FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – With a sellout crowd of 7,440 fans at Parkview Field on Friday night, the Fort Wayne TinCaps celebrated their 5,000,000th fan at the downtown ballpark, during its 14th season.
The team released the following:
“This is an amazing achievement for not only our franchise but the entire Fort Wayne community,” TinCaps President Mike Nutter said. “We’re so grateful for the support of our fans and this is truly a testament to the hope that everyone had for this ballpark to be a catalyst for downtown revitalization.”
Parkview Field opened in 2009. The franchise was originally founded in 1993 as the Fort Wayne Wizards, with the team playing at Memorial Stadium.
“We’re excited that this milestone comes amid a ‘return to normalcy’ of fan support, heightened ballpark experience, and increased attendance at Parkview Field,” Nutter said. “We’re so glad that as the community continues to come together after the unprecedented impact of Covid in 2020 and 2021, they are choosing to return to Parkview Field as a place to gather with family and friends.”
The accomplishment is happening after a lost 2020 season and attendance restrictions in 2021 caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Attendance at Parkview Field this season is as high as it’s been since 2016, when the TinCaps set a franchise record for attendance with 413,701 fans. The TinCaps (Minor League Baseball’s High-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres) currently rank third out of 60 High-A and Single-A clubs in attendance across Minor League Baseball, averaging 4,601 fans per game in 32 openings this season, including four sellouts. That average is greater than 19 Double-A teams and five Triple-A clubs.
Since opening, Parkview Field has routinely been rated as the No. 1 ballpark experience for fans in all of Minor League Baseball. The award-winning venue also welcomes thousands of guests on an annual basis for special events.
The Knuth family, of Fort Wayne, represented the 5,000,000th fan. To their surprise, they were treated to a VIP experience and gifts from the team. Wes, who coincidentally also attended the very first game at Parkview Field in 2009, and was joined on this night by his wife and three children, threw out a ceremonial first pitch. The Knuths also joined the team’s broadcast on Bally Live, participated in an on-field promotion, and capped the night watching the postgame fireworks.
“It’s an incredible ballpark and our family loves coming to games here to make memories together, Wes said.
The TinCaps are home this weekend against 2018 Carroll grad Hayden Jones and the Dayton Dragons (Cincinnati Reds affiliate). Tickets are available through TinCaps.com, by calling 260-482-6400, and at the Parkview Field Ticket Office.
