The purpose of this forum is to allow members of SABR’s Baseball Landmarks Committee to write about baseball sites. Posts could include detective work to find long-lost places, celebratory gatherings, ideas for marking currently unmarked locations, stories about what makes the landmark special in the first place, and more.
The main purpose of our committee is to create and support the SABR Baseball Map. But the project lends itself to storytelling. Why is the plaque here? Why did I decide to visit? We’d love to read what you have to write.
Along Route 20, right as you pass the sign for Udina (you-DINE-ah), an unincorporated community right past Elgin, you arrive at an intersection which raised my eyebrows.
As I made the left onto Plank and drove around the bend(er), and continued past the next street on the left, Russell Road, I wondered if this could have been the work of some passionate fan of the early 1900s Philadelphia Mackmen, tasked with naming streets in northern Illinois.
Plank was a lefty! Coombs was a righty! OK, it doesn’t work quite the same when approaching from the other direction, but play along with me here. There was even a Lefty Russell who made 13 appearances for the White Elephants in 1910-12.
Could it be? For a few years, I’ve wondered but never took the time to find the answers. Until yesterday, when I visited the Elgin Historical Museum.
David & Rebecca at the Museum knew exactly where I needed to look. I cracked open The Story of Udina by John Russell Ghrist (1995) and there were numerous chapters devoted to roads.
“DeKalb historian Phyllis Kelley states that there was a William Plank family from New York. They lived in Sycamore Township, and the entire road from Route 23 to Udina was called Plank Road after the family…”
That was half of it, but what about Coombs? Luckily later in the same paragraph…
“Coombs Road is named after another farmer who lived on the northeast corner of what is now Coombs Road and Brindlewood Lane.”
So much for that. No need to continue searching for Bender Lane or Morgan Drive. Maybe I should have watched for ducks Waddelling across the street.
But I did not leave disappointed. I started talking baseball with David, who works in the research library at the Museum. He asked if I’d ever been to the Century Oaks West neighborhood of Elgin. I had not, and he handed me a newspaper clipping from the Elgin Courier News from November 6, 1990, which covered the origin of a few familiar-sounding street names throughout Elgin.
In 1972, realtor Jerry Hoover got a call from the Elgin city official in charge of reviewing street names and was told he needed to come up with street names prior to the plan commission meeting later that night.
It was around 3:30 or 4 o’clock in the afternoon, as he was listening to a Cubs game on the radio. And the rest is history.
Of course I had to go check it out for myself, and sure enough there it was.
Cool story. Only thing is, the timeline doesn’t match for these streets to all have been named in 1972.
Sheffield is a street which borders Wrigley Field. Fine. But the players/manager involved:
Either Hoover misremembered the year in question or perhaps after a few initial streets were named in 1972 (Banks reasonably could have been added in 1972 because he’s Mr. Cub after all), others were added in subsequent years. Regardless, it was neat to see a group of baseball-inspired street names instead of names of trees or states or presidents.
My wife and I are cruising along the rolling hills of eastern Ohio, some 50 miles south of Canton and a hundred miles east of Columbus. This is Amish country, the farmhouses close to the winding roadway, laundry drying on clotheslines, yellow signs reminding drivers to share the road with horses and buggies.
Ohio Route 258 dips into a grove of trees, then rises again. As it bends to the right, the trees give way to a small brick church on a hilltop. “Peoli Cemetery / p.m.c. 1870-2018” is painted above the front door. A sign on the lawn next to the flagpole reads, “Peoli Church. Resting Place of Cy Young,” with a hand-painted baseball and glove.
They’re still quite proud of Denton True “Cy” Young out here, nearly 68 years after his death.
We slow down and park in a turnout at the bottom of the 1.8-acre cemetery next to a field of grazing cattle. It’s a warm, 70-degree day with a pleasant breeze as we walk beneath a wrought-iron archway reading “PEOLI CEMETERY” in white letters. Two gravel ruts bisect the church yard in a straight line and it’s not long before we spot the headstone on the right, up the hill:
⚾YOUNG⚾
Cy Young’s grave isn’t quite at the peak of the rise, but it’s not far off. The view to the south opens up to more rolling, green hills, the only other building in sight about half a mile away. It’s such a serene resting place.
The other side of the headstone features a winged baseball centered at the top – a fly ball? – the names of Cy and his wife, Roba, and their dates of birth and death below. The logo of the Order of the Eastern Star is etched next to Roba’s name, the Freemasons’ Scottish Rite emblem next to Cy’s; they were both members. An epitaph reads: “From 1890 to 1911, ‘Cy’ Young pitched 874 Major League base ball games. He won 511 games, three no-hit, and one perfect game in which no man reached first base.” Baseballs, caps and a bag of sunflower seeds have been left by other pilgrims who have ventured to this spot.
