LMCU Ballpark

Last updated
LMCU Ballpark
LMCU Ballpark.PNG
WestMichigan Whitecaps DSCN8265.JPG
LMCU Ballpark
Former namesOld Kent Park (1994–2000)
Fifth Third Ballpark (2000–2021)
Location4500 West River Drive
Comstock Park, MI 49321
Coordinates 43°02′25″N85°39′35″W / 43.040195°N 85.659832°W / 43.040195; -85.659832
Owner West Michigan Whitecaps Corp.
OperatorWest Michigan Whitecaps Corp.
Capacity 8,942 (2018–present) [1]
9,281 (2016–2017) [2]
9,684 (2014–2015)
10,071 (2006–2013) [3]
11,000 (1999–2006)
10,700 (1997–1998)
5,701 (1994–1996)
Field sizeLeft field: 317 ft (97 m)
Center field: 402 ft (123 m)
Right field: 327 ft (100 m)
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Broke groundMay 1993
OpenedApril 12, 1994 (1994-04-12)
Construction cost$6.5 million
($12.8 million in 2022 dollars [4] )
Architect Rossetti Architects [5]
Services engineerProgressive AE [6]
General contractorWolverine Building Group [7]
Tenants
West Michigan Whitecaps (MWL/High-A Central) (1994–present)

LMCU Ballpark is a ballpark located in Comstock Park, Michigan, just north of Grand Rapids. Established as Old Kent Park in 1994, the stadium hosts a minor league baseball team, the West Michigan Whitecaps, and other sporting events. The ballpark's Fifth Third Burger was featured on an episode of Man v. Food . A fire damaged some of the first base side of the stadium on January 3, 2014, but the stadium re-opened in time to host the Whitecaps for the 2014 season.

Contents

The stadium

LMCU Ballpark is home to the West Michigan Whitecaps, a professional minor league baseball team and Midwest League affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. LMCU Ballpark was originally built in 1994 as Old Kent Park. The name was changed when Fifth Third Bank purchased Old Kent Bank in 2000, then again in 2021 when a new naming rights partnership was signed with Lake Michigan Credit Union. [8]

LMCU Ballpark opened with a seating capacity of 5,701 has been expanded in 1996 to seat 10,700, and 1999 to seat 11,000. It currently has a seating capacity of 8,942, including 7,642 fixed chairback seats. [9] [8] The stadium was built entirely with private funds. No taxpayer dollars were used in the construction. [8]

In addition to baseball, LMCU Ballpark can also be used for other events including motorsports and concerts, where it seats up to 15,000. The ballpark hosts a large display of Christmas lights.

The ballpark is also notable for its Fifth Third Burger, a five-pound (2.3 kg), 4,800-calorie burger made with five 1⁄3-pound (0.15 kg) burger patties and topped with American cheese, nacho cheese sauce, chili, shredded lettuce, diced tomato, salsa, sour cream, and tortilla chips, all stuffed inside an eight-inch (20 cm) sesame seed bun. On the Season 2 "Baseball Special" episode of The Travel Channel's Man v. Food , host Adam Richman participated in a challenge in which he had to eat this burger in under the final 21⁄2 innings of the Whitecaps game (that is, after the 7th Inning Stretch). Adam won the challenge on behalf of "man", earning him a commemorative "Call 911" T-shirt and his photo posted on the Wall of Fame. As of the time of the July 2009 taping, 1,213 Fifth Third Burgers had been sold with Richman becoming just the 157th person to earn the T-shirt. [10] [11]

On September 29, 2007, Grand Valley State University defeated Wayne State University, 41–10, in the first-ever football game to be played at LMCU Ballpark. Grand Valley wore "Throwback" uniforms for the event. [12]

On January 3, 2014, a fire broke out in one of the skyboxes, destroying much of the first base side of the structure and several skyboxes. The fire was caused by a space heater set next to a Rubbermaid trash can. Employees at the park at the time were able to escape without injury. [13] The stadium reopened in time for Opening Day, and remodeling finished in time for the ballpark to host the 2014 Midwest League All-Star Game. [14]

On October 8, 2016, LMCU Ballpark hosted an international friendly soccer game between Grand Rapids FC and Aurora United FC of Ontario.

B-Roll footage of a game between the West Michigan Whitecaps and South Bend Silver Hawks at then Fifth Third Ballpark is featured in Champ's Whammy! home runs scene in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues . Officials with the West Michigan Whitecaps were unaware they would be featured in the movie and only found out after it was released in December 2013. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midwest League</span> American Minor League baseball league

The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganization of the minor leagues.

Fifth Third Field is the name or former name of several minor league ballparks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Bend Cubs</span> American Minor League baseball team

The South Bend Cubs are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They are located in South Bend, Indiana, and play their home games at Four Winds Field at Coveleski Stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Michigan Whitecaps</span> American Minor League baseball team

The West Michigan Whitecaps are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Comstock Park, Michigan, a suburb of Grand Rapids, and play their home games at LMCU Ballpark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Day Air Ballpark</span>

Day Air Ballpark, formerly known as Fifth Third Field, is a minor league baseball stadium in Dayton, Ohio, which is the home of the Dayton Dragons, the Midwest League affiliate of the nearby Cincinnati Reds. In 2011, the Dragons broke the all-time professional sports record for most consecutive sellouts by selling out the stadium for the 815th consecutive game, breaking the record formerly held by the Portland Trail Blazers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Britain Stadium</span>

New Britain Stadium is a baseball venue in New Britain, Connecticut, United States. It is the home of the New Britain Bees of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League. Opened in 1996, the stadium seats 6,146 spectators.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwestern Medicine Field</span>

