Joe W. Davis Stadium can be a Star

by Marc Viquez
Published on April 17, 2007 under Southern League (SL1)
Huntsville Stars


You can say what you want about Joe W. Davis Stadium, but after checking it out for the first time you may be left with both a positive and a negative feeling towards the 22-year-old facility. There was something that sort of gave me a feel of what a game in the minors was like back when I was a little kid. Then there was the other side of me that said that the ballpark was lacking a lot of features that are current throughout the Southern League and minor league baseball.

The Huntsville Stars of the AA-Southern League have called the stadium home since 1985 when the 10,200-seat facility was built. It was named after former Huntsville mayor, who served for 20-years and was instrumental at having the franchise relocate from Nashville, Tenn. The ballpark was built rather quickly to accommodate the Stars, who were without a home after the AAA-Nashville Stars relocated from Evansville, Ind., the year before.

Joe W. Davis StadiumIt was built at a time when specific accommodations where not the norm at minor league ballparks, or major league ballparks, but how many major league parks were actually constructed during the 1980s? Joe W. Smith Stadium stands out among some of the other Erector sets that were built during that time. Commerce Bank Park, Harrisburg, Pa., Beehive Field, New Britain, Conn., and Heritage Park, Colonie, N.Y., were all built within the era. However, "The Joe" stands out like the Taj Mahal in comparison.

Alas, ballpark designs have improved in warp speed since 1985 and I can definitely understand why there maybe a concern about the ballpark and its future in Huntsville from some of the fans I spoke to at a chilly night recently. Then again parks in St. Paul, Minn., Geneva, Ill., and Reading, Pa., all prove that you do not have to have the fanciest or most modern digs to attract fans through your gates.

The multi-purposed stadium is also used for football games and offers some interesting dimensions. The foul territory is among the largest I have seen and maybe the seats are not angled in perfect unison, but that was just a minor blip on the radar. The third base seats stretch all the way around the left field corner, available for a party deck on occasion.

Joe W. Davis StadiumThere are suites above the third base line, but down the right field line none exist; even though the area where the suites would be situated look to be retrofitted. This creates a much-unfinished appeal in this part of the ballpark. Underneath the seats is a small concourse where you can pick up some good looking food with smells emanating throughout the tight confines. This is what took me back to my early days attending minor league baseball, just felt like I was 12-years-old again.

"It was awesome when it was built, but is showing a lack of attention that the VBC [Von Braun Center]," stated Stuart Lasgton who was making a reference to the city's indoor arena downtown. "The city isn't keeping things up and it will only keep fans out who have been moving in to the area. The stadium is showing its age."

The city did renovate the player's clubhouse and I heard some of the money left over could be for further renovations, however, I never was able to confirm and it could just be wishful thinking on behalf of the die-hards at the park. Some of the fans stressed that they would like to see grass berm seating, a walk-in souvenir shop (since presently it is just a small stand), updated seats, and a fancier entrance.

Joe W. Davis Stadium "Minor league baseball has charm, but it's gone when you come to a stadium that is in disrepair," added Lasgton who would like to see a new ballpark similar to ones in Montgomery and Chattanooga.

Fans' ideas for renovating "The Joe" stem from their travels throughout the Southern League. Eight of the ten stadiums have all been built within the last ten-years, with Birmingham's Regions Park having been built in 1988, thus making Huntsville the oldest stadium in the league.

"There is a lot that needs to be done to the stadium," said season-ticket holder Allison Tofflemire who informed the reason why the team has employed a polecat as their mascot. The furry little creatures used to inhabit the leftfield corner and would stop games when they would cross to their homes.

Joe W. Davis StadiumI did enjoy the Monte Sano Mountains looming in the distance beyond the outfield walls, the ample amount of parking, easily accessible of Highway 231, and its proximity to restaurants, shopping malls, and the Parkway Place Mall. A lot of newer facilities cannot say that have these types of options within a short distance.

Does the team need a new ballpark or can a little bit of renovating make all the difference in Huntsville. When compared to palaces like the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville and Montgomery Riverside Stadium I can see why some fans would want that same comfort. However, a new facility does not always bring out the fans in droves, but it is the combination of both the organization and the fan that make going to the ballpark something special.

I would like to see a second visit to a packed renovated Joe W. Davis Stadium sometime in the future. Where the stadium has newly renovated features, fans are jammed pack inside the stadium, the skies are painted sky blue, and sunshine beaming down on Huntsville.

I think it could happen.

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Southern League Stories from April 17, 2007


The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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