Pohlman Field in Telfer Park

Souvenir stands at Pohlman Field, Aug-1998.

Fans sitting in front of the press box.

The setting, in a city park, makes the game somewhat enjoyable.

Chronological Tour: Stop 26

• Location: Cranston Road, 1½ miles from Milwaukee Road (WI 81) and 2 miles from I-90, Beloit, Wis. (map it using Google Maps)
• Opened: 1982
• Home team: Beloit Brewers (1982-94), Snappers (1995-2021), Midwest League
• Capacity: 3,501

Rating: 2 baseballs

The location, in a city park near a hockey rink, is fairly accessible. Parking remains free. As for the facility, it is unspectacular. The stands are aluminum, typical of the 1980s, with most of the recent improvements going into club offices, concession stands, and locker rooms.

I was at the park twice in the 1990s; each time, half the scoreboard was out of commission. I don’t know if this was coincidence or a lingering problem. By 2015, the scoreboard had been replaced, although it seemed to be operated rather slowly. Some new outbuildings and fan areas are in evidence, but it is basically the same old Pohlman Field.

Beloit served as a natural rival to Rockford, just 15 miles down the road (and the Rock River) in Illinois. However, the Rockford team in the Midwest League moved to Dayton, Ohio, in 2000. Nearby Loves Park had a Frontier League team and now has a college summer league team, but there seems to be room for both clubs in the Rock River valley.

The valley was in danger of losing its professional team, but the city stepped in and created a stadium authority to build a new park near the river and the Illinois state line. The club moved there in August 2021.