Fifth Third Field: Home of the Toledo Mud Hens
Fifth Third Field in Toledo, Ohio is a stadium that is filled to the brim with history and personality. The downtown ballpark couldn't be placed in a better location.
Toledo Mud Hens (Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers since 1987)
Established: 1965
League: International League
Ballpark: Fifth Third Field (opened 2002)
Championships: 1968, 2005, 2006
Notable Alumni: Curtis Granderson, Kirby Puckett, Joe Nathan, Joe Niekro, Lance Parrish, Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Frank Viola, all-time Minor League Baseball home run leader Mike Hessman
I have visited this ballpark in the past but it was long before I started this blog. If you haven't read my brief reviews of ballparks I had been to prior to starting this blog, check them out here. I felt that it might be useful to give it another visit and provide a more in depth review.
Location/ Scenery/ Amenities (4.4/5)
As mentioned in my brief review, Fifth Third Field is located in downtown Toledo. It has a great area surrounding it with local restaurants (Tony Packos, in particular) that make it a walkable and fan friendly area. Inside the ballpark there is all kinds of intricate touches. You might notice the small seating in right field, perched among the city buildings, called "The Roost". This is one of my favorite parts of the park just because of it's uniqueness. Another touch I enjoyed is outside the stadium in right center field where there are statues of the 'Knothole Gang' which appeared in ballparks across the country with wooden fences in the early 1900s. The statue symbolizes that baseball is for everyone and shows kids peering through holes in the wooden fence trying to watch the game. This is a nod to the children in that time period that didn't have enough money to buy a ticket.
Food (2.1/5)
I was far from impressed with the ballpark eats in Fifth Third Field. Actually, I would say I was disappointed. Walking around the ballpark, there were few specialty dishes. Possibly the most intriguing dish was an Onion Blossom Burger ($15) which I can only assume will give you heartburn within 20 minutes of consumption. Rather, I decided to get the Brisket Boy ($10) which featured a hot dog topped with brisket, fried onions, and banana peppers. I also splurged on a Small Strawberry Frozen Cocktail ($10). Neither were that good. The Hot dog was very bland and the brisket was dry. With the cocktail, it tasted like a slushy so I assume whatever the alcohol content is, it can't be above 3 or 4 percent. Overall, the food was bad and WAY overpriced (especially for the quality of the food) which is never a good combination...
Entertainment (3.2/5)
The entertainment at Fifth Third Field was above average but wasn't anything special. I still believe that the Mud Hens have some of the best scoreboard graphics and animations in the game. Beyond that, there wasn't much else as there wasn't a single on field game.
Sam's Score: 64.6/100
Fifth Third Field is, without a doubt, one of the better ballparks in minor league baseball. It just really missed the mark when it comes to food. In terms of the ballpark itself, it is a little small for a Triple A park Fifth Third Field does a great job showcasing the long history of baseball in Toledo, dating the team back to 1986. While this score sees a decrease from what I originally had, this review now gives you a glimpse at the full fan experience at Fifth Third Field and incorporates one of the most important aspects at the ballpark, food. Away from the food, Fifth Third Field is a ballpark you definitely want to visit at some point.