What brought baseball’s winningest pitcher to this tiny hamlet 10 miles east of his hometown, Newcomerstown? The answer is etched on the left side of the gravestone: Roba was born and raised in Peoli. Her family – parents Robert and Sue, brother Fred – are buried in the Miller family plot just a few steps away. All were members of this church, and their funerals were held here. About half a mile back up the road stands a battered red farmhouse, the last place Cy Young lived before his death on Nov. 4, 1955. He had moved there after Roba’s passing, staying with the Benedum family for the last 22 years of his life.
Casey and I made this trip the first week of June, just days before the Landmarks Committee added Hall of Famers’ gravesites to the map – not that this cemetery was hard to find; Cy Young’s grave is on Google. But before heading out to the country, we did use the map to find Cy Young Memorial Park in Newcomerstown.
Nestled between a neighborhood and U.S. 36, the park contains a state historical marker as well as an elaborate Cy Young memorial next to a baseball field. There are also basketball courts, a beach volleyball pit, picnic tables and a community pool.
The elaborate memorial is centered on the pitcher’s mound of a small infield replica. Images of Young are engraved into the center pillar, with slabs on either side highlighting his career achievements. “BASEBALL’S IMMORTAL PITCHER” is chiseled on the left half. “In his youth on a nearby farm, ‘Cy’ played baseball for love of the game, a quality that remained with him throughout his long life. He began his Major League career in 1890 with Cleveland and continued as an active pitcher in the big leagues until he retired at the end of the 1911 season.”
The right-side header reads, “MEMBER OF BASEBALL’S HALL OF FAME,” and the text below echoes the wording on plaques in Cooperstown: “Pitching for Cleveland, St. Louis, and Boston, his record of 511 victories in 912 games will never be surpassed. His total of 3508 strikeouts in 22 years and 751 complete games including three no-hitters, one of which was a perfect game in which no man reached first base, may also stand forever.”
To be sure, his plaque is a bit simpler. And the gravestone and memorial have different career totals from what Young was known to have accomplished: 815 games (not 874 or 912), 2,803 strikeouts (not 3,508) and 749 complete games (not 751). The discrepancies and inaccuracies are understandable, though – the memorial was installed in 1964, five years before The Baseball Encyclopedia debuted and nine years before Nolan Ryan threw his first no-hitter. As we drive out of the parking lot, I notice a lawn sign promoting the 2023 Cy Young Days Festival, a three-day celebration of baseball and the hometown hero held the fourth weekend in June. We’re about two weeks too early, but it gives us a reason to come back.
The Landmarks Committee held its inaugural election in 2023 to select three new sites to be added to the SABR Baseball Map. SABR members nominated over 30 sites that were not otherwise eligible for the Map, such as:
Locations of former ballparks or other sites where there is no physical structure remaining or historical marker;
Graves of individuals who are not in the Baseball Hall of Fame;
A vote was conducted, and 70 ballots were counted. The top three vote-getters were:
West Field in Munhall, PA (now the site of Chatham University’s athletic fields, this was the location of the Homestead Grays home field in the 1930s and 1940s).
Shoeless Joe Jackson grave in Greenville, SC
Ted “Double Duty” Radcliffe grave in Chicago, IL
The remainder of the top ten will be included on the 2024 ballot, which can be accessed here:
Harry Caray grave in Des Plaines, IL
Ray Chapman grave in Cleveland, OH
Former location of Giants Park in St. Louis, MO
Eddie Gaedel grave in Evergreen Park, IL
Luke Easter grave in Cleveland, OH
Abner Doubleday grave in Arlington, VA
Former location of Fitton Field in Worcester, MA
Complete voting results are shown below:
Rank
Type
Site
Address
City
State
Points
1
Ballpark
West Field
1848 West St.
Munhall
PA
76
2
Grave
Shoeless Joe Jackson
1901 Wade Hampton Boulevard (Plot located in Section V)
Greenville
SC
70
3
Grave
Ted “Double Duty” Radcliffe
Oak Woods Cemetery
Chicago
IL
35
4
Grave
Harry Caray
All Saints Catholic Cemetery and Mausoleum
Des Plaines
IL
33
5
Grave
Ray Chapman
Lake View Cemetery 12316 Euclid Ave
Cleveland
OH
33
6
Ballpark
Giants Park
6000 N. Broadway, bounded by Broadway, Clarence, Ave, Carrie Ave, and Bulwer Ave
St. Louis
MO
32
7
Grave
Eddie Gaedel
Saint Mary Catholic Cemetery
Evergreen Park
IL
26
8
Grave
Luke Easter
Highland Park Cemetery 21400 Chagrin Blvd
Cleveland
OH
20
9
Grave
Abner Doubleday
321 Sherman Dr.
Arlington
VA
20
10
Ballpark
Fitton Field
1 College St.
Worcester
MA
16
Grave
Louis Sockalexis
Old Town Cemetery 59 Down St.
