good time to fans and visitors, the casual and die-hard fans alike.

"We incorporate our scoreboard, we incorporate our mascot -- we have a person who choreographs the entire show," he said. "There's a lot of stuff that happens in between innings that people have a lot of fun with.

"That's one of the reasons why Minor League Baseball is what it is. If you're not a baseball fan, you may not have a whole lot of fun at a big-league game, but you don't have to be a baseball fan to have fun at a Minor League game."