Changes coming to The Cove, but will it affect its coziness?

by Marc Viquez
Published on August 1, 2008 under Midwest League (MWL1)
South Bend Silver Hawks


It is cozy, interment, friendly and quite possibly one of the nicest spots to catch a minor league baseball game, but there are a myriad of changes that could alter the look of Stanley Coveleski Stadium in South Bend, Ind. These changes will help revitalize the part of downtown where the stadium is located and open up the current stadium's dimensions.

"The Cove", as it is affectionately called, is named after former major leaguer Stanley Coveleski who resided in town after his playing days were finished in 1929. The park was completed in 1987, but minor league baseball did not begin until 1988 when the Chicago White Sox placed a Single-A Midwest League team in South Bend. The affiliations have changed in the past twenty-one years, but with current owner Joe Kernan at the helm, the little ballpark will look a lot different in future years.

Former Indiana governor and mayor of South Bend Joe Kernan purchased the club with a group of investors in September 2006 and squelched an attempt for the team to relocate to Marion, Ill.; the Silverhawks remained in town. Marion would eventually get a Frontier League to play in its stadium, the Southern Illinois Miners.

"I was 100% confident that they weren't going to move", said Silverhawks' Booster Club Secretary Deb Johnson. "I didn't really think that the Midwest League would let a team move that far south and I thought that it would be way too much for any of the teams to have to travel to. Thank goodness it didn't happen"

The 5,000-seat facility is a cozy little place to catch a game and when designed it was ahead of its time. If you think back to minor league ballparks of the mid-1980s you usually had an array of aluminum seats, closed off concourses, and absolutely no charm. The Cove was built in the same era as other aluminum Erector Set stadiums: Thurman Munson Stadium in Canton, Ohio; Commerce Bank Ballpark in Harrisburg, Pa., and Marinelli Field in Rockford, Ill.

The Cove features open concourse seating, with the exception of a few rows behind home plate, luxury suites, open bowl seating and a downtown location. The mold of the stadium has been mimicked in Geneva, Ill.; Appleton, Wis; and Adelanto, Calif. The Cove was an early pioneer of ballparks of the late 21st century; could you say the Camden Yards of the minor leagues?

I had the opportunity to speak with Director of Sales & Marketing Amy Hill and she informed me that there are a few changes in the planning stages that could alter the look of The Cove. The first change is that the Gates Chevy Building, located beyond the centerfield wall, will be razed by the city; leading the way for the team to create a new main entrance in centerfield and create a wrap around concourse, something the stadium lacks. The opening of the new entrance will be similar to that of Victory Field down south in Indianapolis and will be designed by HOK. The ballpark's current main entrance is behind home plate and hidden from the view of downtown; it is somewhat boring and bland (another common feature of mid 1980s ballpark design)

"When the city knocks down the building, we hope that it will open up the stadium to the downtown crowd," added Hill.

The stadium features grass seating, but they are only available to the public when all of the general seats are sold out; however, there are large steep sections and are do not offer the most comfortable seating. The team is interested in leveling the grass area to create a little more comfort in this area. That sounds like a good idea since many minor league parks feature similar steep grass seating and could use a nice even seating area on the grass.

The Silverhawks are looking at also abandoning the aluminum seat bleacher seats prevalent on both the right and left field seats in favor of folding chairs and adding a few new picnic areas. The most interesting change may have to do with the synagogue behind left field. The Hawks would like to incorporate the building into their renovations of the stadium. It wouldn't be the first house of worship to be included into a ballpark, there is a church that is nestled near left field at the Ballgrounds of Jacksonville.

"The price is awesome, it's good for the kids and reminds me a little of Wrigley Field," said Mike Johnson who was watching the game with his wife from the Corona Light Party Deck.

The party deck was added three seasons ago and averages between 100-200 people a night and on a handful of nights the deck is open to the public. It is a common area at most ballparks and you usually find a plethora of folks enjoying the game with either friends or coworkers.

"In my eighteen years of coming here, there has been a lot of improvement," added Ladonna Johnson who favors sitting in the third base bleachers seats over the party deck.

The Cove seems destined for a prestigious makeover and it is great to hear about a ballpark that is destined for renovations and not the wrecking ball. The majority of the ballpark is now hunter green, as opposed to the light blue that was prevalent before. The new ownership is local and according to Johnson has made a few improvements since acquiring the Silverhawks.

"In the past two years of the new ownership there have been a lot of different changes: different foods, better vendors, more souvenirs and the front office staff are out and personable.

The Cove should be a different looking place in the years to come; we will just have to wait and see.

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Midwest League Stories from August 1, 2008


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