Return to Mequon

All photos of Kapco Park available on Flickr.

With Megan and Molly out of town and on the eve of another year of Milwaukee's Germanfest, I scoured the local ball schedules and decided to attend my first Chinooks game in almost 3 years.  If I'm clamoring for Northwoods League action, I still greatly prefer driving a little extra to attend a Madison or Kenosha game, and despite being further away, I still largely identify those as my "home teams."  But there's something to be said about the convenience of getting up to Mequon.  It's only about 15 miles straight up I-43 from my house, and it's not a stretch to say it's easy to get there on most nights than it is even to Miller Park.  I had time to work a little late and take a quick run and shower at home and still make it just after a 6:35 first pitch.

In terms of the field and the grandstand, the nuts and bolts of the park are still largely the same.  They still have the field that entirely turf except for the pitcher's mound, and it is still primarily 3 sections of metal bleachers and walkways with a few rows of fixed seats.  The main seating area is still very sterile and one of the reasons Kapco Park is not one my favorites in the league.  It looks like they ordered a bleachers kit-of-parts online and just assembled all of the pieces together.  Coupled with the all-turf field, it just makes the ballpark feel like it was put together very quickly and cheaply (whether or not that is actually true).  I am completely for using the field turf rather than wasting thousands of gallons of water, but it is always going to be odd to see it and make you feel like you're losing some of that authentic ballpark feeling.  Additionally, most of the grandstand feels higher above the field than most parks, which is an odd feeling.  On the bright side, my favorite thing about this park did also come true on this night - no matter how hot it is in Milwaukee, at this park which is a stone's throw from Lake Michigan, it is always 10-20 degrees cooler.  I still have the Chinooks hoodie I bought in a panic in their inaugural season because it was so unexpectedly cold on a July night, and I brought it with me on this night just in case.



There have been incremental improvements to the park since I have been there last, mainly around the edges and behind the grandstand.  Most notably, the team store that used to be in a trailer has its own formal store under a section of bleachers.  Two social areas have also been added in left field.  One is called The Fishing Hole and appeared to be a section open to all adult fans.  It's comprised of a concession stand and mostly picnic and bar seating with some nice strings of Home Depot yard lights to give it some warmth.  The other new area was beyond the left field wall called the Backyard Patio, and this looked more of a special ticketed group area.  The Chinooks have caught up with the times at their ballpark in terms of mix-and-mingle spaces and they look to be well-used additions.  The main food concessions appeared to be mostly the same from what I remember, most noticeably the giant cod sandwich, but the beer has stepped up its game a little bit.  Broken Bat Brewery, a small local Milwaukee brewery, is making the most of its baseball theme and now has a contract to sell beer at Kapco, in addition to Wrigley Field.  Their beer is just average in my opinion, but they did have a special beer just for the ballpark made with 100% - you guessed it - Chinook hops that was pretty cool.  They also offer Great Lakes beer now which is one of my favorite breweries.

The game was a real barnburner.  I missed the first half-inning of the game, and by the time I got to my seat it was already 2-0 Green Bay.  The Chinooks then exploded for 10 runs over the next 3 innings, quite handily I might add.  It had the feeling of a game that might be a 20-2 final.  Lakeshore scratched out single tallies in the 5th, 6th, and 7th as well to make it 13-3, and on most nights when I'm with my wife or child, I may have left at this point.  But the Booyah made a game of it in the final two innings, making a big comeback but still losing 13-9.  Griffin Doersching hit two of the longest homeruns I've ever seen in the Northwoods League and was about 5 feet away from the hat trick.  MLB seems to be moving away from the 250lb DH type bodies which might be the only reason he's still playing at Northern Kentucky.  Grant Hartwig picked up the win for the home team, giving up 3 over 5.

It was nice to see the improvements at Kapco Park, and always nice to see their mascot Gill.

updated park rankings and statistics

(see original post from 6/25/12):
aesthetics - 5
views from park - 7 (can just barely see Lake Michigan)
view to field - reduces to 4 (not sure why I ever had it higher)
surrounding area - 3 (Concordia University)
food variety - 7
nachos - 4
beer - 8 (good variety and price)
vendor price - 7
ticket price - 7
atmosphere - 5
walk to park - 4
parking - 6 (1/2 mile walk for free)
concourses - 4
team shop - improves to 6

best food - fish fry / sandwich
most unique stadium feature - playing surface is entirely artificial except mound
best jumbotron feature - only showed player facts
best between-inning feature - Gill

field dimensions - 317/404/318
starters - Melvin Frazier (GB) v. Grant Hartwig (LAK)
opponent - Green Bay Booyah
time of game - 3:15
attendance - 939
score - 13-9 W
Brewers score that day - off

STANDINGS AND UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 8/2/19:

Brewers 57-53, -2.0, -1.0 WC; 3 @ Cubs, 3 @ Pirates, 3 v. Rangers, 2 v. Twins

Twins 66-42, +3.0; 3 v. Royals, 3 v. Braves, 4 v. Indians, 2 @ Brewers

2019 GAMES ATTENDED:

Erik - 6

Peter - 18