Now THIS is a ballpark.  It's not fancy.  It doesn't have luxury boxes, or state-of-the art technology.  The concourse is not open at the top of the stands but is, in fact, quite dark and cramped.  Still, you won't get much closer to the quintessential experience of minor league baseball in America than this place.  Like many other older parks, like the ones in Clinton, New Haven, and Reading, this place makes you feel as if you are seeing a game in the golden age of minor league ball.  

There is a pride here on the part of even the staff that I have rarely seen.  I usually call ahead to the teams to let them know I want to put them on the site, and this is only the second time that I was offered a tour by a team employee (Erie's Jerry Uht Park was the other).  Perhaps the pride is due in part to the fact that this place is dripping with tradition.  Everything about this place screams "old school".  The team is community owned.  Even the 82-year-old groundskeeper is part of the lore; he's been on the job for nearly 70 years.

In addition to all that, the place has been home to many infamous events in minor league baseball.  For example, in 1949, the stadium's first year, the public address operator played the National anthem in the middle of the game in order to halt a brouhaha between the home team and the Kewanee A's.  And, in 1973, pitcher Bob Youse of the then Cedar Rapids Astros uncorked a wild pitch that went over the grandstand roof and out of the stadium.  

Oh, they've got a few new gizmos and attractions here, such as a hot tub behind the right field wall and an giant Kernels Jersey (the world's largest!) that is displayed on a giant inflatable bust.  But, when it comes right down to it, the strength of this place comes from the fact that it is an absolute classic.  The main seating area is comprised mostly of yellow benches (with backs) and four rows of red folding seats, with bleacher seating down each of the lines.  The press box is actually built into the roof, with a catwalk stairway providing the entrance.  The foul territory around home plate is fairly large, but I usually don't see this as much of a problem in minor league parks, because no matter what, you're still awfully close to the game.  

Now the bad news: Veterans Memorial Stadium has seen its last game.  They're building a new ballpark in Cedar Rapids, one that will be open for the 2002 season.  The new stadium will probably have a much better concourse, more amenities, and most certainly better facilities for the players.  But ... it just won't be the same.