Modern Woodmen Park
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| Former names | Municipal Stadium (1931–1971) John O'Donnell Stadium (1971–2007) |
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| Location | 209 South Gaines Street Davenport, IA 52802 |
| Coordinates | 41°31′7.21″N 90°34′56.07″W / 41.5186694°N 90.5822417°WCoordinates: 41°31′7.21″N 90°34′56.07″W / 41.5186694°N 90.5822417°W |
| Owner | City of Davenport |
| Operator | Main Street Iowa |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | November 6, 1930 |
| Opened | May 26, 1931 |
| Renovated | 1989, 2004 |
| Construction cost |
$185,000 (1931) ($2.91 million in 2016 dollars) $12.5 million (2004 renovation) |
| Architect |
Clausen, Kruse & Klein (original) Populous (1989, 1999, 2004 renovations) |
| General contractor | Tunnicliff Construction Company |
| Tenants | |
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Quad Cities River Bandits (MWL) (1931–present) Seating Capacity: 4,024 Dimensions: Left field: 343 feet (105 m), Center field: 400 feet (122 m), Right field: 318 feet (97 m) |
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Modern Woodmen Park (known previously as John O'Donnell Stadium and Municipal Stadium), is a minor league baseball venue located in Davenport, Iowa, United States. It is home to the Quad Cities River Bandits, a Class-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. Located on the banks of the Mississippi River, in the shadow of the Centennial Bridge, home run balls to right field often land in the river.
As night games became more necessary, Davenport teams were playing at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds, without lights. The city of Davenport realized a lighted stadium, downtown, on the riverfront, would be ideal. Proposed by the Davenport Levee Commission, Municipal Stadium opened May 26, 1931 within LeClaire Park. The ballpark was built at a cost of $185,000. The first night game was June 4, 1931.
Expansions in the 1940s and in 1962 brought capacity up to 6,200 and 8,500 respectively. It is one of the oldest ballparks still in use in all of the minor leagues, although it underwent a major renovation before the 1989 season, lowering the seating capacity to 5,200 and before the 2004 season that brought the ballpark up to modern professional baseball standards and a seating capacity of 4,024.
on May 27, 1971 the stadium was renamed John O'Donnell Stadium in honor of the longtime sports editor of the Davenport Times-Democrat, shortly following his death. John O'Donnell Stadium was renamed Modern Woodmen Park on December 12, 2007, after Rock Island-based Modern Woodmen of America purchased the naming rights to the facility. O'Donnell's name remains on the ballpark's press box, and is also hidden underneath the main entry marquee, etched into the façade of the stadium, in a single limestone block.
For many years, Modern Woodmen Park played host to football games in the fall. Both Assumption High School (a private Catholic high school in Davenport) and Saint Ambrose College called the field home until 1987, when both schools began playing at Brady Street Stadium. The football bleachers and press box along left field were removed in 1989.
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