Joannes Stadium
44°30′15″N 87°59′34″W / 44.504234°N 87.99271°W
The Jo
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| Location | 1450 East Walnut Green Bay, Wisconsin 54301 |
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| Owner | The City of Green Bay |
| Operator | Green Bay Baseball LLC. surface = Grass |
| Capacity | 2,500 |
| Field size | Left: 328 feet (100 m), Left-Center: 365 feet (111 m), Center: 392 feet (119 m), Right-Center: 365 feet (111 m), Right: 320 feet (98 m) |
| Opened | 1929 |
| Tenants | |
| Green Bay Bluejays (Three-I League) (1958-1960)
Green Bay Blue Ribbons(Wisconsin State League) (1970-1995) Green Bay Sultans (Prairie League) (1996)(Independent)(1997) Green Bay Billys (Wisconsin State & NWBL) (1998-2006) Green Bay Bullfrogs (NWL) (2007–present) | |
Joannes Stadium is a baseball stadium located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It is a part of the Joannes Park complex, which also includes the Joannes Aquatic Center. It is the home of the Green Bay Bullfrogs, a Northwoods League team that began play in 2007. The stadium has hosted a number of now defunct minor league baseball teams, including the Green Bay Sultans and the Green Bay Blue Jays. Its current capacity is approximately 2,000, with about 1600 in the seating bowl and about 400 in the new Leinies Northwoods Fan Deck.
History
Joannes Stadium was built in 1929. Not much is known about its early history. In 1935 the stadium hosted an exhibition game between the St. Louis Browns and Pittsburgh Pirates. Rogers Hornsby played first base, Honus Wagner was the coach of the Pirates. Over 3,500 people attended the game.[1] Throughout the 1950s Joannes was home to the Green Bay Blue Jays, a Class D Minor League affiliate of the Cleveland Indians and Brooklyn Dodgers. When the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1958, the team was moved.[2] From about 1970 to 2006 Joannes was home to a number of local teams, including the Green Bay Blue Ribbons, Green Bay Sultans and the Green Bay Billy's.
Renovations 2006-2013
On September 19, 2006 the Green Bay City Council approved the lease of Joannes Stadium to the Northwoods League and was awarded a franchise to begin play in the 2007 season. This allowed the Northwoods League to begin renovations on Joannes Stadium on September 20, 2006. Those renovations continued through the Spring of 2007. Some of the major renovations that were undertaken include,
- Leveling of the playing field.
- Installation of 30-foot (9.1 m) high professional foul poles.
- Installation of flag poles beyond the center field fence.
- Painting of a batter's eye.
- Addition of seat backs to some seats, creating the reserved seating sections.
- Addition of a sound system.
- Construction of a new press box (Media Center)
- Construction of the new 4,084-square-foot (379.4 m2) Fan Deck in the right field corner. (The Leinies Northwoods Fan Deck)
In a press conference on April 2, 2008, the Green Bay Bullfrogs announced renovation plans for the 2008 season. The first phase, done in partnership with Nicolet Bank of Green Bay, included a professional style scoreboard in right center field that is 28 feet (8.5 m) high at its peak and measures 28 feet (8.5 m) wide. It also features a large 20’L x 3’4”H graphics/messaging display and a back lit custom designed truss displays the team name and logo. The second phase of this project involves the installation of a Speed Pitch Radar Display in left center field to visually complement the new scoreboard and allow fans to keep track of how fast a pitcher is throwing the ball. The Bullfrogs also have stated that there are preliminary plans in place for the expansion of some perimeter fencing along the west side of Joannes Stadium to accommodate an expansion of the Kids Zone, an additional concession area, and the possible addition of bleacher seating for the upcoming season.[3]
Renovations under Big Top Baseball ownership
Big Top Baseball took over ownership of the Green Bay Bullfrogs in late November 2013. During the offseason Big Top Baseball invested over $75,000 into the facility. Improvements for 2014 included:
- Removed chain link fence behind home plate and installed Major League style netting to improve sightlines.
- Added the Festival Foods Grill concessions stand to the 3rd base side of the ballpark.
- Moved the main ticket office to the north entrance of the ballpark.
- Moved the main entrance to the north end of the ballpark, the ticket office is now located next to the main entrance and adjacent to the main parking lot located off of E. Walnut Street.
- Added asphalt walk way for fans down the 3rd base walk way.
- Added asphalt pad near the team store.
More facility improvements are planned for the 2015 season.