Built in 1996, Dwyer Stadium is about as basic as any ballpark that you’ll find in affiliated baseball. That’s definitely not a bad thing, though. There’s a quaint, intimate feel to watching a game in this New York-Penn League facility that is completely different than what you find at modern parks with more amenities. Nestled into a residential area, Dwyer Stadium has a capacity of just 2,500, making it one of the smallest ballparks in the league. Ten of the 14 NYPL parks have capacities of more than 4,000, so you’re definitely getting an intimate vibe when you take in a Muckdogs game.
Even though Dwyer Stadium is just a few decades old, Batavia has a rich history with Minor League Baseball that dates back to 1939. The city’s first affiliated ballpark, State Street Park, was situated on the same site that present-day Dwyer Stadium currently occupies. The old ballpark, which took the name Dwyer Stadium in 1973, was torn down in 1995 to allow for the construction of the new Dwyer Stadium. One thing of note with Dwyer Stadium is that it’s almost identical to Falcon Park, home of the Auburn Doubledays of the NYPL. Falcon Park is less than 90 miles from Dwyer Stadium, so you might be interested in adding Auburn to your baseball road trip plans so that you can compare both facilities.
The ballpark features a traditional covered grandstand behind home plate, with open seating down the lines. There are a pair of small party areas at each end of the lower-level seats, and the teams’ clubhouses are situated a little farther away. A large concession stand is found in the rear of the main building behind home plate, which also serves as the team’s administrative offices and ticket office. Dwyer Stadium’s main concourse runs behind/beneath the seats, but there’s an open cross-aisle that divides the upper and lower sections and allows you to move around without taking your eye off the action. Be sure to look for the display behind home plate that honors former Muckdogs who made it to the big leagues. The list is impressive, featuring the likes of Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, JA Happ and Matt Carpenter.