Baseball returns to Victory Field
By TYLER SMITH (@TylerSmith_ISL)
ISL Editor
INDIANAPOLIS — August 31st of 2019. That was the last time the Indianapolis Indians played a game in the Circle City. After 619 long days, baseball has finally returned to beautiful Victory Field.
While the pandemic has continued, life continues to feel a little more normal each and every day. To me, nothing feels more normal than watching America’s Pastime in person. Major League Baseball was able to play a shortened 60-game season last year, albeit with no fans in the stands. But the minor league seasons were canceled completely, leaving thousands of players and workers without jobs, and with uncertain futures.
But now, the jobs are back, the fans are back, and families can once again come out to the ballpark and enjoy an evening at one of the best minor league venues in the nation. To start the season, Victory Field will be at 25% capacity. Like everywhere else, that number has a chance to grow as the season progresses. On Opening Night against Toledo, the paid attendance was a sell-out of 3,450 fans. And there were hot dogs, high fives, and smiles all over the place.
“Don’t know what you got until it’s gone, right?” said one of the ushers in Section 112 on Tuesday night. “It’s incredible to be back!”
Before the game, both Mayor Hogsett and Governor Holcomb had a video message for the fans. Hogsett said: “It’s been so long since we’ve enjoyed a game at Victory Field to cheer on our hometown team. The heartbeat of summer in Circle City can be found on the corner of West and Maryland.”
Governor Holcomb added: “This is one of the nation’s greatest ballparks. Welcome back. Stay safe, and Go Indians.”
This is also the 25th year anniversary of Victory Field, which opened in 1996. Tickets can be purchased mostly in pods of 2, 4, and 6. And whether you follow the team closely or not, we can all agree that this team is good for the city. According to Forbes, the Indians are the 9th most valuable minor league team in baseball, generating around 12 Million dollars in revenue in normal seasons.
And if you ask my Twitter timeline, fans are very excited for Victory Field to be back in business:
On a chilly but beautiful night, the Indians treated their fans to a 4-3 victory over the talented Toledo Mud Hens, and improved to 3-3 overall on the young season. Come on out to the ballpark soon and enjoy yourself. For tickets and more information, visit IndyIndians.com.
