By Bob Greeley
Ed’s note: In 2019 Bob Greeley set about ranking the top 100 ballparks of Minnesota. Ahead of the 2024 state tournament in Belle Plaine, Jordan and Green Isle, he took another look at his list and the ballparks across the state. Here’s his 2024 rankings and the background behind his rationale.
In February 2024 I was asked by BP-Jordan-GI committee member Brett Kruschke from Belle Plaine to do some writing for the 2024 MBA state tourney program & website. His first comments were, “I want you to write about/on the MBA Top 100 Ballpark rankings. I want the list printed up so people have it in one document”.
May 28-September 4, 2023 MBA Top 100 Ballpark Rankings
100. Deer Creek/Montgomery/Upsala
99. Dawson
98. St. Joseph
97. Stark
96. Prior Lake
95. Burnsville
94. Detroit Lakes
93. New York Mills
92. Hanska
91. Essig
90. Coon Rapids
89. St. Michael
88. Carlos
87. Roseau
86. Fergus Falls
85. Searles
84. Watertown
83. Pipestone
82. Atwater
81. Breckenridge
80. LeSueur
79. Sauk Rapids
78. Urbank
77. Minneota
76. St. Peter
75. Howard Lake
74. Freeport
73. Jackson
72. Cokato
71. Wabasso
70. Kimball
69. Greenwald
68. Brooklyn Park
67. Elko
66. Glencoe
65. Monticello
64. Forest Lake
63. Regal
62. Isanti
61. Milroy Yankee
60. Elrosa
59. Austin Marcusen
58. Pierz
57. Brownton
56. Windom
55. Hastings/Madison
54. Owatonna
53. Sacred Heart
52. St. Martin
51. Victoria
50. Lonsdale/Loretto/Luverne
49. Cologne
48. Anoka
47. Plato
46. St. Patrick
45. Rochester Mayo
44. St. Anthony
43. Morris
42. Farming
41. Perham
40. Waterville
39. Sartell
38. Spicer
37. Granite Falls
36. Maple Lake
35. Hinckley
34. Minnewaska
33. Willmar
32. Sleepy Eye
31. Watkins
30. Faribault
29. Arlington
28. Gaylord
27. Hutchinson
26. New Prague
25. Cannon Falls
24. Fairfax
23. Litchfield
22. Avon
21. Hamburg
20. Paynesville
19. Springfield
18. Waseca
17. Red Wing
16. Milroy Irish
15. Bird Island
14. Chanhassen
13. Belle Plaine
12. Marshall
11. Miesville
10. Green Isle
9. Shakopee
8. Dundas
7. Waconia
6. Chaska
5. Cold Spring
4. New Ulm
3. Jordan
2. Dassel
1. Delano
32 criteria points were used with each criteria worth 0-10 points. Here are the criteria points:
*TLC (commitment to the entire site)
*Health & Safety (entire site)
*Lighting (field & site)
*Scoreboard/Messaging
*Fencing/Netting (type, ivy, kneewalls, etc.)
*Grandstand
*Dugouts
*Bullpens
*Cleanliness (entire site)
*Public Address/Sound
*Pressbox
*Playing Surfaces (grass, soils, grainage, conditions)
*Concessions
*Not Status Quo/Improving
*Signage (all)
*Uniqueness
*Easy Walk Around
*Shade & Landscaping (trees, shrubs,flowers, bricks, etc.)
*Standing Options
*Handicap Accessibility
*Sight Lines
*Ambiance
*Umpire Room/Space
*Parking (surfaces, access, safety, quantity)
*Storage
*Ballpark Entrances (locations)
*Utilities (water, sewer, electrical, fiber, gas, wireless)
*Restrooms
*Flags (poles, location)
*Seating Options
*Nearby Amenities (children’s play areas, shelters, tables, etc.)
*Displays (plaques, photos, cases, banners, murals, etc.)
