| Fort Wayne’s Memorial Stadium was the home of the Wizards of the Single-A Midwest League from 1993 to 2008. It was a rather bland and ordinary ballpark, constructed almost entirely of concrete with no covered seating. The box seats were plastic folding chairs, while the general admission seats consisted of simple metal benches with backs.
The box seats sat unusually high due to some of the largest dugouts in the minors—the closest seat was at least 10 feet above the playing field. The stadium was located right next to a busy highway, requiring the installation of a net in left field to prevent baseballs from reaching passing cars. A picnic area was situated far down the right field line.
Memorial Stadium also had a large concourse area, though it wasn’t heavily utilized. Concessions were placed at the same level as the stands, in the space between the box seats and general admission seating—a smart design choice that allowed fans to grab food without missing any action. The team mascot, a Wizard, was a regular presence, and several on-field promotions took place between innings.
Overall, it was a pretty average minor league park, which is why the city launched a study in 2005 to explore building a new downtown ballpark. That plan became reality in 2009 when the Wizards, renamed the TinCaps, moved into Parkview Field.
In June 2009, Memorial Stadium was demolished to make way for additional parking at the adjacent coliseum, marking the end of its time as a baseball venue.
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