Oldsmobile Park- Lansing Lugnuts
Posted on 26. Jun, 2009 by Corey in All, Dayton Dragons Baseball, General Baseball.
The Dayton Dragons are in the midst of their second series of the season at Oldsmobile Park, home to the Lansing Lugnuts. This series marks the opening of the second half of the Midwest League season.
Oldsmobile Park is home to the Lugnuts, and also hosts the Michigan State Spartans during select home games. The stadium is in the heart of downtown Lansing and located minutes from our team hotel.
A funny thing about the stadium name is that it was named “Oldsmobile,” after its largest sponsor General Motors. In 2004, GM discontinued its Oldsmobile car line, however the name on the stadium has stayed.
A front office employee that I was chatting with told me that in the offseason, this stadium is used for a movie theater and even an ice skating rink. I also asked him about some of the sharp turns in the outfield wall, and was told it was because of the dimensions of the city block in which the stadium was constructed.
Groundbreaking for the stadium took place in April 1995, and it opened one year later in April 1996. The first game played in the new stadium was between the University of Michigan and Michigan State University. Two days later, the Lugnuts played their first game against the Rockford Reds (the team which was moved to Dayton to become the Dragons in 2000).