Old Town
ME
10
Grave
Chick Stahl
Lindenwood Cemetery 2324 Main Street
Fort Wayne
IN
7
Grave
Louis Heilbroner
Lindenwood Cemetery 2324 Main Street
Fort Wayne
IN
6
Marker
Pittsburg Public Library
308 N Walnut
Pittsburg
KS
5
Grave
A. Bartlett Giamatti
Grove Street Cemetery
New Haven
CT
4
Grave
Andy Leonard
New Calvary Cemetery 800 Harvard St.
Mattapan
MA
3
Grave
George Gore
Masonic Care Community Cemetery
Utica
NY
3
House
Smoky Joe Wood
90 Marvel Rd
Westville (New Haven)
CT
3
Grave
Duffy Lewis
Holy Cross Cemetery Gilchreast Rd
Londonderry
NH
2
Grave
Jim Delahanty
Calvary Cemetery 10000 Miles Ave
Cleveland
OH
2
Grave
Everett Scott
Elm Grove Cemetery 3500 IN -124
Bluffton
IN
1
Grave
Jim Konstanty
Maple Grove Cemetery
Worcester
NY
1
Grave
Americus McKim
Elmwood Cemetery, 4900 East Truman Road
Kansas City
MO
0
Grave
Frank Delahanty
Calvary Cemetery 10000 Miles Ave
Cleveland
OH
0
Grave
Joe Delahanty
Calvary Cemetery 10000 Miles Ave
Cleveland
OH
0
Grave
Jimmy McAleer
344 Oak Hill Ave.
Youngstown
OH
0
Grave
Ed McKean
Calvary Cemetery 10000 Miles Ave
Cleveland
OH
0
Grave
Bonesetter Reese
344 Oak Hill Ave.
Youngstown
OH
0
Grave
Patsy Tebeau
Calvary Cemetery 10000 Miles Ave
Cleveland
OH
0
Grave
Bill Wambsganss
Calvary Cemetery 10000 Miles Ave
Cleveland
OH
0
Grave
Jack Barry
Sacred Heart Cemetery 250 Gypsy Ln
Meriden
CT
0
Grave
Jumping Jack Jones
East Lawn Cemetery
East Haven
CT
0
Grocery Store
Jim Lemon
3811 Hamilton St
Hyattsville
MD
0
Ballpark
Don Gutteridge Sports Complex
702 Memorial Dr
Pittsburg
KS
0
*Ned Hanlon’s gravesite was inadvertently listed on the initial ballot despite it having already been included on the SABR Baseball Map due to his Hall of Fame status. Any votes for this site were not counted.
I was fortunate enough to spend the start of July in one of the world’s great cities, Montreal, home to the Expos from 1969 to 2004. Of course the baseball history (and baseball card history!) of Montreal stretches back much further than that.
The Montreal Royals joined the International League in 1897 and went on to win seven league titles, all between 1941 and 1958. A Montreal Royal, James “Doc” Casey, is even represented in the 1909-11 American Tobacco Company “White Borders” (T206) set affectionately dubbed “The Monster.”
Of course, the most famous Royal of them all played for the 1946 Montreal squad, recognized as one of the top 100 minor league teams of all-time. A pleasant half hour walk through some fun and artsy neighborhoods brought me to his colorful mural at 3907 St. Laurent Blvd.
From there, I had two choices. Walk back to my hotel or walk another 30-40 minutes to hit another Jackie Robinson landmark. I chose the latter.
The Montreal Royals of Jackie’s time played their games at Stade De Lorimier (pronounced duh-lor-eem-yay). The ballpark is long gone, but the city has commemorated the “place of the Royals” with a…dingy metal sign?!
Okay, so that’s only half true. Yes, the marker could use an upgrade, but there is also an excellent tribute to Jackie Robinson just below it.
Loosely translated to English, the words on the sign read—
This commemorative plaque honors Jackie Robinson’s stay with the Royal team and marks the former location of De Lorimier Stadium.
By playing with the Royals, Jackie Robinson became the first player of color to play in professional leagues.
Jackie Robinson bequeathed his glory to his family and all baseball and earned an important place among the immortals of this sport.
