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.
2022 year marked the 30th anniversary of the highest grossing baseball film of all time, A League of Their Own. Countless screenings were held and other events were scheduled to celebrate this landmark film in the weeks before the release of the new Amazon television series of the same name. For me, a trip to Indiana that summer was both a figurative and literal homecoming to embrace the movie that has had a significant impact on my life for the past three decades.
I have been to Evansville’s Bosse Field and Huntingburg’s League Stadium many times. Both are about a 40-minute drive in different directions from my hometown in western Kentucky. I was 12 years old when filming began in the summer of 1991 and could still recognize what a big deal it was to have a Hollywood production come to southern Indiana. My brother and dad actually drove over to be extras late in the filming schedule for what would end up being the World Series scenes. The end result had a huge impact on me. Already fascinated (and still am) with World War II, I started reading anything I could find on baseball during the war, the home front, and this All-American Girls Professional Baseball League that I had never heard of (before seeing the movie five times in the theater). Decades later, I’m working with the International Women’s Baseball Center, creating Women in Baseball Week, and presenting at conferences on my research into women in the game. It’s safe to say I’m hooked, so imagine my excitement when heading home for a family visit, I saw both stadiums had games scheduled for the week I would be in town. What better way to relive all that film has given me than to pay them back-to-back visits?
Leading off was a trip to Bosse Field in Evansville. Located at 23 Don Mattingly Way, Bosse Field (pronounced “bossy” for those who might not know) opened in 1915 and is believed to be the third oldest professional ballpark still in use behind only Fenway Park and Wrigley Field. Though situated on the edge of Garvin Park, the stadium is nestled in a neighborhood of homes, factories, and warehouses, many dating back to the World War II era when Evansville was a leading armaments manufacturer for the war effort.
Location scouts for the film would have been hard pressed to find a more suitable ballpark for the production’s needs. The stadium is encompassed by a red brick wall, presenting a classic look, with lighting situated inside this outer wall but beyond the outfield fence and on top of the grandstand roof. Approaching the stadium, visitors are met by an impressive three-story tall main gate of brick, stone, and windows. For movie fans, this is where Jimmy meets Dottie’s husband post-World Series and they all exchange pleasantries before boarding the bus back to the hotel.
The area wrapping around the outside of the stadium in either direction of the main gate constitutes the concourse where most concessions and merchandise are sold. At both ends are additional entrances to the stadium and stepping through these North and South Gates, visitors will find more fun holdovers from the film. Just above these gates are old fashioned advertising for shoes and coffee used in filming and further up from each gate toward the back of the grandstand are two large, identical signs reading Support the Racine Belles. They look great and I am glad to see the stadium still embraces their role in its history 30 years later. The stadium seats just over 5,100 in green metal and wooden chair backs, situated in a smooth half circle and mostly under roof coverage. As always, I find myself moving to a new location every inning just to get a different look at the field.
Bosse Field has been home to the Frontier League Evansville Otters since 1995 and I’m lucky to still have trading cards, programs, and ticket stubs from that first season. On my visit, however, the Otters were on the road and the Women’s Professional Fastpitch tour was in town. A couple thousand people turned out to watch the USSSA Pride take on the Smash It Sports Vipers and the atmosphere was absolutely electric. Having been a softball fan for the past 30 years as well, I was experiencing a most unique opportunity to watch Shelby Pendley play live (for me, the first time in six years) and see Olympic gold medalist Kelly Krestchman coaching. Reigning NCAA home run queen Jocelyn Alo, on the heels of graduating from another national championship season at the University of Oklahoma, went yard on the first pitch of her first at bat. The crowd went wild and so did I.
On top of A League of Their Own filming, I know the AAGPBL played an exhibition game or two here in the late 1940s. How cool to see women pro ball players in Bosse where all of that had happened before. A small gift shop caught my eye on the way out where I bought a large book on the history of Bosse Field. Seemingly half the photos were contributed by Justin Sheller, who played Stilwell Angel in the film, which is fine by me.
The following day’s plans were extra special in that I brought my mom along to League Stadium for that evening’s game and my brother and niece would be driving down from Indianapolis to join us. My first trip to League Stadium would have been 1993 when, also with my mom, we stopped to see where the movie was filmed on our way to Bloomington, Indiana. We had a brief tour with a local volunteer, took a lot of pictures, and even bought a folding chair used in the film, which still sits in my office. New chair backs were obtained from the old Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium and installed in the late 1990s in time for the Dubois County Dragons of the Frontier League to take up residence. On this night, we would be watching the current tenants, the Dubois County Bombers of the summer collegiate Ohio Valley League play my hometown Owensboro RiverDawgs.
