Lackawanna County Stadium
Moosic, PA
Team: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons
Affiliation: Philadelphia Phillies
Capacity: 10,982
Completed: 1989
Video

Lackawanna County Stadium was built to mimic the "cookie cutter" designs of major league ballparks of the 1970s.  So, why did I have such a good time here? 

That's a good question, because the design is unimaginative, the mostly concrete construction is not welcoming, and the field is (ugh!) artificial turf.

Well, first of all, I have to admit that the night I attended, the weather was absolutely gorgeous, there was a big crowd, and the home team won big.  That's always a winning combination wherever you go.  So, the conditions were just right.

However, similarities to cookie cutter stadiums notwithstanding, there are a few things that are right about Lackawanna county Stadium, as well. The place was built to mimic Philadelphia's Veteran's Stadium, so that it's players, who are only one step away from the bigs by the time they play here, would be used to the conditions at the Vet.  But, fortunately, there are a few things that keep it from imitating that monstrosity completely.  First of all, being a minor league ballpark, it wasn't really big enough to be enclosed.  Good thing, too, because, unlike the Vet, this place features a tremendous view of the side of a hill, complete with trees and giant rocks.  Very picturesque.  

Another positive aspect of Lackawanna County Stadium is that promotions were kept somewhat to a minimum.  This tends to be the case at the higher levels of the minor leagues, and it helps to keep the focus on the game, though families with kids would probably prefer a few more in between innings contests. 

But, for me, the element that ultimately caused me to give the place a begrudging "thumbs up" was its uniqueness.  Yes, I would actually describe a stadium built according to a worn out template as "unique".  That's because these types of stadiums are slowly disappearing from the baseball landscape, and there are even fewer minor league parks built this way.  Maybe it's the Pirates fan in me longing for the bygone days of glory in Three Rivers Stadium, but I actually kind of found my game experience here to be somewhat refreshing. 

Bottom Line: Because of the fact that there just aren't too many parks like this any more, I'd say (slightly) above average. 

Note: To see my impressions of Lackawanna County Stadium before I ever saw a game there, click here.  

Yeah, it's peanut heaven, but at least the view's nice!