In the minds of Montrealers, Jackie Robinson will always remain a symbol of excellence, courage and perseverance
City of Montreal, 1989
You may have noticed the plaque takes the form of home plate, and this is no coincidence. In fact, it is part of a larger mini-ballpark, complete with outfield grass and bleachers.
Though there were other landmarks I might have made by foot, I already had plans to tour them the next day with Montreal baseball artist Josée Tellier, whose wonderful Jackie Robinson artwork adorns the entrance to our guest room.
As this second day of landmarks was more distant from my hotel, we caught a cab to their general vicinity before setting out on foot. Our first stop was Jackie’s second mural in Montreal. If you look closely you’ll notice one of the locals totally not thinking what I’m doing is super dorky.
We were definitely in Mr. Robinson’s neighborhood now, or more correctly Mr. and Mrs. Robinson’s neighborhood. As proof, here is the house just a few blocks away that Jackie and Rachel called home in 1946.
Here is a closer look at the plaque by the door. (Note the bottom half presents the English translation.)
Our final landmark for the evening was nearby Jarry Park, home of the Montreal Expos from 1969-76. A small portion of the original stadium structure still remains as part of a newer tennis facility.
The street name equally serves to remind visitors that a beloved major league team once played here.
As we wrapped up this round of landmarks, Josée made sure I knew there was one more Jackie Robinson landmark we didn’t cover because it was too far away: the Jackie statue at Olympic Stadium. Lucky for readers of the Hardball Voyager, I got up the next day at 5 AM and decided a 7-mile walk wouldn’t be completely insane.
Here is a view of the statue without some guy blocking it.
And here is a close-up of the plaque.
Finally, here is the statue from further away. Olympic Stadium is the giant flying saucer-looking thing behind it.
Olympic Stadium was of course home to the Expos from 1977 until 2004, after which MLB relocated the team to Washington, DC. (Boo! Bud stole the Expos!) Amid all today’s talk of expansion and relocation, there are high hopes in Las Vegas, Nashville, Salt Lake City, and Portland but only the dimmest of forecasts for a return to Montreal.
Still, right in front of this stadium without a team stands Jackie—in what now may be recast as an act of defiance—handing the ball to the next generation, refusing to let the game die. I guess time will tell, at least here in Montreal.
Along with my son and a good friend from high school, I had some time to kill in Pasadena. Well, what does a SABR member do with time on his hands and a rental car? Consult the SABR Baseball Map of course! So yeah, I probably should have done that!
Instead I went from memory that there was a Jackie Robinson statue at the Rose Bowl, which was only 3 miles from our Caltech starting point. Having grown up in Los Angeles, I knew that meant we were anywhere from 5 to 55 minutes away! Ten minutes later, there we were!
Sculptor: Brian Hanlon
The observant baseball fan will quickly notice that the statue is of “football Jackie” rather than “baseball Jackie,” and this may be why the statue does not currently reside on our Baseball Map. What the observant football fan, my friend Abe for example, may notice is that the uniform number, 55, does not correspond to Jackie’s number as a UCLA Bruin.
Photo: Sports Illustrated
In fact, 55 was Jackie’s number when he starred for Pasadena City College.
Source: 1939 Pasadena City College yearbook
A final detail I’ll point out is the placard that stands to the right of the statue. The words read—
JACKIE ROBINSON
Life is not a spectator sport. If you’re going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion you’re wasting your life.
The photograph, perhaps curiously chosen, reflects Jackie as a family man. The scene itself comes from a celebration of son David’s first birthday (1953). Daughter Sharon, wife Rachel, and older son Jackie, Jr., are also shown with him.
All very cool, but as they say, “football, schmootball.” Isn’t there any cool baseball stuff around here? After grabbing a late lunch and killing an hour playing chess in the park, we made our way to Dodger Stadium where Clayton Kershaw would be taking the mound against the White Sox. Our entrance was just a stone’s throw from yet another Jackie Robinson statue, this one of the baseball variety.
Sculptor: Branly Cadet
Like the football statue, a famous Jackie Robinson quote is featured. This time the words hit a little harder.
There’s not an American in this country free until every one of us is free.
“Are we there yet?” is more or less the official question of every family road trip, baseball or otherwise, and here Jackie is telling us—unmistakably—”No. No, we’re not.”
Friends with mismatched caps
At this point, a formerly incidental detail of the statue takes on relevance. In our mind’s eye, Jackie is scoring this run. In reality, he leans there frozen, short of his goal as if to tell us the rest is up to us.
