1) Carson Park – Eau Claire, WI

This isn’t because I’m biased, but I truly do feel Carson Park is the finest stadium in the league for various reasons. It has a great view beyond the outfield of a civic park and hills in the distance. It has the best looking fan deck in the league. The sound system works well and the stone-faced grandstand gives Carson Park a true stadium feel. I’ll say this, when I first visited Eau Claire it was in the Fall of 2005 and Carson Park was set-up for football. Even with bleachers stationed in leftfield, I still thought it was the prettiest park I’ve ever been to.

2) Port Arthur Stadium – Thunder Bay, ONT

A compact, covered 3,500-seat grandstand consisting of nothing but individual seats makes this a must-see park. The fan amenities are few, with a small –seldom used –party area down the leftfield line and few promotions. However, the park is very clean, sound system is perfect and sightlines by far the best in the entire league.

3) Athletic Park – Wausau, WI

Built facing the West, just before the advent of night games, Athletic Park in Wausau is quickly able to move passed that and compensate with one of the Northwoods League’s finest parks. It’s shoe-horned into a residential neighborhood with little foul ground so that almost every foul ball ends up on a neighbors' yard past either first or third base. An eight-foot tall stone fence surrounds the park giving it a very cozy feel and the energy of the crowds of 1,500-2,000 is a professional one. The fans applaud good plays, groan at bad ones and mellow when they need to be as they soak in the game. No need for them to be encouraged to cheer because the Woodchucks understand a game on June 15, that’s in the fifth inning, doesn’t need a rhymnic clap if the fans simply aren’t feeling it that day.

4) Warner Park – Madison, WI

Take Angel Food Cake and add some berries whip cream and drizzle some chocolate and WOW, that’s a dessert. It’s also what has been done to Warner Park in Madison by the Mallards since 2001. Built in 1982, the place was simply some bleachers surrounding a field but when the Mallards came in they turned the pathway down the third base line into a virtually midway, built party areas in both corners and jazzed up the park with vibrant colors. The atmosphere is one of a nine-inning party and though 5,000 of the 5,001 who attend a game on any given night don’t even know there is a ballgame going on, the place is a must visit.

5) Riverfront Stadium – Waterloo, IA

This is old time minor league baseball at its finest with a simple bowl that goes from base line to base line with a roof. There is a spot out in leftfield where a Marlboro Man used to reside as late as 1994, the typical 1980s beer sponsored scoreboard sits in right field and if one takes a moment to look around (since it hasn’t been cleaned in ages) the whole place still has various food stains, foot prints, and smells bakes into it over its entire 60 year history. The place hasn’t aged well at all, but it’s one of my favorites as it is truly minor league.

6) Wade Stadium – Duluth, MN

Regarded by many as the best in the league by players for its field surface and locker rooms, it also ranks highly among fans. An old time grandstand structure with great views and from the press box atop the roof one can even seen the various bridges connecting Minnesota with Duluth and a great sunset beyond right field (assuming one is able to duck the birds that fly by as the booth is WAAAY up there). My problem with the place, its high brick wall the goes around the circumference of the seating bowl. The only thing missing is a couple of watch towers to complete the penitentiary feel.

7) Joe Faber Field – St. Cloud, MN

The River bats former home across the street at Dick Putz Field was my favorite in the league so while Joe Faber is newer, it actually drops down a bit. The park has a very modern feel to it with lots of concrete and cement. It’s the only park in the league in which fans enter under all the seats in a totally enclosed area reminiscent of entering a hockey arena. From there, fans walk up to their seats. No covering for any of the seats, but the trade-off is there isn’t a bad view at the place. My problem is, while some find it romantic, I find it rather unkempt and I’m talking about the ivy they have growing on the outfield wall. It wouldn’t look so bad if they didn’t try to place signage along the wall as well. So instead of looking like Wrigley, it looks like a Little League field the local fathers have let go for a while.

8) Mayo Field – Rochester, MN

If not for the fact the ballpark’s view is off that of a housing project instead of downtown –which is seen only from third base seats – this would be right towards the top. A simple grandstand structure with a small party area over the visitor’s dugout on the third base side. Nothing flashy about this place but in its simplicity it stands out. The place could use a new black and teal paint job to match the Honkers colors but overall the place is not bad.

9) Copeland Park – La Crosse, WI

Where Copeland Park sits, baseball has been played for decades but it wasn’t until the Loggers built a 3,000-seat erector set grandstand was a stadium present. A rather lifeless stadium, with cold aluminum is off-set by its setting in a civic park on the banks of the Mississippi. The scoreboard is very visible in left and the park’s various party areas bring it to life. Not a bad park, but what hurts the park is its rather “cheap” feel ranging from its Pavilion Style concession stand to the fact that this place has arguable the dirtiest bathrooms in the league and no clubhouses for players despite the franchise’s relative wealth.

10) Franklin Rogers Park – Mankato, MN

This is actually a very simple, yet very nice ballpark. A 1,500-seat grandstand featuring seats from old County Stadium, convenient parking and great views of the field. What holds the park back? No bathrooms, just porta-potties!

11) Joannes Stadium – Green Bay, WI

Titletown used to have a ballpark through the 1970s, but tore that down and in its place –on the campus of Green Bay East High – they constructed a diamond with some bleachers around it to satisfy the city’s amateur baseball needs. Since starting up in 2007, the Bullfrogs have put in a new scoreboard, given the place a paint job, livened the facility up with carnival attractions and some new seats, plus the facility features the NWL’s best bathrooms complete with deodorizer machines and murals. Still, all the kings’ horses and all the king’s men, can’t put together Joannes again.

12) C.O. Brown Stadium – Battle Creek, MI

Originally built in the late 1980s to host various amateur tournaments, this 8,000-seat ballpark welcomed minor league baseball for a decade starting in 1995. The Northwoods League moved in to take residence in 2007 and enjoys a ballpark that features a large party area in leftfield, large locker-rooms, modern concession facilities and a great surface. However, most games struggle to bring in 500 fans creating a cavernous effect making many feel lost. The scoreboard needs new lights and the sound system hasn’t been updated since the place was built. Overall, a place that would move up if more fans came through.

13) Knute Nelson Field – Alexandria, MN

Relatively speaking, Alexandria has done the best with what they have, like a school producing quality students, with less than qualified teachers. Located just off the miniscule downtown, the ballpark is shoehorned into a residential area, with a lake beyond rightfield creating odd dimensions where centerfield is only 345-feet out. The sun sets in hitter’s eyes, there is almost no room for large crowds, the fan amenities are limited and the place just feels better suited for a town ball game. However, a wrought-iron fence exterior, clean seating bowl, and creative means of developing party areas keeps this from being the worst park even though on paper it would be.

14) Mills Field – Brained, MN

For a high school field this would be considered a player’s paradise with an immaculately manicured infield and just enough seating surrounding the infield to give the place a “big-time” field. But for a Northwood’s League franchise, the place is simply subpar and for none of the reasons for why it’s a good high school diamond, It’s a classic case of a pasta meal hidden inside a greasy spoon. Games typically draw a couple dozen spectators, the ambience makes a beer-league softball game seem energetic and both teams can’t wait for a night to end.