Baseball in Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne Observed has made mention of Linda Lipp’s perspective on a visit to Dayton while reporting on the dowtown ball park plans.

In her article, Lipp dissects the truth from the suggested truth with regards to revitalization efforts in Dayton. In speaking with residents and business owners of Dayton, Lipp reports that very little action has resulted for Dayton other than having a sold out park every time there is a game.

I’d consider that a good thing (unless you are one of the poor folks on a waiting list to watch a Single-A baseball game).

In truth, I think it is unfair to compare Fort Wayne to Dayton. First of all, Dayton is very close to Cincinnati. This is important for several reasons. Northeast Indiana residents must drive 2-3 times as far from their homes to reach a city the size of Cincinnati. Additionally, the Dayton Dragons are a minor league affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. It’s no wonder the park is sold out for every game - (in theory) Dayton residents can drive less than an hour to watch many players on the big league team that they saw break into the sport in Dayton just a couple years prior. Northeast Indiana residents must fly several hours to southern California to watch the San Diego Padres to do the same thing (although, there are a few holdovers in Minnesota from the Wizards’ affiliation with the Twins).

While the size and structure of the two cities are similar, it really is a tale of two (different) cities. We must remember that regardless of the success (or lack thereof) of Dayton, Northeast Indiana residents have been presented with an opportunity to do something exciting. Whether the excitement ends with the park or not is up to us – not the efforts of another city.