If you're a M*A*S*H fan,
then chances are you've heard about this place, or at least the team
that used to play in it. Corporal Max Klinger on that show was a
Toledo native and a big Mud Hens fan. The interesting thing,
however, is that actor Jamie Farr, who portrayed Klinger, is actually
from Toledo himself and is an avid fan of the team. As a result,
Farr was able to make plenty of off-screen
references about the
team. And, at one point, the team actually sent him a vintage
jersey, which he wore on the show!
As for the stadium itself, I
found it strangely interesting. It actually used to be a racing
track on a fairgrounds, but was converted for baseball in 1965.
The first base side and the press box, were added to the pre-existing
race track grandstand.
In fact, I would say that
the design of the place, haphazard as it is, is the most interesting
aspect of it. The foul territory is somewhat large, the view is
unremarkable, and the lines of sight aren't the best. But, the
place has kind of a county fair atmosphere (not surprisingly) which is
kind of fun.
I would actually recommend
the place for ballpark enthusiasts, if it weren't for the fact that it
saw its last Mud Hens game in 2001. I wonder if Jamie Farr was
there?