Fox Cities Stadium
Appleton, WI
Team: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
Affiliation: Seattle Mariners
Capacity: 5,500
Completed: 1995

According to the 2001 Midwest League Media Guide and Record Book, the total attendance in 1994 for the Appleton Foxes was 76,281.  In 1995, it skyrocketed to 209,159.  Two things happened in that time period.  The team changed their name from the Appleton Foxes to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, and Fox Cities Stadium was built.  My guess is that the stadium had more to do with the increase in attendance than the choice of the name "Timber Rattlers".  

It is not surprising that this place is a good draw.  It is clean and modern looking, and has a nice, if somewhat standard, design.  Like many parks built in this era, it features a concourse which is on top of the main seating area rather than below it so that a fan in line for a hot dog can keep an eye on the game by simply turning around.  The press and luxury box areas are kept to a minimum (see first photograph below). For a single-A ballpark, there is no shortage of amenities here.  There is a very nice souvenir store, picnic areas actually in the stands halfway down each line, as well as a large picnic pavilion which fits underneath the concourse roof just behind the right field seats.  There is also an air bar/restaurant situated in the concourse, which, fortunately on the hot day I visited, has air conditioning. 

There are also a few interesting quirks here.  For example, the light standards are actually mounted in  the stadium at the back of the seating area, and the bullpens are just a few steps from the dugouts, wedged into what would normally be seating areas in most parks . The only problem I really had, and it's not much of one, was that Fox Cities is too similar to other new parks built in the '90s.  As I walked around the place, I kept getting a not-so-subtle sense of deja vu, as I've been in about five parks with very similar designs,  and am aware of quite a few more.  But, this was not that big of a problem, and definitely would be no problem at all for the casual baseball fan who hasn't been around many other stadiums.  

Overall, this is a nice place to see a ballgame.  

Tailgating at a minor league ball game?  If it's in Wisconsin, you betcha!  Pass the brats! 

It's not very often that you see light standards IN the stands like this!  

Note the proximity of the dugout to the bullpen.