When it comes to baseball history, most fans will recognize the name “Eddie Gaedel.” He was the little person that Bill Veeck sent to the plate on August 19, 1952 for the St. Louis Browns. Paid $100 to entertain the crowd that day, Gaedel performed wonderfully- jumping out of a birthday cake, drawing a walk in his only career plate appearance, and tipping his cap to the crowd as he was replaced at first base with a pinch runner. On the surface, many may think this is a fun baseball story.
While Gaedel seemed in good spirits during the game, his life was a hard one. Teased and bullied his whole life, he turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism. Insecure about his height, he was quick to anger and was known to get into fights. On June 18, 1961, Gaedel went to a bowling alley near his home and got into a drunken altercation with an unknown person. Between leaving the bowling alley and arriving home, he suffered a severe beating. His mother found him lying dead in bed the next day. An autopsy showed that he had suffered a heart attack, likely a direct result of the beating. Gaedel was only 36 years old.
It is believed that Gaedel may have been robbed and beaten before arriving home, and then suffered a heart attack that ultimately killed him. Unfortunately, because of a lack of evidence, the case remains unsolved to this day.
Bob Cain, the pitcher who walked Gaedel on four straight balls, was the only person linked to Major League Baseball that attended his funeral.
Most people who have even a brief stint playing Major League Baseball find some acclaim and admiration from fans during their lifetime. Eddie Gaedel did not. Adding his gravesite (“Edward C. Gaedele” on the marker) to the SABR Baseball Map would give a chance for baseball fans to pay their respects to a person who did not receive much respect during his lifetime.
A recent work trip took me to Alabama…Prattville, specifically. If you don’t know exactly where that is, you’re much like I was when it was time to book my travel. About 15 minutes north on 65 from Montgomery, it turns out.
“Schwartz,” I said, as I handed my license to the clerk at the rental car counter. I didn’t imagine it to be an everyday last name in this part of the country.
“And you’re sure you have a car here?”
Like all modern travelers these days I took out my phone to search frantically through emails for my confirmation. Relieved it have found it quickly, I handed my phone to the clerk who would no doubt be a little embarrassed to have lost track of such an organized traveler.
“Sir, this is out of Montgomery.”
“Okay…?”
“And you’re in Birmingham.”
It was at this point that something I’d known intellectually for decades but had never really processed hit me like a ton of bricks. Montgomery and Birmingham, whatever their similarities, are in fact different cities.
Having forfeited all chances to play it cool, I asked the obvious.
“Nope, not far. You could get there in about two hours…”
Long pause.
“…if you had a car.”
“I take it you’re out of cars then?”
“Yep. Whole airport’s out.”
Taking a Lyft into town I was able to procure wheels from an Enterprise with one vehicle remaining, a rather large Dodge Ram pickup, and checked the map—the SABR Baseball Map that is!
Ten minutes later, there I was. The marker says it all: “The oldest surviving ballpark in America.”
I asked a guy packing baseball equipment into his truck if it was okay to go inside. “Yeah, sure thing. Have fun.”
“Satchel Paige faced Josh Gibson here,” I thought to myself. “I will definitely have fun.”
At first I simply stared out at the field. It was a site that shouldn’t exist anymore: a ballpark 113 years old being worked on for a game the same evening. So let me try again. This was a site that should exist. Living history.
The groundskeeper was fine with my walking around the field but asked that I avoid the infield dirt.
He also gave me a tip I might have missed on my own. “Go through the gate by the 392 marker to see the original wall.”
It was here I said goodbye to the spray charts of mere mortals and hello to those of Babe Ruth, Josh Gibson, Willie Mays, and Reggie Jackson. I was venturing into the land of 478-foot homers. Holy f*ck.
If I had all day I might have wandered this stretch for hours, rummaging for old toothpicks I might decide were Oscar Charleston’s or, as if it were possible, a baseball or two. Unfortunately I had to pick up some colleagues at the airport. And that would be Montgomery, not Birmingham. Different cities it turns out.
Still, I made some time to visit the gift shop, which doubled as mini-museum.
Checking the baseball map, I also found I had time for a brief stop at the Willie Mays statue outside nearby Regions Field.
And with that, it was time to hit the road. It was a dumb mistake to fly into the wrong city, but it was a smart one too. Plus, it could have been worse. Far worse.
Picture it: It’s the fall of 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic has affected nearly all aspects of day-to-day life. Groceries are delivered weekly and from 8:00 to 5:00 every day, my dining room table is converted into my office. I actually enjoy working from home and I am thrilled with the number of virtual conferences, presentations, and book clubs I’m able to attend. In short, lockdown wasn’t terrible for some of us with more introverted personalities. Nevertheless, some measure of boredom set in and the need to get out of the house and do something fun safely, while keeping a proper distance from others, began to grow. Exploring Pittsburgh’s cemeteries was, obviously to me, the answer.
