Melaleuca Field

Idaho Falls Chukars, Pioneer League

8/10

The stadium's redbrick exterior, complete with a statue of a Chukar player.

A decent crowd watches the Chukars and Voyagers in 2010.

The Chukars wave home another runner.

The field is prepped for a key September game against Ogden in 2015.

This was our second stop on our 1st Pioneer League loop in 2010. We drove in from Missoula, taking the long way, but arriving with plenty of time to spare for the Great Falls Voyagers and Idaho Falls Chukars. I ended up parking for free on the street about three blocks from the park. The park was built in 2007, replacing McDermott Field on the same site. The field orientation and it appears, the outfield wall, is retained, but everything else is new.

The park has a redbrick exterior, which includes a statue of a Chukar player on top of the ticket office. The park is clean, with good sightlines, but isn't overly spectacular in any way. The Chuarks needed a new park and certainly if they'd kept their old park for much longer, it could have threatened the franchise, but now Idaho Falls will have pro baseball for decades to come.

The atmosphere at this park was slightly above average. The crowd was interested in the game. a 17 year old Nicaraguan named Cheslor Cuthbert hit a home run in his 1st at bat since being promoted. The crowd ended up sitting mostly in the cheaper general admission seats down the left field line, with less people in the supposedly better seats. During a change at one point, ushers threw candy into the seats. I got hit in the head by a tootsie roll. I haven't seen this done anywhere else.

I'd recommend staying in town for the night, as we tried to make headway to the north after the game and discovered that there isn't a whole lot in that direction for several hours.

On the whole, Melaleuca Field is an entirely adequate facility for the Pioneer League, (although it's nothing unique) and ensures the league will continue it's long history in the area. It's a bit of an outpost however and makes a good stopping point either coming or going to Montana.

Update 2016: I returned here in 2015, on my way back from points south. This was one of many parks on the 2015 summer roadie that I had seen before, but not for 5 or more years. I had a better impression for the 2nd game here though. It was a key pennant matchup between these two, so a small but fiery crowd turned up. I sat in the 6th row or so, which meant a Dodger scout with an off pitcher were in front of me, with Charlie the Chukar present and occasionally razzing them, just because. I heard on the radio in the concession line the 2nd time that Cheslor Cuthbert, the aforementioned home run batter, hit his first MLB homerun for Kansas City as a September callup.

The ballpark still comes across as a bit lacking, with tons of aluminum disguised in a redbrick facade. I almost took a half point off for this, but did not. The atmosphere is a little above average, I'd give it a half and the concessions here, which had been kind of lacking before, are really good. Service is much better and the variety is pretty good, especially considering this is still a Rookie park. I'd up the score to an 8, rounded down from 8.5. I admit, I was surprised I enjoyed this one that much more the 2nd time around.

Linescores 
2010-07-19
                                               123     456  789  10   RHE
Great Falls Voyagers(CWS)        001  100  100   0     382
Idaho Falls Chukars(KC)             100  020   000  1    492
Temp: 84F  Time: 2:51   Att: 3,720


2015-09-02
                                          123   456   789   RHE
Ogden Raptors(LAD)             200 000  200  492
Idaho Falls Chukars(KC)        040  000   001  591
Temp: 85F Time: 2:51  Att:  2,299