John O'Donnell Stadium is the home of the Quad City River Bandits of the Midwest League. The River Bandits are the Class A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins.
Most ballpark fans have a couple of parks that are on their "must see" list. John O'Donnell Stadium has long been on my list. The first impression from the outside is of an immaculate brick and steel structure with concrete arches and wrought iron gates. It looks like it just opened last week, rather than 63 years ago.
Set right next to the Mississippi River, and I mean, right next to the river (as the above photo shows), this stadium is distinguised not just for its age, but for its unbeatable location and timeless beauty. Beautiful, that is, when it is not under water, as happens all too frequently when the river rises to flood levels.
There are many distinctive features to the John O'Donnell experience. The most striking feature is the Centennial Bridge, which runs right next to the stadium along the first base line and out across the Mississippi. The first two photos on this page were taken from the bridge. This elegant bridge makes for a wonderful visual backdrop, along with the river, and is even more impressive at night when the arches are lit and the lights reflect on the water.
From the first base side, you can look at downtown Davenport and the stately Wells Fargo building. Trains rumble by on the first base side during the game and you can look down on them from the 3rd base stands.
On this night there was a good crowd for fireworks and they were really into the game, especially when the worst baseball fight I have ever seen broke out, resulting in bloody players being carried off the field and a number of players ejected.
The stadium itself is classic 1930s ballpark. The grandstand curves around from 1st base to 3rd base, with a roof of intricate steelwork covering all but the first few rows of seats. This structure is one of the nicest I've seen from this era, made solidly of brick and steel with windows at the top of the seating bowl to let the last rays of the sunset shine through.
Most of the seating is benches with backs and there are a couple of small, erector set stands down each line. In the left field corner is a nice, raised picnic pavillion with tables, benches and food cooked on open grills.
John O'Donnell Stadium is more than just a classic ballpark. It's beautifully maintained, with great architecture, fabulous views, and really good grilled Cheddarwurst. Don't miss it.