Similar to Bosse Field, League Stadium is situated in a city park, but surrounded by tennis and basketball courts, a playground, pool, and youth baseball and softball fields. A replica Rockford Peaches bus greets visitors at the park’s entrance. The ballpark does not have quite as grandiose of a main gate as Bosse, although this is understandable. The original rectangular grandstand dates back to the 1890s and it wasn’t until the location was chosen in 1991 for A League of Their Own that it was renovated to its current, more traditional ballpark shape. Movie fans will note that no scenes in the film feature the outside of this park.
The inside, however, is a nostalgic marvel. The aforementioned seats from Atlanta fill the lower area at field level, but the upper level near the press box remains the same bench seating from the film. At nearly 2,800 seats, League Stadium’s capacity is just over half that of Bosse Field. There is still a sign for Harvey Bars on the outfield fence and both the press box and left field scoreboard feature the same “Rockford Peaches” in script. A newer electronic scoreboard used for games sits just behind the right field fence. Like Bosse, food and merchandise are located outside of the stands. There is a small exhibit area with plaques, props and costumes from A League of Their Own and HBO’s Soul of the Game, also partially filmed here and released in 1996. Our tickets for the game had us about eight rows behind home plate, but from the looks of the stadium, there is not a bad seat in the house.
Many of the “amenities” found in current minor league stadiums are absent at both Bosse Field and League Stadium. You won’t find chain restaurant outlets, bar seating along the outfield wall, or a splash park for the kids. What League Stadium expertly delivers is a trip back through time, which I am sure appeals to a lot of us. The team’s nickname is derived from a World War II bomber and the players wear 1940s style uniforms. Female staff follow suit in replica Peaches uniforms and hand write seat assignments on ticket stubs. Flags and banners hang from the columns supporting the roof and most of the music played between innings is either Big Band or from the A League of Their Own soundtrack. Fans of both baseball and the film almost need multiple visits to take it all in and fully appreciate the total experience curated by both stadiums. First, there’s exploring the history and architecture of the spaces and witnessing the game in such a classic environment.
Next, you have the games themselves. Evenly matched summer collegiate baseball or professional softball will do it for me every time. Finally, there’s the movie aspect. Literally everywhere you look can be a reference to a favorite part of the film whether it’s the final collision at home in the World Series, Stilwell Angel getting nailed in the face with a glove, or the legendary “There’s no crying in baseball” scene.
My family’s visit to League Stadium was fun, although a bit sad. My dad passed away in October of 2019, leaving this mini-family reunion feeling incomplete. On the way home, I realized something that now has cemented A League of Their Own as a film, baseball or otherwise, that will always hit close to home. My absolute favorite shot of the entire film is during Kit’s at bat in the World Series. After driving a high one into right field, we see her rounding first heading straight toward the camera for a turn at second. Her skirt is flying, her cleats are kicking up dirt in the base path, and there is a wall of excited people in the stands behind her, punctuated by the giant Support the Racine Belles sign. It is a beautiful, classic shot. And then I made a new connection – my dad is there. Maybe not exactly in the shot as it’s difficult to pick out anyone specifically and I only know he was in the back of the first base / right field end of the stands. He had watched the whole scene being filmed and was a part of it, and now he’s forever a part of my favorite shot in a favorite movie about a sport and history that I love. It’s a bittersweet, but welcomed feeling every time I have watched the movie since.
A few months ago, I had the unique opportunity to watch the USA Baseball Women’s National Team play back-to-back games at former AAGPBL ballparks in Rockford and Kenosha, both of which are also on the SABR Landmarks Baseball Map. Watching these games, alongside AAGPBL players no less, was a unique experience that I never anticipated. I never thought I would write blogs for SABR or have dinner with actors, writers, and directors connected to A League of Their Own, both the film and the series. There is a beauty to never having specific expectations toward an interest or hobby and just letting it flow. I never anticipated A League of Their Own affecting me so profoundly, but thanks a visit home in 2022, I realize I’ve been living my best baseball life for 30 years.
From 2018 until about a month ago, I lived in Streamwood, Illinois. It’s about 35 miles from Chicago, with Elgin to the West and Schaumburg to the East.
Coming from Chicago on I-90 West, I’d exit to Barrington Road heading South, and getting home, I’d cut across Old Church Road to get to Schaumburg Road, which led to my street. The Old Church for which the street is named is the Immanuel United Church of Christ. Originally built in 1853; a new building arrived in 1868, and behind it is a small cemetery, where many of the original German settlers of Hanover Township (The village of Streamwood didn’t exist until 1957) are buried; many of the gravestones are old enough that the names are no longer legible.
The “Old Church” which inspired “Old Church Road”
It’s one of those cemeteries you pass and never imagine anyone remotely famous would be there until I was messing around with the SABR Graves Map and saw a marker in the vicinity of my house.
