Home of the Kane County Cougars, this minor-league ballpark stages major-league fun.

by Contributor

The Scene
Erected in 1990 to house the Kane County Cougars, Elfstrom Stadium in Geneva is sure to remind baseball fans of why the sport became the great American pastime in the first place. You won't find any overpaid underachievers whining about their contracts. Autographs are free. Fans are greeted warmly by the players. Seats are close enough to capture the scent of freshly cut grass. It's not necessary to take out a second mortgage to bring the family to a game. And no luxury boxes--this stadium is for the people, not the suits. Elfstrom, to borrow a cliche, is a field of dreams. The seats, all 5,900 of them, are divided into four sections. Tickets range from $4 lawn seats along the foul lines in the outfield (where fans can lie in the grass or sit in lawn chairs, and parents can set up playpens for kids) to $7 box seats, which put you on top of a dugout or behind home plate. And there's not a bad angle in the house.

The Amenities
Ballpark gates open two hours prior to first pitch and, unless you're a batting practice nut, there's not much for which to arrive early. But one pre-game ritual features players from both teams tossing souvenir balls to the fans, and the giveaways and goodwill don't end there. Most every game has its own special promotion, ranging from free posters to a fireworks show sponsored by one or more of the local advertisers that pepper the outfield fence with billboards.