MODERN WOODMEN PARK
Davenport, Iowa

OUR RATING: 
43 / 50

HOME OF THE:
QUAD CITIES RIVER BANDITS

MLB AFFILIATE:
HOUSTON ASTROS

BUILT: 1931 (Renovated '89 & '04)
CAPACITY: 4,024
CLASS: SINGLE-A
LEAGUE: MIDWEST LEAGUE

Review from June 14, 2018​
Quad Cities River Bandits vs. Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
See You in Fayetteville?  
By: Matthew Preslar

The Quad Cities River Bandits became a destination on our trip because they are a member of the Houston Astros organization. We became fans of the Astros because of their affiliates close to our home. (Greeneville Astros, BC Astros/Fayetteville Woodpeckers). This ballpark brought us to a state and a league we had never been before. Quad Cities plays in Davenport, Iowa and are in the Midwest League... the other Low A Ball League equivalent to our local South Atlantic League.

Modern Woodmen Park is quite a spectacle. It's located along the Mississippi River and has the most waterfront of any park we have attended, which may also be the biggest problem with the stadium. Every few years catastrophic rain hits the midwestern part of the country, causing the Mississippi to crest and flood along the banks.

The playing field at Modern Woodmen Park is crowned and has remained mostly unscathed from major damage. However, Davenport itself was demolished and remnants of flood damage could be seen around the park as well as several blocks back from the river. Many local roads still remained closed, and those closures were not known by our GPS. As visitors to the area we had some difficulty navigating, finding the stadium, and parking. The area was so ravaged that games were cancelled at Modern Woodmen eight days before our scheduled visit. Best of luck to the Quad Cities as recovery efforts will continue for quite some time.

From a collector point of view I had one major disappointment. My step daughter was tossed a ball from the dugout while I had stepped away for a minute. Game balls are special keepsakes we all treasure. However, the game balls used by the River Bandits were labeled with the generic “Minor League Baseball”. We try to collect game balls from every league we attend and were really hoping for a “Midwest League”... but I guess I should stop being greedy.

As the River Bandit players progress up the minor league ranks, their next stop is Fayetteville, North Carolina. The Woodpeckers play in the Advanced A ball in the Carolina League and Segra Stadium is about two and a half hours from our NC home. Because of that we proudly wore our Woodpeckers apparel in Iowa! We may see many of these guys in the coming years.

TICKET VALUE 10/10

  • We had front-row seats near plate & visitor dugout - great view of game and ballpark
  • As low as $5 berm & $7 bleacher tickets
  • Up to $10-15 seats behind plate or near dugouts 
  • Party Plaza down 1st base line for groups
  • Another party section down 3rd base line near kids zone

CONCESSIONS  8/10

  • $8 32oz refillable soda cup (disposable - NO souvenir cups available)
  • Other beverages and snacks $2-4
  • $6.50 domestic & $7.50 premium beer
  • Standard ballpark food $4-8 (hotdogs, hamburgers, chicken, etc)
  • A few specialty stands (cheesesteaks, dippin’ dots, craft beer)
  • Reasonable lines at concession stands, however several not open even though it was a Friday night ballgame
  • Vendors said busiest game they’d had all season
  • Sports Lounge open to general public during game

FAMILY FRIENDLINESS  4/5

  • Great play area! Mini amusement park with double decker carousel & county fair style rides, plus usual inflatables and games
  • Famous Ferris wheel behind Left Field, but was closed down due to recent flooding
  • No activities between innings 
  • Did not see actual mascot, only a statue of “Rascal” in team store
  • Small berm area behind left field for kids to run and play
  • Complete net coverage made ballpark very safe for families from any seat

ATMOSPHERE  8*/10

  • Due to recent catastrophic flooding in the area, stadium was surrounded by stagnant water and muddy streets, attracting a lot of bugs. This was especially a problem near the outfield and along the concourse behind outfield / by the river. Not relaxing to walk around in that area.
  • Very quiet during game. There was no music between innings, walk out music for players, interactive songs to engage fans (“everybody clap your hands”), etc. - Children commented it felt boring.
  • Highly protected seating area with tall nets extending down entire 3rd base line & almost all 1st base line, however nets limited player interaction with fans (few balls tossed into stands)
  • No programs for homestand.
  • Bridge lit up at night creating a wonderful backdrop and great ambiance
  • Fireworks Friday - released by bridge for a great view
  • Sign with lineup for current game, but was covered by condiment bar
  • *1 BONUS POINT = Many of the negative aspects of the ballpark were due to the flooding. Otherwise, we feel the ballpark would score higher in this atmosphere category, so we are allowing one bonus point... because Mother Nature affected Quad Cities in a terrible way in 2019. 

CHARACTER  9/10

  • Brick exterior with arches and large staircase entryway
  • Rascal (mascot) featured on bathroom signage
  • Ball cap “lids” on trashcans around stadium
  • No tribute to past Quad Cities players nor Astros reference around stadium, however opponents had major league affiliate Brewers patch on uniform sleeve. 
  • Rascal’s Den” team store - Extensive selection of hats/uniform options in team store, but it was hard to know which was the team primary “home hat” and/or to come dressed as the home team.
  • Astro hat in team store only tribute to parent club. 
  • Excellent view of Mississippi river and Centennial Bridge
  • Ferris Wheel behind left field made park truly unique (even if Ferris wheel was not operational)

PARKING  4/5

  • $4 paved & well-lit parking garage a few blocks away from ballpark
  • Paved lot by stadium, but difficult to access due to recent catastrophic flooding and roads closed — as visitors unfamiliar with the city we had trouble navigating the area & GPS did not recognize road closures

TICKET VALUE
(10 points)

• Ticket Prices
​• View from Seat

​CONCESSIONS
​(10 points)

• Variety, Quality & Price of Food
• Variety of Drinks / Souvenir Cups
• Length of Lines at Concession Stands

​FAMILY FRIENDLINESS
​(5 points)

• Play Areas
• In-Between Inning Activities & Contests
• ​Mascot
• Family Bathrooms

​ATMOSPHERE
​(10 points)

• Local Experience
• Sound-Effects & Music
• Programs
• ​Restrooms

​CHARACTER
​(10 points)

• Home Team Uniforms & Colors
• Architecture of Stadium
• History of Stadium
​• Tributes to MLB Affiliate / Local Players
• Location of Stadium & Surrounding Scenery

​PARKING
(5 points)

• Price for Parking
• ​Size, Quality & Location of Lot