It turns out former Major League lefty Les Bartholomew is buried there. Bartholomew made it to the bigs for nine games; six for the Pirates in 1928 and three more for the White Sox in 1932.
Shout out to the SABR Graves map for making this possible
Bartholomew was born in Madison, Wisconsin in 1903 to Hyle and Augusta (Stiegman) Bartholomew. The family moved to Barrington (a little north of Streamwood) in 1912. The big lefty pitched for Burlington (Iowa) of the Mississippi Valley League in 1926, then for Columbia (South Carolina) of the Sally League the following season and he debuted for the Pirates April 11, 1928 before finishing the year with Dallas (Texas League). In 1929-30, Bartholomew pitched for Omaha (Western League).
Les Bartholomew, Columbia (SC) Comers (South Atlantic League), 1927
Bartholomew dealt with a sore arm in 1931, but still managed to strike out 17 in a game for Reedsburg in a 3-2 win over Baraboo in a Wisconsin American Legion game on June 14th. The Baraboo News Republic notes he was property of the Yankees at the time.
His next – and last – taste of big league action came in a 3-game cameo for the White Sox in 1932. He popped up on Midwest mounds through the mid-1930s. The Dayton Herald made mention of “The Husky Portsider” for the Middle Atlantic League Dayton Ducks in 1934, but it didn’t go well. Bartholomew made appearances for an Elgin (IL) team in 1935; curiously the Chicago Tribune referred to him as “Les Bartholomew, former Pittsburgh Pirate pitcher” despite having played for the White Sox only a few years prior. There were whispers of Bartholomew possibly joining the Racine Belles (Wisconsin State League) in 1936 but I was unable to determine whether he made the team.
Pittsburgh Pirates, 1928
In all, Bartholomew made nine major league appearances; his team lost all nine as he posted a 6.75 ERA in 28 innings. He recorded seven career strikeouts, and no fewer than three were of future Hall of Famers – Mel Ott, Jim Bottomley & Hack Wilson.
According to his 1972 obituary in the Barrington Courier Review, he had been self employed as a metal polisher, and was survived by wife Esther and a son, Richard. He lived in Barrington at the time.
It’s too bad I wasn’t able to discover Les Bartholomew until my last month in Streamwood, but it was enjoyable getting to learn a little bit about a former big leaguer who lived nearby.
If you’re reading about SABR Landmarks research projects, you undoubtedly love seeing historical roadside markers. The more specific and local, the better. George Washington slept here. Teddy Roosevelt lived there. First Roman Catholic Church in the area. You get it. We see them when we’re least expecting and are probably driving too fast half the time to read every word, but we immediately appreciate that someone took the time to research and get that marker placed so that patrons of future generations know why that exact spot is special.
Before we get to baseball history on Long Island, it’s worth mentioning my origin story with historical markers. Without the work we did through the Press Club of Long Island (PCLI), no sports history markers would exist. PCLI is the local pro chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), the oldest organization representing journalists in the United States. As the longest-serving president of PCLI from 2014-2018, I constantly sought interesting ways to put the organization on the map and have it stand out from hundreds of other chapters nationwide. Our projects had to relate to our core values of education, advocacy, and ethics.
I noticed that SPJ had an application to apply for a chance to get a historical marker related to local journalism history for your region. I applied, and we didn’t get selected. In speaking with a longtime board member, local historian, and journalist, Bill Bleyer, I suggested we put up our own historical marker. He had experience doing it, the board agreed, and we sought our first location, which happened to be in Hempstead, NY, where Newsday was first printed in 1940. What better way to start than the spot where the island’s most recognizable news source came to life? We erected four markers during my tenure as PCLI president.
The journalism marker project began in 2015. I became President of the Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame in 2017. The Hall originated in 1990 and has honored people of significance related to sports, from coaches and pro players to journalists and athletic administrators. From Craig Biggio, Carl Yastrzemski, and Henry Chadwick to Frank Catalanotto and Sal Agostinelli, there is no shortage of baseball people from Suffolk County who have reached the pinnacle of the sport.
After rebranding the Hall, creating a digital archive of all Hall artifacts and documents, reimagining the induction ceremony and process, and evolving several satellite exhibits in the county, I wanted to make a splash with another purpose by enhancing our mission. Since then, the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame has developed a marker project honoring places of historical significance.
So much history has happened on our 118-mile-long stretch of land. If it were a state, Long Island would be the 13th most populated in the country. It’s common to see markers designating where George Washington visited during the Revolutionary War, especially since he ran a spy ring in the area, and the Battle of Long Island was the first conflict following the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. But did you know Satchel Paige pitched here in 1950? Imagine seeing Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in a barnstorming game on the south shore in 1930, just three years after the 1927 New York Yankees built a reputation as one of the greatest teams in history. Ever think about where Yasztremski played his high school ball?