Pittsburgh offers no shortage of spaces in which to indulge my interests, be they historical, sports-related, or connected to my love of all things pop culture. Within the following two years, I would find Honus Wagner’s grave at Jefferson Memorial Cemetery in Pleasant Hills, where, by the way, there is an abundance of mosquitoes in the summer. You’ve been warned. Frank Gorshin, who played the Riddler in the 1960s Batman television series (I am a huge fan) is buried in Calvary Catholic Cemetery, as it turns out, right next to my pre-work-from-home office. I was thrilled when Amazon Prime filmed a bulk of the new A League of Their Own series around Pittsburgh and tracking down those locations kept me busy several weeks in a row. Before all of that, however, I knew my maiden pandemic field trip would be in search of the final resting place of Cum Posey.
Homestead Cemetery in Munhall is a 10-minute drive from my house. Traveling south from the Squirrel Hill and Greenfield neighborhoods provides the baseball tourist plenty to see in terms of Negro Leagues history in a very short area along the way. First, I crossed the Monongahela River via the formerly named High Level Bridge, built in 1936. The structure was renamed the Homestead Grays Bridge in 2002 and in warmer months, features banners of former Grays and Crawfords players on light fixtures along both sides. At the end of the bridge, there are a few markers to see and it’s worth parking nearby and walking up to them. First, there is the bridge marker itself, complete with the Homestead Grays logo. Within a few feet is a Pennsylvania state historical marker providing a brief history of the team. Across the street, a painted banner hangs from the side of the building depicting Josh Gibson’s likeness and again, the Homestead Grays’ logo.
A block to the east, located in Hazel Way (an alley between 8th and 9th Avenues), lies the new Josh Gibson mural created by artist Jeremy Raymer and unveiled in 2021. The 2,000 square foot painting covers the entire back of a building, currently occupied by the Voodoo Brewing Company. The project was approved by Pittsburgh’s Josh Gibson Foundation, an organization that provides academic and athletic opportunities for young people. The art is outstanding and just one of many of Raymer’s murals found throughout Pittsburgh, which include personal favorites of horror icon Tom Savini in Lawrenceville and Roberto Clemente on the city’s north side. As a bonus, it’s now possible to catch a glimpse of the mural while traveling south on the Homestead Grays bridge. All of these Homestead and Munhall locations are technically within walking distance of one another, but keep in mind Pittsburgh’s extremely hilly landscape.
Further up the hill toward the cemetery lies another piece of Homestead Grays history. Just behind the Munhall municipal buildings and police station sits West Field, long ago a playing field and practice area for the Homestead Grays. Built in the late 1930s, the Grays used this facility, among others, for exhibition games, spring training, and official games when Forbes Field was otherwise unavailable.
Though completely renovated several years ago, the field is still worth stopping for on the way through Munhall. The playing field is completely turf now with the capability of hosting baseball, softball, football, and soccer games. Currently home to the Chatham University baseball and softball programs as well as the Steel Valley High School baseball team, the baseball field’s grandstand occupies the same space as the original West Field stadium. While the field offers little for the baseball history fan, it remains an interesting location to take in, knowing who played here decades ago.
Another three blocks up the hill, and finally, Homestead Cemetery sits opposite St. John Cemetery across Munhall’s Main Street. Weather permitting, the cemetery is open daily from sunrise to sunset. Upon entering the cemetery, the Posey family plot is located in Section D, which is situated between the two driveways on the left-hand side. Cumberland (“Cum”) Willis Posey Jr. was born in 1890 and is regarded as one of the finest all-around athletes of his time, certainly in western Pennsylvania.
A standout in baseball and basketball, Posey began playing with the Homestead Grays in 1911, was managing the team five years later, and by the 1920s became an owner for the next 25 seasons. Buried next to him is Ethel T. Posey, his wife of over 30 years. Thanks to the SABR Women in Baseball Committee, I knew that Ethel inherited ownership of the team after his death in 1946, making her a significant figure in Homestead Grays and baseball history. As with Josh Gibson’s grave across town in Allegheny Cemetery, there are sure to be items left in tribute by visitors—usually baseballs, trading cards, or photos. Cum Posey was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006 and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame a decade later.
Pittsburgh is a fun city that is full of monuments, exhibits, and memorials to its rich sports history and traditions. The SABR Landmarks Map is an excellent resource for finding these locations and more Negro League memorials across the country. For a huge dose of history packed into a small geographic location, look no further than Homestead and Munhall, Pennsylvania.
