When no new minor league parks opened for a couple of years in 2022-23, I decided to chase the four independent leagues that were considered MLB partners so I would have a few places to go in the summer. This was not that difficult as most of the ballparks are in the east and many I had seen when they hosted minor league teams, so I didn't need to revisit those ones. At the time, the farthest from NYC was in Cleburne, a town about an hour southwest of Dallas (since then, teams have been added in Montana and California). I always figured I would get to Cleburne on a trip to the DFW Metroplex for something else, but nothing satisfactory ever transpired. I had to wait until the minors started up again and then use a trip to Georgia to fly over to Dallas to finally add the Railroaders to my list.
The team plays out of La Moderna Field, a cute little ballpark that seems like it is in the middle of nowhere; though the town is just three miles south. The drive from the airport is about an hour, though with DFW drivers among the most impatient in the nation, you can expect at least one accident to add 15 minutes to the commute. Google Maps directions might take you in via the back roads which are now shut down due to construction of a housing complex, so use the ballpark's address (1906 Brazzle Blvd.) to avoid the detour. Parking is $5, which results in a bit of a line, but the parking lot is ample for the crowd. There could be a wait getting out, but it was fireworks night, so I left as soon as the game ended and had no trouble reaching the highway.
The stadium opened in 2017 and has a tiny capacity of just 1,750 seats, though a couple of berms allow attendance to be double that on busy nights. It was originally named The Depot at Cleburne Station in keeping with the railroad theme, but this year, La Moderna, a food product company known mostly for pasta, bought the naming rights. The logo is one of the best I've seen for a stadium (it is visible in the topmost picture) and the nickname for the ballpark is the Pasta Bowl; on Fridays the team wears Pasta City jerseys and has a Mac n Cheese Bar.
Poor planning on my part meant that I attended a Saturday night game instead, which also happened to be 'sold out', though there were berm tickets for $10. When I asked at the ticket window, however, there were single seats for $20, so I splurged. Of course, there were plenty of empty seats once inside, but I was happy to relax at my seat for the game rather than move around as I usually do. There is a small museum just inside the main entrance with a few displays dedicated to the history of baseball in Cleburne. Most notably, Tris Speaker, born in nearby Hubbard, was spotted by the owner of the Cleburne Railroaders in 1906 and went on to a Hall of Fame career. Of course, those Railroaders are not the same as these ones, but it is cool that they chose a name with some historic import. Below is a picture from the museum showing various uniforms from the area.
As you can see below, the stadium is typical for new ballparks, but quite a bit smaller than those used in the minor leagues. There are drink rails along the concourse that seem to be open to anyone, and that is a good option for those who can stand for a few hours.
The railroad theme is visible with a few train cars down the right field line. I always appreciate these unique touches and this club does it better than most.
There are no group areas along the lower level, though there is a small kids area beyond the right field fence that keeps with the train theme.
There is a 'Conductor of Fun' who hosts the promotions between every inning, and he has an enormous amount of energy. I am quite adept at tuning out the extra entertainment, but the conductor is hard to ignore and adds to the atmosphere.
Overall, La Moderna Field is a fun place that is exactly what it should be - a smaller venue for a smaller town (population here was 36,209 in 2023). I expect that the surrounding area will continue to develop and in a few years, the ballpark will be the center of an entertainment district. In the meantime, if you are in the DFW area and the Railroaders are home, consider a trip to Cleburne to check out the Pasta Bowl.
The Game
The Winnipeg Goldeyes were visiting in a similar matchup to the NHL playoffs, and just like the playoffs, the teams had split the first two games of the series. They played the Canadian national anthem but their version is a bit old as it uses the "all thy sons command" phrase which was replaced by the gender neutral "all of us command" in 2018.
Cleburne started Mike Shawaryn, a fifth-round pick by Boston in 2016 who spent 14 games with the Sox in 2019, pitching 20.1 innings and striking out 29, but unfortunately giving up 21 earned runs as well. Winnipeg went with Mitchell Lambson, who had excellent numbers as a farmhand with Houston, Atlanta, and Milwaukee but never got the call. The game got off to an odd start when Winnipeg's Ray-Patrick Didder hit the ball off the end of his bat, sending it just foul, where it reached the grass. But there was so much backspin that the ball slowly moved back toward fair territory as it inched its way up the line. Unbelievably, it crossed back over the line and hit first base, bouncing up to a bemused Kyle Martin who stepped on first for the out. Didder, who hadn't even left the batter's box, could only smile in disbelief. If this play happened in the majors, it would be on all the highlight shows; here it was just another out.
The Goldeyes were up 2-1 in the fifth when Cleburne, wearing their Texas flag uniforms, tied it on a Dustin Peterson home run. Both starters left after five and the Railroader bullpen was solid, yielding just three baserunners, while their offense contributed a threespot in the seventh on an Aaron Altherr single followed by Martin knocking in a pair.
That was all they needed as Cleburne won 5-2 (the Stars beat the Jets by the same score the following day to maintain the connection) in a game that lasted 2:47 and had a PPM of 1.719.
Notes
This completed the American Association ballparks, leaving just four in the independent leagues I am chasing: Brockton (Frontier) and three Pioneer League teams in Yuba-Sutter, Northern Colorado, and Glacier (Montana). I will see the first two in the next couple of months and save Glacier and Northern Colorado for 2026 when two new minor league parks open out west.
I was staying next to DFW and found the American Airlines Museum just a few minutes away. It contains a collection of memorabilia produced by the airline over the years and gives insight into how aviation works these days. There is also a restored DC-3 on display (above). Well worth the $12 if you are an aviation buff.
Next Up
There is little left to chase in the summer, so I only have two trips left. One is next month to Wyoming to see baseball in that state plus Northern Colorado, and then a trip to Sacramento to see the Jays as well as Yuba-Sutter in July. The blog will be quiet for a while but check back next month for updates.
Best,
Sean
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