There is no shortage of sports history, so I set out to spread the love and educate with one marker at a time.
Independent Baseball on Long Island
The Long Island Ducks, who play in the Atlantic League, have been synonymous with the area for over 20 years. Families and kids have made it a right of passage to attend Ducks games in Central Islip, NY, since 2000. In 2019, during the 20th season of Ducks baseball, we put up our first marker to commemorate the longest-running pro sports organization in the county. It felt right as the Ducks were celebrating their anniversary to mark it with this placard next to Fairfield Properties Ballpark.
“When Frank Boulton began this journey, many did not think a minor league ballpark in Suffolk County would work,” said Ducks President/GM Michael Pfaff. “Then, with the initial great success of the Ducks, others predicted it would not last. This marker celebrates the success and longevity of Long Island’s hometown team, a tradition we look forward to continuing.”
The Ducks baseball team got its name from the Long Island Ducks hockey club that played at Long Island Arena from 1959 through 1973. The Ducks have had some good talent, including big leaguers Rich Hill, Carl Everett, Edgardo Alfonzo, Danny Graves, Lew Ford, and Daniel Murphy.
Celebrating Yaz’s High School Stomping Grounds
We were delayed in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic but picked up with our second marker at Bridgehampton High School on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. The historical marker to honor where Baseball Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski played prep ball was timed with the resurrection of the baseball program in Bridgehampton, which returned after a 43-year hiatus.
Yastrzemski was inducted into the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame in 1990, grew up in Bridgehampton, graduated in 1957, and hit .512 during high school. Yaz, unfortunately, did not come down from Massachusetts for the event.
Yaz’s longtime friend Dan Shedrick of Sag Harbor read a statement during the ceremony written by the local icon: “I truly regret that I am unable to join you today for this special honor. My thanks to my coaches and teammates, and members of the Bridgehampton community for their support. Most importantly, my congrats to the ‘Bridges’ new varsity team — learn from your coaches, play hard and have fun.”
Satchel Paige Barnstorming Moment Immortalized
Baseball Hall of Famer Satchel Paige pitched in Riverhead, NY, during a barnstorming game on July 21, 1950. Thanks to Fabio Montella, an assistant professor of library services and history for Suffolk County Community College’s Eastern Campus in Riverhead, this research was brought to my attention, and we circled this spot as the third location deserving a marker, which was erected on May 5, 2022.
The marker was placed on Riverhead Schools’ property on Osborn Avenue, where Wivchar Stadium once stood. Paige pitched for the Philadelphia Stars, a semipro barnstorming team. Also at the game that day was Carl Yastrzemski Jr., a 10-year-old bat boy for the Riverhead Falcons, a team his dad, Carl Sr., played on.
Ruth and Gehrig Come to Lindenhurst
I placed the Hall of Fame’s fourth historical marker at the location where Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig played a barnstorming game in Lindenhurst, NY, in 1930. We dedicated the marker on October 18, 2023.
Ninety-three years to the day, the marker was placed to designate the location on South Second Street, where the Baseball Hall of Famers played against Addie Klein’s Lindenhurst Nine.
There were more than 4,000 fans in attendance at the game. Ruth hit a monster home run that is believed to have gone at least 500 feet. Gehrig had three hits. After the game, they had a drink at the Plaza, a hotel, restaurant, and bar on Montauk Highway.
What’s next?
The process is different for each location. It depends on who owns the property and who can grant permission to put the marker in the ground. It might be a private owner, a school district, or a village government. I also rely on a maintenance, facilities, or public works team to help do the installation. Finally, none of this is possible without the beautiful craftsmanship from Catskill Castkings, who makes the markers and ships the heavy piece to me directly on Long Island.
You might be asking why we’ve only had baseball markers to date. It’s purely a coincidence, but I’m happy with the theme it presents to support our national pastime. We have a working list of markers for various sports worth considering in the future. Shinnecock Hills (Golf), Bridgehampton Raceway (Racing), Long Island Arena (Hockey), and the Canoe Place Inn (Boxing), where John Sullivan trained before his heavyweight title fight in 1892, to name a few. On the baseball front, we’ve explored the location where an all-woman baseball team, similar to the ones in “A League of Their Own” played, two more spots where Babe Ruth played in Riverhead and Kings Park, the field in Sag Harbor where Henry Chadwick watched games, and, my favorite, the location where the first all-Black baseball team played in 1885. The New York Cuban Giants were inducted into the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame in 2019, and there is a large rock at the location of the old Argyle Hotel in Babylon, NY, to commemorate the location. The year 2025 marks the 140th anniversary of the team’s formation, a nice round number to honor with a historical marker.
Here’s to preserving history, honoring the past, and inspiring the future …
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.
The Hardball Voyager 