Tribute to GOODLAND FIELD

Appleton, Wisconsin

When the Appleton Foxes’ Wilson Delgado lined out to South Bend third baseman Greg Norton at 9:51 p.m. on Monday, August 29, 1994, minor league baseball officially completed its 54-year run at storied but crumbling Goodland Field in Appleton. The Foxes were defeated by the South Bend Silver Hawks 8-1 in front of a season-high crowd of 3,492.

With a boost in attendance needed for the future of minor league baseball in this northeastern Wisconsin market, not to mention the need for an upgraded facility for both players and fans, Fox Cities Stadium was opened for the 1995 season and Goodland Field was deeded to the local school district. The real estate formerly taken up by Goodland Field now accommodates fields for baseball, softball and soccer for high school and community teams.

The new ballpark was successful in dramatically increasing attendance. The last seven seasons at Goodland Field (1988-94) had seasonal attendance figures ranging from 46,576 to 85,310, while the first seven seasons at Fox Cities Stadium (1995-2001) brought about seasonal attendance which ranged from 207,823 to 233,797.

Since opening as West Spencer Athletic Field in 1940, Goodland Field hosted minor league teams for the Indians, Phillies, Browns, Braves, Senators, Orioles, White Sox, Royals and Mariners as follows:

Appleton Papermakers, Class D Wisconsin State League, 1940-42 and 1946-53

Fox Cities Foxes, Class B Three-I League, 1958-61

Fox Cities Foxes, Class D Midwest League, 1962

Fox Cities Foxes, Class A Midwest League, 1963

Appleton Foxes, Class A Midwest League, 1964

Fox Cities Foxes, Class A Midwest League, 1965-66

Appleton Foxes, Class A Midwest League, 1967

Fox Cities Foxes, Class A Midwest League, 1968-69

Appleton Foxes, Class A Midwest League, 1970-94

With the move to Fox Cities Stadium in 1995, the team became the Wisconsin Timer Rattlers. The franchise has been a Seattle Mariners affiliate since the 1993 season.

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Diamond, bleachers and press box as they appear today

1966 Foxes program cover

Beyond the center field fence, the softball field