Joannes Stadium is a

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 ...

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 ...

located in

Green Bay, Wisconsin Green Bay is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The county seat of Brown County, it is at the head of Green Bay (known locally as "the bay of Green Bay"), a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It is above sea lev ...

. It is a part of the Joannes Park complex, which also includes the Joannes Aquatic Center. It is the current home of the Greater Green Bay Blue Ribbons of the semi-pro Wisconsin State League. From 2007 to 2018, it was the home of the

Green Bay Bullfrogs The Green Bay Rockers are a baseball team that plays in the Northwoods League, a collegiate summer baseball league. The team joined the league as the Bullfrogs as an expansion franchise for the 2007 season along with the Battle Creek Bombers. Bef ...

, of

Northwoods League The Northwoods League is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league. All players in the league must have NCAA eligibility remaining in order to participate. The league is amateur, and players are not paid, so as to maintain their college el ...

who moved to Capital Credit Union Park in nearby Ashwaubenon in 2019. The stadium has hosted a number of now defunct minor league baseball teams, including the Green Bay Sultans and the

Green Bay Dodgers The Green Bay Dodgers were the final moniker of the minor league baseball teams located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, United States between 1891 and 1960. Green Bay teams played as members of the Wisconsin State League (1891), Wisconsin–Michigan Lea ...

. Its current capacity is approximately 2,000, with about 1,600 in the seating bowl and about 400 in the Leinies Northwoods Fan Deck.

History

Joannes Stadium was built in 1929. Not much is known about its early history. In 1935 the stadium hosted an exhibition game between the

St. Louis Browns The St. Louis Browns were a Major League Baseball team that originated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers. A charter member of the American League (AL), the Brewers moved to St. Louis, Missouri, after the 1901 season, where they ...

and

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

Rogers Hornsby Rogers Hornsby Sr. (April 27, 1896 – January 5, 1963), nicknamed "The Rajah", was an American baseball infielder, manager, and coach who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1915–1926, 1933 ...

played first base, and

Honus Wagner Johannes Peter "Honus" Wagner (; February 24, 1874 – December 6, 1955), sometimes referred to as "Hans" Wagner, was an American baseball shortstop who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1897 to 1917, almost entirely for the Pitts ...

was the coach of the Pirates. Over 3,500 people attended the game. From 1940 and throughout the 1950s to 1960, Joannes was home to the

, a Class D Minor League affiliate of the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

and

Brooklyn Dodgers The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1884 as a member of the American Association (19th century), American Association before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brooklyn until 1957, after which the ...

. From about 1970 to 2006 Joannes was home to a number of local teams, including the Green Bay Blue Ribbons, Green Bay Sultans and the Green Bay Billy's.

Renovations 2006–2013

On September 19, 2006, the Green Bay City Council approved the lease of Joannes Stadium to the Northwoods League and was awarded a franchise to begin play in the 2007 season. This allowed the Northwoods League to begin renovations on Joannes Stadium on September 20, 2006. Those first renovations and updates continued through the Spring of 2007. In a press conference on April 2, 2008, the

announced renovation plans for the 2008 season. The first phase, done in partnership with Nicolet Bank of Green Bay, included a professional style scoreboard in right center field that is high at its peak and measures wide. It also features a large 20’L x 3’4"H graphics/messaging display and a back lit custom designed truss displays the team name and logo. The second phase of this project involved the installation of a Speed Pitch Radar Display in left center field to visually complement the new scoreboard and allow fans to keep track of how fast a pitcher is throwing the ball. Big Top Baseball took over ownership of the Green Bay Bullfrogs in late November 2013. During the offseason Big Top Baseball invested over $75,000 into the facility.

Green Bay Bullfrogs (2007–2018)

The Green Bay Bullfrogs were renamed the

Green Bay Booyah The Green Bay Rockers are a baseball team that plays in the Northwoods League, a collegiate summer baseball league. The team joined the league as the Bullfrogs as an expansion franchise for the 2007 season along with the Battle Creek Bombers. Bef ...

in a "Name the Team Contest" held in the fall of 2018. "A booyah is a communal stew fvegetables and less desirable cuts of meat ..cooked in large kettles." In 2019 the team moved to the Capital Credit Union Park in nearby Ashwaubenon.

De Pere Dodgers (2019)

In 2019, the De Pere Dodgers, who were founded in 2016, began play at Joannes Stadium as members of the 8-team semi-pro Wisconsin State League.

Greater Green Bay Blue Ribbons (2020–present)

After the 2019 season, the Dodgers re-branded as the Greater Green Bay Blue Ribbons for the 2020 season and beyond. The name is an honor to the previous Blue Ribbons team that played at Joannes from 1970 to 1995, and the team continuing the baseball tradition at historic Joannes Stadium.

References

External links

Stadium history at Green Bay Bullfrogs website
{{NWL ballparks Minor league baseball venues Baseball venues in Wisconsin Sports venues in Green Bay, Wisconsin 1929 establishments in Wisconsin