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Indianapolis: Victory Field
Home of the Indianapolis Indians of the International League
Victory Field has long been hailed as one of the minor leagues' best
stadia. It lacks the quirks of other parks, and sticks to a simple seating plan and layout, but it's one that works well.
Even in photos, Victory Field has the feel of Camden Yards, in that it
looks clean, fresh, simple and attractive, and a great venue for baseball purists. Like Camden Yards, it isn't perfect, but
it certainly is an attractive park to look at.
Victory Field has green seats, and its outfield is surrounded by level
lawn seating. The whole park is surrounded by a concourse accessible as well from center field as from behind the plate.
The seating structure is two-level with a larger upper deck than at many
other minor league parks. One advantage of keeping the lower deck small here is that the angle of seating is higher so there
are better views from both levels. Victory Field is large as minor league parks go, and it doesn't often sell out, but here
it doesn't have to. This park is designed with a classic baseball atmosphere in mind, which means generally quiet, focused
on the game and content with a setting that includes natural colors and plenty of space.
The upper deck is larger past the corner bases because luxury suites
take up much of the space behind the plate, and those higher sections are rarely filled. But the supports for the roof over
them are very impressive and match the view of some of Indy's historic buildings.
Beyond the outfield is a spectacular view of the Indianapolis skyline.
There isn't any notable natural landmark easily seen from most seats, but one can instantly recognize the RCA Dome and the impressive skyline Indianapolis has for a triple-A city.
The field is well maintained, going along with the cleanliness of the
park. To an extent, that simplicity is to the park's detriment, especially in the outfield sections, as the setup of the lawn
seating is rather dull and the scoreboard a boxy, stand-alone structure. Still, that's a minor complaint. And I certainly
don't have much complaining to do here.
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