When I started to plan a trip in the Midwest early in 2011, there was one thing I knew for certain — I wanted to visit Dow Diamond.
This park, home to the Midwest League’s Great Lakes Loons, was always one that jumped out to me when I browsed minor league ballpark photos online. While I had a lot of fun experiences on that trip in May of 2011 that took me to eight parks in four states, my visit to Dow Diamond remains a highlight.
While I’m a little embarrassed to say that that 2011 visit is my lone experience with this ballpark, it’s one that I wholeheartedly recommend and can’t wait to visit again.
This is the third installment of my “Five Things I Love” series, which looks at five random things that I absolutely love about each ballpark I’ve visited. This is a series that celebrates the sometimes subtle things that make ballpark experiences enjoyable and memorable, and hopefully encourages you to think about your favorite features at each park you visit.
Here are five things I love about Dow Diamond, home of the Great Lakes Loons:
1. The Grass
I’m not talking about the playing surface when I say that I love the grass at Dow Diamond. Give me a chance to explain. There is a vast amount of grass around this park, both inside and out, and I immediately noticed how this simple feature augmented my visit. Dow Diamond has large grass areas outside of the park, and I hung out in this greenspace and had a picnic before the gates opened. I also lamented not having a travel buddy with me, as the grass looked perfect for playing catch. Inside, Dow Diamond has some of the largest grass berms I’ve ever seen at a ballpark, with areas that are especially sizable down the first base line and in right field. I can assure you that when you visit, the grass is something you’ll notice and appreciate, too.
2. The Fire Pits
One of Dow Diamond’s defining features is its pair of fire pits on the concourse behind the outfield fence. I believe these were the first fire pits I’d ever seen at a ballpark, and while I’ve seen others in my travels since, these are the most memorable. Large, round and made of red bricks to tie in with the park’s overall look, they’re a popular hangout spot for fans. The temperatures in Northern Michigan are chilly for Loons home games in April, and I can only imagine how welcome the heat from these fire pits is for fans during cold conditions.
3. The Warning Track
Simply put, the warning track at Dow Diamond has the coolest back story of any warning track I’ve encountered on my travels. The original site of the Dow Chemical Company’s world headquarters once sat next to where Dow Diamond is situated. The building was built back in 1915 and torn down in 2006. Many of the building’s bricks were saved and ground up so that they could be used as the ballpark’s warning track when it opened in 2007. It’s a clever way to not only repurpose demolition waste, but to also pay tribute to Dow — which has held the ballpark’s naming rights for its entire history.
4. The First Base Concourse
The big thing that stands out about the first base concourse at Dow Diamond is just how wide it is. (You’ll see this on the Google Maps image toward the top of this post.) The concourse really opens up where the infield turns into the outfield and makes walking through this part of the park a breeze. Narrow concourses that quickly get congested with fans are one of my ballpark pet peeves, so this concourse’s design is something I noticed and appreciated right away. Its wide size makes it a common landing spot for pop-up foul balls, and I have fond memories of snagging my first foul ball after starting The Ballpark Guide from this spot.
5. The Team Shop
For a High-A facility, the team shop at Dow Diamond is one of the most impressive that I’ve encountered over the years. Most notably, it’s two levels — something that you don’t often find at the minor league level, and only rarely in the big leagues. (Comerica Park and PNC Park are two MLB parks that come to mind as having two-level team shops.) Located off the concourse on the third base side and known as the Loon Loft, the space was organized to have adult apparel on the top level and children’s items on the bottom level during my visit.
What are your favorite things about Dow Diamond?