Ballpark Qualifying Information
*ballpark must be the home ballpark for a MBA current team
*ballpark must have a high majority of the playing surfaces natural grass
*ballpark cannot be owned by a college or professional team/organization
Artificial Turf Fields = Minnetonka, Mankato, Duluth & Siebert Field
No MBA Team = St. Cloud, Mankato, Redwood Falls, Albert Lea, LaCrescent, Lake City
College/Pro Team = Bemidji, Target Field, CHS Field, Siebert Field
And Now, The Rest of the Story
I also did the MBA Top 100 ballpark ranking in 2019. Will I do this again at some point? We shall see. Never say never. You never know when & if I will show up to take a look. I have liked to slip into town quietly unannounced and do the work under the radar. Not everyone was happy with my results; and really that was more than ok. I had a boss who always said, “you better have your big boy pants on when entering the arena”. And, my big boy pants were firmly on both times. Really, this has just been my opinion based on the criteria points. It does bring recognition to our many fine Minnesota ballparks statewide, and the many volunteers who do this fine work!
Minnesota has many great things. Namely lakes, rivers, streams, trails, prairies, forests, non-profits, volunteers, service clubs, churches, educational institutions, arts scene, four seasons, amateur & professional sports, tourist destinations, businesses, health care, and yes, very nice ballparks! Back in 2018 after being a part of hosting the MBA State Tourney in Shakopee, I decided in order to recognize our MBA ballparks across Minnesota, I would organize and put together a MBA Top 100 ballpark ranking list beginning in September 2019-December 2019. I have traveled all over Minnesota for a variety of reasons over the years, including “taking a look” at ballparks. It was time to step-it up a notch and give this the proper recognition to the ballparks & community volunteers. I used Twitter/X as my tool to do that.
Every MBA ballpark I have visited has something that I like. Some have many things I like. Some have asked, “have you physically been to every MBA ballpark”? No, I haven’t. My best guess is that I have been to 85% of them.The remaining 15% were evaluated either by using my statewide network of baseball connections/friends and/or by using satellite or articles with photography. It has been very encouraging to see communities not stay status quo. It is great to see the many volunteers in our communities step-up and raise the bar with the many updates and improvements. It takes money, time, commitment, a vision, work, patience, creativity, and a love of & for the game to make it happen. My thanks to my past & present volunteer MBA ballpark eyes, contributors, consultants, sounding boards, ears, lookouts, helpers & baseball enthusiasts. They were/are:
*Scott Wallner, St. Joseph
*Lee Carlson, St. James
*Lyle Rambow, Glenwood
*Mark Torgerson, Morris
*Derek Simon, Hastings
*Town Ball Tuesdays “Ryno”, Bloomington
*John George, Minnesota Amateur Baseball HOF Director, Champlin
*John Buckanaga, Bemidji
*Scott Mansch, Slayton
*Jeff Lenz, Albertville
*Bill Toulouse, Marshall
When did my love for MBA ballparks begin? My hometown Kimball baseball field as a youngster while operating the manual centerfield 7Up scoreboard on summer Sunday afternoons and road trips to Central Valley League games perhaps. My very first MBA State tourney trip was in 1968 to Springfield. St. Cloud Rox Stadium trips 20 minutes away to watch Northern League minor league games and MBA state tourney games with my dad also. Going to other ballparks for regional & state tourney games also as a youngster is in the mix. The transformation of ballpark upgrades across Minnesota in my lifetime has been phenomenal. Yes, I played organized baseball from about 1963-1987 (little league to townball and everything in between).
“I Get Around”. Beach Boys, 1969. In April 2022 I did 24 ballpark visits over a Saturday & Sunday weekend. In July 2021, I did 13 ballpark visits on a Sunday. “Round round, get around I get around”
“Don’t Bring Me Down” Electric Light Orchestra, 1979. From 2019 to 2023, some ballparks dropped down some and some moved up. Some were new to the rankings. If a ballpark stayed status quo, they were in jeopardy. The bar is high; very high. “You got me runnin’, going out of my mind. You got me thinkin’ that I’m wastin’ my time”.
Many people probably equate me to “Bohemian Rhapsody” Queen, 1975. “Because I’m Easy Come, Easy Go, Little High, Little Low”. So why did I do this? The question shouldn’t be why; but rather why not? I liked to combine ballpark visits with treks to see family, friends, golf outings and special events across Minnesota. Indeed, why not? In a nutshell, it was something I wanted to do. I remember as a preschooler doodling ballparks on paper or in the dirt or sand. I guess I always had it in me. “Saturday, in the park, I think it was the 4th of July”. Chicago, 1972. “I’ve been waiting such a long time for Saturday”. Hats off to our MBA ballparks. Simply tremendous.
