Great Lakes Loons

The Great Lakes Loons are the High-A Minor League Baseball affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Founded in 2007, the club formerly belonged to the 16-team Midwest League and won its first championship in 2016 before Major League Baseball’s restructuring of the MiLB in February 2020. Now, the Loons represent the Los Angeles Dodgers in the High-A Central, composed of 12 of 16 former Midwest League teams.

On January 12, 2006, a group of regional community leaders led by former Dow Chemical Company CEO William Stavropoulos, announce the formation of the Michigan Baseball Foundation to bring Minor League Baseball to the Great Lakes Bay Region. One week later, MBF signs a purchase agreement with the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays. Six months later the purchase is finalized, paving the way for the team to be relocated from Battle Creek to Midland, Mich. Over 50,000 tickets are purchased for the inaugural season on the first day of sales and the team plays in front of a capacity crowd of 5,454 for its first home game on April 13, 2007, against the Lansing Lugnuts.

Dow Diamond is home to the Great Lakes Loons. Constructed in just 367 days, the ballpark was designed by HOK Sport (now Populous) and built by the Three Rivers Corporation. In addition to hosting 70 Loons home games every season, the stadium has hosted over 1,000 special events including both the 2008 and 2017 MWL All-Star Games, major concerts, corporate events, formal dinners and receptions, and other functions.

After the 2017 season, the ballpark received its largest reinvestment since it opened with $3 million in improvements including the fifth-largest videoboard in the MiLB, two HD ribbon displays, and a remodel of the Lou E’s Lookout playground area.

 

Listen to Great Lakes Loons baseball all summer long on ESPN 100.9 FM, presented by Isabella Bank.

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