The Fish Pond (Second half start July 1999)
Right Field bleachers were temporary for Pam Am Games
Right Field bleachers were temporary for Pam Am Games
"The Fish Pond" for Baseball
Field Details
View down first base line (1999)
| Left | Center | Right |
|---|---|---|
| 325 | 400 | 325 |
Dugouts & Bullpens
- Goldeyes are on the third base side
- Visitors are on first base
- Dugouts are typical modern style, mostly below ground level originaly without railings
- Baselines have only minor encroachment near the outfield
- Bullpens are down the line and in the field of play
Fences & Field
- Fences are eight feet high and in field of play
- Batter's eye and scoreboard is beyond fence and out of play
- Batter's eye has rotating panels and displays advertising between innings --these occasionally change DURING inning leading to possible protests
- Batter's eye was the original location of the PA system and would blast the ears of the center fielder. It was replaced by speakers mounted on skyboxes and eliminated this issue.
Webmaster's game assessment
Home of the first video scoreboard in the Northern League
Field orientation is truly unique at Can West global with the pitcher facing due west into the setting sun. This makes the entire outfield the sun field until shadows of the skyline are cast across the field. Still more unusual is that these align with a gap in along Portage so a long shaft of sunlight lasts from the mound into the outfield though left and right center field will be in shade. This must be taken into consideration by the center fielder since during the first half of the season the sun doesn't set until 10PM in Winnipeg.
The right field line originally ended within feet of the street. Passing cars were essentially in "foul territory." Windows were broken on Pioneer Blvd including the building that was just across the street. During the road construction during 2002 season both Water and Pioneer Boulevards were rerouted (allowing stadium expansion).
Third Base line (1999)
Red River flows only about 30 yards beyond the left field fence. There have been a few homers hit that "bounced" on Riverside Drive and onto its banks (and rolled into the drink?) beyond the fence.
A source of problems this year is the field itself. The original outfield sod was laid the autumn before the start of the season but not the infield. Players complained about the bumps and inconsistencies that lead to unusual hops. Goldeyes traded away their infielders because of errors during their inaugural year and that may have had more to do with a home field disadvantage than their play (errors were MORE common at home than on the road 1999).
The grass is significantly improved than shown in these pictures (from 1999). Only when hosting concerts (such as the local legends The Guess Who reunion show in 2000) is it as "brown."
This hasn't changed the "hard surface." Ground rule doubles still bounce nearly as high in the outfield (and out of the park) as homers do on Riverside Drive beyond the fence. The still seem to be some odd rocks in the infield, but conditions are much better (and opposing teams are no longer complaining as loudly or as often).