Dehler Park is a multi-use
stadium
A stadium ( : stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand o ...
in
Billings, Montana
Billings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, with a population of 117,116 as of the 2020 census. Located in the south-central portion of the state, it is the seat of Yellowstone County and the principal city of the Billings Metrop ...
. It is primarily used for
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
and is the home of the
Billings Mustangs
The Billings Mustangs are an independent baseball team of the Pioneer League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB) but is an MLB Partner League. They are located in Billings, Montana, and have played their home games at Dehler ...
of the independent
Pioneer League. It is also the home field of the
Montana State University Billings
Montana State University Billings (or MSU Billings) is a public university in Billings, Montana. It is the state's third largest university. Its campus is located on 110 acres in downtown Billings. Formerly Eastern Montana Normal School at its ...
Yellowjackets.
The ballpark opened on June 29, 2008 and has a capacity of 3,071 people (6,000 including standing room only). It replaced
Cobb Field which was a fixture in Billings since the 1930s. The groundbreaking ceremony took place March 22, 2007.
![Firstpitchatdehler](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/Firstpitchatdehler.gif)
The stadium was named by Billings businessman Jon Dehler, who purchased the naming rights in 2007 to honor his father, Billy Joe Dehler.
The park still has part of Cobb Field included, as a section down the right field line includes some of the same bench seating used at the old stadium. Outside of that and the over 2,500+ individual seats are two grass berm areas for picnic seating. Patrons can walk around the entire field thanks to an outfield terrace, which is also home to those who buy a standing room-only ticket. Theoretically the stadium could feasibly hold well over 6,000 people with a large standing room-only crowd.
The first event at the stadium was on June 29, 2008, an
American Legion baseball game between the Billings Scarlets and Bozeman Bucks. The Bucks led 10–3 when the game was suspended after seven innings due to malfunctions with the lights. It was completed at
Pirtz Field, the local Legion Ballpark, the following night with the Bucks winning 16–3.
The first
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
, hit by Matt Comer of the Bucks, was retrieved by a man riding a bicycle outside the stadium. After some speculation as to what would become of the ball, the owner of the ball came forth and agreed to donate the ball to the Billings Parks and Recreation Department for a Dehler Park Hall of Fame display.
On June 30 the park hosted local
Little League
Little League Baseball and Softball (officially, Little League Baseball Inc) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization[Billings Mustangs
The Billings Mustangs are an independent baseball team of the Pioneer League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB) but is an MLB Partner League. They are located in Billings, Montana, and have played their home games at Dehler ...]
and
Great Falls Voyagers
The Great Falls Voyagers are an independent baseball team of the Pioneer League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB) but is an MLB Partner League. They are located in Great Falls, Montana, and play their home games at Cente ...
met in the first professional baseball game at the park on July 1.
The Mustangs won a rain-soaked 9–7 game highlighted by a Michael Konstanty
grand slam
Grand Slam most often refers to:
* Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves
Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to:
Games and sports
* Grand slam, winning category te ...
which stands as the first professional homer at the field. Attendance for the game was 3,749.
In 2021 the park was featured in a
Geico
The Government Employees Insurance Company (GEICO ) is a private American auto insurance company with headquarters in Chevy Chase, Maryland. It is the second largest auto insurer in the United States, after State Farm. GEICO is a wholly owne ...
commercial
Notable performers
Other uses for the stadium include concerts and plays. Some of the most notable performers at Dehler Park include:
*
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
and
John Mellencamp
John J. Mellencamp (born October 7, 1951), previously known as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his catchy brand of heartland rock, which emphasizes traditional instrument ...
– August 11, 2010
References
External links
Billings Mustangs – Dehler ParkMontana State University Billings Yellowjackets Athletics – Dehler ParkBillings Parks & Recreation – Dehler Park
{{Pioneer_League_Ballparks
Baseball venues in Montana
College baseball venues in the United States
Sports venues in Billings, Montana
Montana State Billings Yellowjackets baseball
2008 establishments in Montana
Sports venues completed in 2008