Making an Impact in Chicagoland

Main entrance to Impact Field, down the first-base line, Jun-2019.

The seating bowl, as seen from next to the right-field foul pole.

Not many fans remain on a chilly night following a rain delay.

Chronological Tour: Stop 398

• Location: Balmoral Avenue at Pearl Street, Rosemont, Ill. (map it using Google Maps)
• Opened: 2018
• Home team: Chicago Dogs, American Association (2018-present)
• Capacity: 4,500 (approx.)

Rating: 3 baseballs

For 2018, the village made another splash with the opening of Impact Field, hosting the Chicago Dogs of the independent American Association. The Dogs have catered to the north-side Chicago market by adopting a moniker that plays off the specialty Chicago hot dog (complete with a mustard squeeze bottle mascot), while their logo and team colors are patterned after the well-known Chicago city flag.

In addition, the ballpark dimensions are designed to evoke the nearby City of Broad Shoulders. The left-field line is 312 feet, for the 312 area code, while the right-field line has a pole reminiscent of Pesky’s Pole at Fenway Park, except that it is two feet shorter at 294 feet. That distance was chosen because the Tri-State Tollway, I-294, runs beyond left field. The Fenway connection is doubly significant because the first manager of the Dogs was Butch Hobson, who spent time with the Red Sox before carving out a long-term niche as an independent league manager.

The stadium has one significant shortcoming, a complete lack of shelter except for the group gathering level Leinie Lodge and a few spots on the concourse near the concession areas. Afternoon games can be problematic, as can evenings where they get rain. I also noted that the public address system is rather loud; this is mainly because the ballpark is in the flight path of Chicago O’Hare International Airport and so announcements can get drowned out by planes taking off.

Impact, the naming sponsor, is an office technology service provider in the area.