Marinelli Field

Marinelli Field is a

stadium A stadium ( : stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand o ...

in Rockford, Illinois located in Blackhawk Park and is overseen by the

Rockford Park District The Rockford Park District was formed in 1909 and is governed by an elected five-member board of commissioners who serve six-year terms without compensation. It is the third largest municipal park system in Illinois, serving the communities of Roc ...

. It is primarily used for

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding ...

. The ball field is in the north end of Blackhawk Park and is bounded by 15th Avenue (north, right field); Nelson Boulevard and the

Rock River Rock River may refer to: Streams ;United States * Rock River (Mississippi River), a tributary of the Mississippi River in Wisconsin and Illinois * Rock River (Iowa), a tributary of the Big Sioux River in Minnesota and Iowa * Rock River (Lake Mich ...

(west, left field); commercial businesses to the east; and the rest of the city park to the south and southeast. It sits just a few blocks west of

Beyer Stadium The Beyer Stadium, one mile from downtown in Rockford, Illinois, was the home of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League's Rockford Peaches from 1943 to 1954. It was a multi-purpose facility, as contemporary newspaper articles also ...

, which is also on 15th. The field has served as the stadium for two minor league franchises: * Rockford RiverHawks (2002–2005) * Rockford Reds (1999) * Rockford Cubbies (1995–1998) * Rockford Royals (1993–1994) * Rockford Expos (1988–1992) In addition, it is the current home of the amateur Rockford Foresters, a summer collegiate-league team. The Rockford Expos, a farm team of the

Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They p ...

, The Rockford Royals, a farm team of the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expa ...

, the Rockford Cubbies, a farm team of the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is locate ...

and the Rockford Reds, a farm team of the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

all preceded the organization's move to Dayton, Ohio to become the

Dayton Dragons The Dayton Dragons are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Dayton, Ohio, and play their home games at Day Air Ballpark, formerly known as Fifth Third Field. In ...

(2000–present) WTVO-TV an ABC affiliate in Rockford, Illinois reported on Tuesday, September 16 that a group of Chicago area investors were looking to bring a Central Illinois Collegiate League (CICL) team to Rockford, which would play at Marinelli Field beginning in the summer of 2010. The group of Chicago area investors is known as Three Strikes Baseball Corp. In November 2009, the CICL announced that it would merge with a new summer collegiate league and form the new 11-team Prospect League. The Rockford Foresters will return to play at Marinelli Field for the summer of 2012. The Foresters announced its team colors and logo on January 13, 2010. Minor league baseball venues Baseball venues in Illinois Buildings and structures in Rockford, Illinois Sports venues in Rockford, Illinois Tourist attractions in Rockford, Illinois Defunct Midwest League ballparks {{Illinois-baseball-venue-stub