Northwestern Medicine Field is a baseball field located in Geneva, Illinois. The stadium was built in 1991 and holds 10,923 people. It is the home ballpark of the Kane County Cougars. The stadium has the highest capacity for any independent league baseball stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C. O. Brown Stadium</span>

C.O. Brown Stadium is a baseball stadium in the United States located in Battle Creek, Michigan. The current stadium structure was built in 1990 and is a part of Bailey Park, a longtime home of amateur baseball and softball. Prior to the 1990 reconstruction, Bailey Park had been home to amateur, high school and college play since the 1930s, in a single-level grandstand built primarily of wood. C.O. Brown Stadium is the former home of the Michigan Battle Cats, Battle Creek Yankees and the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays of the Class A Midwest League. The stadium has a seating capacity of 2,193. C.O. Brown Stadium is the current home of the Northwoods League's Battle Creek Battle Jacks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">121 Financial Ballpark</span> Baseball park in Jacksonville, Florida

121 Financial Ballpark is a baseball park in Jacksonville, Florida. It is the home stadium of the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp Minor League Baseball team, who play in the International League. The facility opened in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Veterans Memorial Stadium (Cedar Rapids)</span>

Veterans Memorial Stadium is a minor league baseball stadium in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It is the home field of the Cedar Rapids Kernels of the Midwest League. It is often called New Veterans Memorial Stadium to distinguish it from the original Veterans Memorial Stadium, which existed from 1949 to 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peoples Natural Gas Field</span> Baseball park in Altoona, Pennsylvania, USA

Peoples Natural Gas Field is a 7,210-seat baseball-only stadium in Altoona, Pennsylvania, that opened in 1999. It is the home ballpark of the Eastern League's Altoona Curve Minor League Baseball team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turtle Creek Stadium</span>

Turtle Creek Stadium is a 4,660-seat multi-use entertainment facility in Blair Township, Michigan, in the United States that hosted its first regular season baseball game on May 24, 2006, as the tenants of the facility, the Traverse City Beach Bums, took on the Kalamazoo Kings. It was built as a new home of the Beach Bums baseball team, the first in Traverse City in 93 years. In 2018, the Wuerfel's retired and the park sold. In 2019, Wuerfel Park became home to Traverse City's new baseball team, the Traverse City Pit Spitters of the summer collegiate Northwoods League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madison Hatters</span> Minor league baseball team

The Madison Hatters were a minor-league baseball team based in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1994. A Class A minor league baseball affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, they were a member of the Midwest League. The team played its home games at Warner Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dow Diamond</span> Minor League baseball stadium in Midland, Michigan

Dow Diamond is a Minor League baseball stadium located in Midland, Michigan. It is the home of the Great Lakes Loons of the Midwest League. The Loons are affiliated with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater Nevada Field</span> Baseball stadium in Reno, Nevada, United States

Greater Nevada Field is a Minor League Baseball venue located in Reno, Nevada, in the Western United States. Opened on April 17, 2009, it is the home of the Triple-A Reno Aces of the Pacific Coast League. Greater Nevada Field is on the north bank of the Truckee River and welcomes over 500,000 ticketed fans per year.

The Rockford Expos was the initial moniker of the minor league baseball teams located in Rockford, Illinois, from 1988 to 1999. The Expos were Rockford's first entity in the Midwest League and Rockford teams were minor league affiliates of the Montreal Expos (1988–1992), Kansas City Royals (1993–1994), Chicago Cubs (1995–1998) and Cincinnati Reds (1999), hosting home games at Marinelli Field.

The Grand Rapids Jets were a minor league baseball team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. From 1948 to 1951, the "Jets" played exclusively as members of the Class A level Central League, winning the 1949 league championship. Hosting home games at Bigelow Field for their duration, the Grand Rapids Jets were a minor league affiliate of the Chicago Cubs in 1950 and 1951.

References

  1. ↑ "2018 Midwest League Media Guide". Midwest League. 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  2. ↑ "2016 Seating Improvements at Fifth Third Ballpark" (Press release). Minor League Baseball. March 30, 2017. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
  3. ↑ "By the Numbers". West Michigan Whitecaps. February 11, 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  4. ↑ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–" . Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  5. ↑ Wallner, Peter J. (January 4, 2014). "Fifth Third Ballpark Timeline: Key Dates, Events and Facts in Stadium's History Before Massive Fire". The Grand Rapids Press . Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Donald E Nolte II, PE Professional Resume" (PDF). Next Engineering and Design. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2013. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Fifth Third Ballpark". Wolverine Building Group. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
  8. 1 2 3 "LMCU Ballpark History". West Michigan Whitecaps. Retrieved October 16, 2006.
  9. ↑ "By the Numbers". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  10. ↑ Bond, Gary (July 16, 2009). "'Man v. Food' Host Adam Richman Takes on Fifth Third Burger and Wins -- in 27 Minutes". The Grand Rapids Press . Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  11. ↑ "Travel Channel's Man v. Food's Host Adam Richman to Take on Famous Fifth Third Burger" (Press release). West Michigan Whitecaps. June 25, 2009. Retrieved August 12, 2009.
  12. ↑ "Laker Football to Play at Fifth Third Ballpark in 2007". Grand Valley State Athletics. March 14, 2007. Archived from the original on December 8, 2007. Retrieved May 31, 2007.
  13. ↑ Wallner, Peter J. (January 4, 2014). "Fifth Third Ballpark Fire Damage: 'There Will Be Better Days, Just Not Today'". The Grand Rapids Press . Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  14. ↑ "After offseason fire, Fifth Third Ballpark shines at Midwest League ASG". Ballpark Digest. June 20, 2014. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
  15. ↑ Serba, John (December 19, 2013). "Whammy! 'Anchorman 2' features unexpected footage of West Michigan Whitecaps". MLive. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.