Business brought me to Fort Worth this past week, though a tight schedule prevented me from planning any baseball detours as part of the trip. Too bad since I’m currently working on the SABR Games story that took place in Fort Worth in 1952 and would have benefited greatly from even a few extra hours in town. But then I looked at the map. 🤔
Wait a minute! My meeting (at Tarrant County College) is only a mile from LaGrave Field?! Maybe, just maybe, I can pull this off.
Luck was with me as my event ended almost an hour early, so after saying my goodbyes and packing up my gear I set off on my mile-plus walk to the site of the Texas League’s first of two Dave Hoskins Nights. (If the name is unfamiliar, Hoskins was the two-way sensation who not only broke the Texas League’s Color Barrier in 1952 but was also the circuit’s top draw, top pitcher, and third best hitter. Previously he had starred in the Negro Leagues as part of the Homestead Grays Murderers Row!)
1952 Globe Printing baseball card
While the second Dave Hoskins Night was hosted by the ace’s home fans in Dallas, this first tribute, on August 28, came from the fans of his team’s crosstown rival, the Fort Worth Cats. Hoskins for his part pitched well enough to reward celebrants with a shutout and his 20th victory of the season. He even banged out two hits for good measure.
So this Dave Hoskins history was what was on my mind as I began the short walk to the ballpark, though Hoskins was hardly the most renowned player to take the field at LaGrave. Two of my favorite Dodgers, for example, were Fort Worth Cats en route to the big leagues: Duke Snider and Maury Wills, the latter breaking the team’s Color Barrier three years after Hoskins integrated the league.
The walk itself started out simple enough but got a bit dicey halfway through. Google’s walking directions had me take Main Street, which for several blocks became more highway than street. That there was no sidewalk over this stretch added adventure if not danger to this part of the journey. To boot, wearing a suit and carrying two travel bags wasn’t exactly optimal for dodging traffic, so I was fortunate that there weren’t many cars at this time of day. I was definitely happy to reach the stretch where the sidewalk resumed.
Abandoning the Google directions, I followed this street sign and turned off Main St. early to take a shortcut through a parking lot. I was quickly rewarded by a view of the ballpark. While taking my first photo, a car pulled up to me and asked if I was trying to get onto the field. Before I could respond fully, the driver warned me that the field was patrolled by a security guard whose car I could now see.
Just seeing the old shuttered ballpark, from any angle, made the walk worthwhile, but I had a second goal. To qualify for SABR Landmark status, abandoned ballparks, no matter how historic, need markers. Would my walk around the perimeter lead me to one?
Bingo!
Shadows didn’t permit a clean shot of the marker, but I could still make out the words.
FORT WORTH CATS HISTORIC LAGRAVE FIELD – Nearly 50 members of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown have played at LaGrave Field over the years.
In better days there was actually a bottom half to the sign, which named the Hall of Famers. In fact, the sign sells the old ballpark short as Satchel Paige and many other Negro League greats played here as well.
Having nabbed a picture of the marker, I also managed a picture of the old ticket office just before the aforementioned security guard interrupted my hardball voyaging.
The concerned watchman let me know they really didn’t like people walking around the ballpark, but he softened his stance somewhat when I told him I was from the Society for American Baseball Research. He asked how much longer I needed to be there and I told him I maybe needed just one more picture from a different spot. Reluctantly, he assented, and thanks to his largesse you are now looking at a shot of the centerfield scoreboard, complete with clock.
Here is an image from Google Maps that shows a much better view while testifying to the overall state of neglect and disrepair to which the ballpark has fallen victim. Graffiti runs the gamut from “Pimp” to “See God in everything.” (Click here for a photo not nearly as depressing.)
Between the watchful eyes of security and a plane to catch, my visit to LaGrave came to a quick end, though not without some humor. Having taken the most direct path to a spot I thought Uber could retrieve me, I sent my driver a helpful note.
“It’s Jason. I’m on Main and 7th, right across the street from…wait, what?!”
I enjoyed my short trek to LaGrave but also left saddened at the current state of the ballpark and its even more uncertain future. It’s easy to picture that even a year down the road, the history I was able to visit will be gone entirely, and with it, I believe, no small part of the cultural wealth and heritage of Fort Worth itself.
Baseball can be played in many places, but that isn’t to say they’re interchangeable. Some places are sacred, and I believe this is one of them. Walt Whitman sung of grass as “the beautiful uncut hair of graves.” Taking some liberty with his verse, here’s hoping the uncut hair of LaGrave might once again provide fans and yawpers alike with “the thrill of the grass.” Until then, if you’ll pardon the “potty” humor, I guess there’s always Bud Sellers. 🤣
The Greater Cincinnati region has been home to many outstanding baseball players – men and women – for decades. Any baseball fan’s visit to the area is likely to include stops at the Crosley Field marker, Great American Ball Park, and the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum. Across the Ohio River, however, fans will find sites related to an all-star athlete whose story may not be as familiar. Patricia Ann “Pat” Scott was a pitcher in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) and called parts of Kenton and Boone Counties home for most of her life. Scott’s long and varied career resulted in many unique and noteworthy experiences and yet, her short time as a baseball player is commemorated at two locations, a field named in her honor and her final resting place, detailing the history of Northern Kentucky’s “Mound Ace” of girls’ baseball.
