
Ned Skeldon Stadium was the home of the Toledo Mud Hens of the International League. The Mud Hens are the Class AAA affiliate of the Detroit Tigers.
2001 was the last season of professional baseball at Ned Skeldon Stadium. I stopped by one morning in 2002, but locked gates all around prevented me getting inside for a really good look around. It took some precarious balancing on fences, but these photos are the best I could do.
The park is made up of two huge grandstands that run straight down each line. Each stand is about 2/3 covered, on the 3rd base side by a large, interesting structure supported by pillars, and on the 1st base side by a more modern, cantilevered roof. There was a little bit of seating behind home plate, but most of that space is dominated by a strange press box building that appears to be sticking its head into the ballpark from outside.
An interesting feature are the light poles, which are set right into the stands, near the front, so you might find yourself with a very tall neighbor and the person behind wouldn't be able to see anything at all. It's hard to imagine that they couldn't have put these light poles behind the stands and still managed to light the field.

It's a big place and I liked the general feel of it, its distinct look. It seems to be in fine condition, but I suspect that a future trip to Toledo will find it gone, perhaps replaced by a strip mall. You see, despite the fact that the grass was mowed, there was clearly foliage beginning to grow in the infield dirt, the first sign of decay. The ballpark is too big for high school or other amateur baseball, so I can't imagine what can be done with it, other than to tear it down.
I would have liked to have seen a game at Ned Skeldon, but alas...
These photographs were taken in May, 2002