Baseball Travel: Warner Park, Madison

Madison Black Wolf / Warner Park

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Rating

Specifics

Address/Directions: 2920 N. Sherman Av., Madison. Warner Park in on the northwestern side of Madison. From wherever you are, you'll want to make your way to the Aberg Ave. exit and head northwest. After you pass the Shopko (on right), you'll turn right onto Packers Avenue, eventually veering left off of Packers Avenue onto Northport Drive. Warner Park is on the southwest corner (on your left) of Northport Drive and Sherman Avenue. There are two entrances to Warner: either turn left to reach the Sherman Avenue entrance (on the right-hand side of Sherman) or continue past the intersection and turn left into the Northport Drive entrance.
Phone: 608/244-5666.
Web: www.madwolf.com
Online ticket sales? No.
Online broadcasts? No.
Capacity: 3,375.
Year Built: 1982.
Last Visited: August 1997 (1999 season begins on May 28).
League/class: Northern League, Central Division.
Affiliation: Unaffiliated.

Description

Sad to say, Warner Park is the worst stadium in the Northern League for actually viewing a game in comfort and style. The Black Wolf organization has fought the good fight to make minor-league baseball work in Madison, with a great tap-beer selection and an inviting deck down the right-field line, but most of the stadium's seats are metal bleachers that don't provide a great -- nor comfortable -- view of the field. The orientation of Warner Park makes watching a game, particularly in the afternoon or early evening, an unpleasant experience. (Avoid the left-field bleachers on a sunny day, as you'll be staring directly into the sun for most of the game.)

Which means that the Black Wolf front office faces an uphill battle in attracting fans to Warner. Although the Black Wolf rank near the bottom of the Northern League attendance figures, there are usually larger crowds for good promotions (as when the San Diego Chicken comes to town); Madisonians tend to be rather fickle and limited in their attention span and need a good jolt in the form of a high-profile promotion to attract them. General Manager Bill Terlecky has done a marvelous job in making Warner Park as attractive a venue as it is, but you can only put so much lipstick on a mule. (Warner Park gets a three-baseball rating for two reasons: the concessions and the general worthiness of Madison as a travel destination.) In addition, Warner Park's relatively remote location means that fans must plan ahead in arranging transportation to a game. Sure, there's some limited mass transit servicing the area, but the majority of fans must drive to the game. You would think that students at UW would be a natural audience for the Black Wolf, but they're not, since the stadium is so far away from campus.

And it's not as though minor-league baseball -- nor baseball in general -- has a storied history in Madison. As a former Madison resident, I fondly remember the Madison Muskies (Go Fish!) and the excitement that surrounded Warner when minor-league baseball returned to Madison. But that excitement tapered off year by year, and by the end the owner of the Muskies bailed out and the franchise was moved. (The Midwest League placed another team in Madison for one season -- the ill-fated Mad Hatters -- before giving up on Madison entirely.) And it's not as though Madison has a college team to build on: the University of Wisconsin doesn't even field a men's baseball team.

Look for the Black Wolf to bail out of Madison at the end of 1999 if they don't get a new ballpark or serious improvements to Warner Park. A new ballpark will require some serious lobbying in Madison on three levels: the Dane County Commissioners, the city government and the University of Wisconsin athletic department (there's no way an investment will be made in a new ballpark without the presence of a college baseball team), and there's been absolutely no indication that the Madison front office is making this effort. Northern League officials make no bones about wanting to see a team in Eau Claire (although Eau Claire officials don't return the admiration), and Marinelli Field in nearby Rockford will be empty when the Reds bail for Dayton, Ohio, at the end of the 1999 season.

Bottom line: if you really want to see a minor-league game in Madison, you'd better make a run this season.

Concession Highlights

The concessions at Warner are arguably the best in the Northern League when the grills are going; only Newman Outdoor Field in Fargo approaches Madison on the concession front. (Because of some rather stupid Madison city ordinances, the Black Wolf are limited in the number of games when they can serve grilled foods. Go figure.) As you might expect in a Wisconsin ballpark, the real centerpiece of concessions at Warner park is beer, beer and more beer. In the past, beers like Great Dane Wheat, Garten Brau, Berghoff Lager, James Page Wild Rice, Red Hook, and Pete's Wicked Ale could be found on tap. A large Party Deck down the right-field line, complete with a slew of picnic tables, features grilled hamburgers, beer, and wine coolers.

Smoking

Smoking is allowed in the grandstand! Two years ago I enjoyed a rather delectable Romeo y Julieta while watching the game with Isthmus staffers Michana Buchman and David Medaris. I hope they did, too.

Parking

There's a large parking area wrapped around Warner, and parking is free.

Before the Game

After touting the concessions at Warner, it seems a tad odd to tell you to grab a bite before attending a game. However, Madison is a great restaurant town, and you'd be well-advised to drop by two of better Madison restaurants near Warner. Smoky Jons No. 1 Barbeque (2310 Packers Av.), just a half mile from Warner Park, wins more than its share of rib competitions. New Orleans Take-Out (1920 Fordem Av., 608/241-6655) has as its rallying cry Eat mo' bettah! Personally, I'm happy with the dirty rice and the sausage-and-rice entrees. Afterwards, have a slice of sweet-potato pecan pie.

If you're spending any time at all in Madison, a stroll down the State Street Mall is mandatory. State Street is the link between the University of Wisconsin and the State Capitol building. There are all sorts of small shops and restaurants on State, with many different ethnic eateries represented. I'd recommend the Wasabi Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar (449 State St.) for the sushi.

After the Game

Down a nightcap at one of Madison's downtown brewpubs: The Great Dane Pub and Brewing Company (123 E. Doty St.) or Angelic Brewing Company (322 W. Johnson St.). If you crave a sweet, pastries and coffee are served until 11 p.m. at Canterbury Booksellers Café (315 W. Gorham St.).

Where to Stay

There are few hotels near Warner Park, so if you're going to drive anyway, stay downtown at the Canterbury Inn (315 W. Gorham St., 608-258-8899; $100-$295 per night), a small six-room bed and breakfast upstairs from Canterbury Booksellers (itself worth a visit). Each room is themed to a character from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. During my last visit I stayed in the Knight's Room, "a generous suite featuring a romantic scene from the Knight's tale painted on the wall behind the king size bed, a gracious sitting area with sleeper couch, a handsome writing desk, a bookcase filled with a fascinating array of titles, complimentary soft drinks in the refrigerator and a two person whirlpool within a spacious bath." I was pampered beyond belief, with complimentary wine and snacks in the later afternoon (featuring wines from a local winery) and a made-to-order breakfast served in my room. Highly recommended.

Notes

Isthmus is the alternative weekly in Madison. I write for Isthmus, so I have no choice but to tell you to grab a copy if you're in town or check out the Web site.

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