For those unfamiliar with Pat Scott’s participation and contributions to baseball, she was born in 1929 and grew up near Burlington, KY on her family’s farm that featured a baseball diamond. Barnstorming and semi-pro teams would often use the field and young Pat took advantage, working out with the teams and developing into a fine athlete. Becoming a standout softball player in her teenage years first got her noticed by AAGPBL scouts and she was recruited to play for the Springfield (Illinois) Sallies in 1948. Just weeks into her first season, Scott left the league to care for her ill mother and would eventually decide to put any baseball career on hold in favor of attending college, traveling, and working.
Three years later, when the league was in short supply of solid overhand pitchers, Scott was again contacted by the league and offered a roster spot with the Fort Wayne (Indiana) Daisies. For the next three seasons, she would shine with the Daisies, winning an average of 16 games and leading Fort Wayne to the league playoffs each year. Scott’s life after baseball was just as remarkable, earning a degree in zoology, working as a medical technologist for years, training horses, becoming an accomplished artist in painting and wood carving, and competing in the Senior Games.
Located 25-30 minutes south of Cincinnati proper, Walton Community Park is easily found just off of I-75. The park features ample green space, a playground, basketball and tennis courts, a soccer field, and next to the parking lot, the ball field. Approaching the parking lot from the center drive, visitors are met with a large sign that reads “Pat Scott Field” – letting them know they’re in the right place. The sign has changed over the years with the current version including a photo of Scott, taken from newsreel footage from the early 1950s when the Daisies spent spring training in Alexandria, Virginia. This particular newsreel is now in the public domain and can be viewed on the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) website or by searching any number of video hosting sites such as YouTube.
The opposite side of the sign is an enlarged replica of Scott’s 1995 Larry Fritsch Cards baseball card and provides an educational bonus for visitors. Listed are both pitching and batting statistics for Scott’s three complete seasons in the league as well as a brief biographical text that includes her pitching the winning game against Rockford that gave Fort Wayne its first pennant in 1952. The field, named for Scott in 2002, is a small, standard field, but well maintained. Fencing surrounds an irregularly configured outfield and a dirt infield. The field is visible in a 2008 episode of Kentucky Life, a series produced by Kentucky Educational Television exploring culture and community throughout the Bluegrass State. During her segment, Scott spends the afternoon with host Dave Shuffett playing catch on the field that bears her name.
Approximately seven miles southeast of Walton lies Saint Patrick’s Cemetery, the final resting place of Pat Scott. The small cemetery is accessible from Verona-Mudlick Road, halfway between the small community of Verona and I-71. The rural location lends itself to a quiet and peaceful atmosphere – surrounded by green fields in warmer months. The small cemetery is bisected by a driveway and Pat Scott’s marker can be found near the rear right (west) corner. Scott’s headstone is quickly recognizable. A black marble stone bearing her name at the top and “Beloved Sister and Aunt” at the bottom. The center focus of the marker consists of an elaborate and thoughtful engraving, highlighting Scott’s career as a professional baseball player. The view is that of sitting behind home plate, a baseball speeding toward you, and Scott further back in a pitcher’s follow through stance. The image is based on a photo of Scott in her Fort Wayne Daisies uniform. The AAGPBL logo is featured to the right of
Pat Scott’s grave site marker is a fitting memorial, but also offers visitors more about the significance of her baseball career. First, there is the educational aspect of the imagery featured on the marker. Imagine a person seeing the marker who may have no knowledge of women’s professional baseball in the 1950s. The potential for educational exploration exists when presented with the image of a skirted ballplayer pitching overhand as well as the unique AAGPBL logo. Second, after such an accomplished life full of athletic, scientific, and artistic achievements, it is her time as a professional baseball player that is forever featured on Scott’s marker.
Memorial efforts and recognition for Pat Scott’s athletic career continue and her name can be found in the St. Henry District High School Hall of Fame, the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame, and listed with other All-Americans in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Pat Scott Field at Walton Community Park and Saint Patrick’s Cemetery both truly honor her individual athletic accomplishments and provide visitors with an opportunity to celebrate and learn more about her unique baseball career.