Rookie Leagues Photo Album

Pioneer League

Some leagues have pretty -- maybe even gorgeous -- ballparks. And then there is a league whose ballparks are surrounded by such breathtaking beauty that you almost forget that its ballparks are pretty nice, too!

Such is the Pioneer League, where driving between the parks is a truly awesome experience. Hey, take a swing through Yellowstone National Park while you're in the area. It's right in the middle of the league's footprint.

By the way, just as the fountains at Kauffman Stadium represent the very best ballpark feature in the Majors, there is an element at Ogren Park in Missoula that is the nicest and most interesting feature of any park in this league. Towering beyond right-center field is a tall pole with a nest on top. As you might imagine, the nest is the home of a family of osprey. Every couple of innings, one of them takes flight and circles over the field and the neighboring river. In this part of the country where things are so natural and scenic, this occurrence is the most natural and welcomed sight you could imagine.

Here, now, is the BASEBALLPARKS.COM ranking of the eight parks in the Pioneer League:

Lindquist Field

There are three pro ballparks that are located along the western edge of the Wasatch Mountains in Utah, and all have incredible views of the snow-capped peaks. These parks are in Orem, Salt Lake City and Ogden -- and the one with the most gorgeous view of the three is in Ogden. But it's not just the view that causes Lindquist Field to top our list in the Pioneer League (although, to be honest, that's a pretty big part of it). No, the seating bowl is also very nice, the food is quite good, there's a beautiful brick "frieze" of a baseball scene, and its location in the town is perfect. In fact, its location not only allows you to take in miles and miles of beautiful mountains, there are also lovely church spires in the foreground.

Ogren Park

Yes, this is the home of the famous osprey nest high above center field. These majestic birds are but one aspect of the beauty you'll find here. Obviously, there are the mountains that ring the quaint town of Missoula. You'll see an abandoned railroad trestle beyond the right-field foul pole. There's also the lovely Clark Fork that flows beyond the outfield (watch out for killer mosquitoes if you go exploring between the center-field fence and the river bank while an evening game is going on, although you will find a breathtaking view like the photo on the above right). And, of course, there's the park itself, which was many years in the making. When the Lethbridge Black Diamonds moved south to Missoula after the 1998 season, the team was supposed to play only a year or two at a spartan American Legion field on the outskirts of town while a sparkling new park was being built. Well, one season dragged on to five, and the team didn't begin playing in the new facility until 2004. Even then, the park was barely finished enough to hold games. Construction (and fund-raising) continued little by little until the town proclaimed that Ogren Park at Allegiance Field -- or OPAF -- was finally complete in 2007.

Dehler Park

This is the newest park in the league, having opened in 2008. It was built on roughly the same plot of ground as historic Cobb Field, which had been hosting ballgames since 1948. There was no need to construct the new facility anywhere else, because this location gives fans a spectacular view of the "rimrocks" on the northern edge of town. Interestingly, Billings' airport is on top of the hill there, and you can watch planes taking off and landing there. The structure itself certainly isn't overblown, but it does feature a lovely entry plaza (above left), complete with statues of Billings native Dave McNally and Ed Bayne, legendary American Legion coach.

Home of the Owlz

This franchise moved from one college campus -- Brigham Young in nearby Provo -- to another. The new home is on the campus of Utah State University. I love the intimate structure of the seating bowl here, but as is the case with Utah's other pro parks, it's the mountains that really make this place special. But unlike at Salt Lake City and Ogden, there are positively spectacular views both to the east (above right, which also appeared on the cover of the 2007 Baseball Travel Map) and the west (above left) here.

Melaleuca Field

Like many of the markets where the Pioneer League operates, Idaho Falls is a beautifully quaint town. I don't think you would use the word "quaint" to describe the town's park, though, as Melaleuca Field was completely rebuilt prior to the 2007 season. A barely adequate American Legion field became a lovely, comfortable ballpark with a lovely entry plaza and a seating bowl with lots of great sightlines. The folks here support their team, and as is the case at several PL facilities, when the crowd is big, the parking becomes harder to find, especially if you're not familiar with the neighborhood. And speaking of the neighborhood, the park isn't far at all from the scenic falls for which the town is named.

This is another Pioneer League park that has seen modifications and upgrades over the years. The impressive masonry exterior that faces the main street (above left, but note that you don't really enter the facility here, because the parking is beyond left field) is, perhaps, more impressive than what's inside.

Another ballpark where modifications over the years have created a nicer exterior than the obstructed-view, hodge-podge interior you find inside. The story of baseball here is quite interesting, though, since the team is community-owned, and a non-profit foundation raised $2.2 million to make improvements to the facility over the past couple of years. Like Idaho Falls, there are scenic falls a short walk from the park -- and these falls are much bigger and more impressive than those in Idaho.

Every list has to have a last-place finisher, and Helena's Kindrick Field brings up the rear in the Pioneer League. More so than in Great Falls, there are some pretty hills to look at. This is a good thing, because the ballpark itself isn't so nice to look at. Although it definitely has a quaint feel (and a genuine wood roof), the adjective "rickety" comes to mind as you look around here.

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