A Funky Enclave in the South Chicago Suburbs

Front of Hawkinson Ford Field, Jul-2004.

The absence of structures on the first-base side is evident here.

A view from behind home plate.

• Location: Kenton Avenue just south of Midlothian Turnpike, Crestwood, Ill.
• Opened: 1999
• Home team: Cook County Cheetahs (1999-2003), Windy City ThunderBolts (2004-present), Frontier League
• Capacity: 3,800 (2,880 stadium seats)

Chronological Tour: Stop 271

Rating: 3 baseballs

Hawkinson Ford Field is unique in that it has no tall permanent structure along the first-base side. A team official said they were not allowed to build on that side because construction would have interfered with the high-voltage line running near the park. However, the short seating bowl, only seven rows deep, does extend around the first-base side, and there is a picnic area as well as vending and rest rooms along that side. Portable concession stands also line the first-base concourse.

The bulk of the stadium structure is along the third-base side, extending to home plate. This structure includes the press box, a few luxury boxes, and eleven rows of upper-deck seating.

New owners bought the franchise in October 2003, prompting a name change. The current owners say the park will hold 4,200, but one team official said it would be impossible to squeeze that many fans into the park with a shoe horn. Bodies were thick – and concession lines were long – when 3,072 fans showed for the game I attended, on a fireworks night.