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Fogel Field (baseball)

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  • Comment: Still needs any further available in-depth sources overall. Cheers, SwisterTwister talk 07:55, 25 January 2016 (UTC)
Fogel Field
(Fordyce Field), (McKee Field), (Holder Field)
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Former namesFordyce Park; McKee Park; Holder Park
Location847 Whittington Ave
Hot Springs, AR
 United States
CoordinatesN 34° 30.905 W 093° 04.393[1]
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Broke ground1912
Opened1912
Closed1952
Main contractorsHot Springs Park Company
Tenants
Major League Spring Training
Philadelphia Phillies (NL) (1912)
Pittsburgh Pirates (NL) (1921-23, 1926)
Negro League Spring Training
Kansas City Monarchs (1928)
Homestead Grays (1930-31)
Pittsburgh Crawfords (1932-35) )
Minor League Spring Training
Indianapolis Indians (American Association) (1926-1927)
Milwaukee Brewers (American Association) (1927-31)
Montreal Royals (International League) (1932)
St. Paul Saints (American Association) (1934-1935)
Baseball Schools
Ray Doan Baseball School (1933-1938)
George Barr Umpire School (1935-1952)
Rogers Hornsby Baseball College (1939-1952)[2] [3]

Among the first Major League Baseball Spring Training venues, Fogel Field, (also known as Fordyce Field, McKee Field and Holder Field) was a Major League and Negro League Spring Training ballpark in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Built in 1912, it was home to the Philadelphia Phillies (1912) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1921-1923) as a spring training site. It was named for Phillies owner Horace Fogel and hosted numerous Hall of Fame players.[4]

History of Fogel Field

Hot Springs, Arkansas became the "birthplace" of Spring Training baseball in 1886. Chicago White Stockings' (today's Chicago Cubs), team President Albert Spalding (Founder of Spalding Sporting Goods) and player/manager Cap Anson first had the idea to bring players to Hot Springs for training and fitness before the start of the regular season.[5][6][7] After the White Stockings trained at the Hot Springs Baseball Grounds, and then had a successful season, other teams caught on to the Spring Training concept and brought their players for spring training in Hot Springs. [8] The St. Louis Browns, New York Yankees, St Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Spiders, Detroit Tigers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, Brooklyn Dodgers and Boston Red Sox were among the early squads to arrive in Hot Springs. Needing venues to play, Whittington Park/Ban Johnson Park (1894), Majestic Park/Jaycee Park (1909) and Fogel Field (1912) were all built in Hot Springs specifically to host Major League teams. [9][10]

GavvyCravath, Philadelphia Phillies, 1912

After the Hot Spring Baseball Grounds were used for other purposes, Whittington Park and Majestic Park were the only two fields for teams to utilize. Needing a third venue, Fogel Field was built by the Hot Springs Park Company in 1912 to meet the demand. [11] Philadelphia Phillies’ owner Horace Fogel immediately leased the field for his franchise and the field was named after him.[12] Located directly across the street from Whittington Park/Ban Johnson Park, Fogel Field had a small grandstand. Besides the Phillies, the park hosted the Pittsburgh Pirates, and was utilized by teams using Whittington Park/Ban Johnson Park due to its convenient proximity. Hall of Famers Babe Ruth, Cy Young, Honus Wagner, Grover Cleveland Alexander and Pie Traynor were among the roster of players to play at the site.[13][14]

As Major League teams eventually migrated to the warmer climates of Florida and Arizona for Spring Training, Fogel Field then became the Spring Training site for Negro League teams and Minor League teams. The Negro League Kansas City Monarchs (1928), Homestead Grays (1930-31) and Pittsburgh Crawfords (1932-35) utilized the site. Such Negro League Hall of Famers as Cristobal Torriente, Bullet Rogan, Smokey Joe Williams, Cumberland Posey, Cool Papa Bell, Josh Gibson, and Satchel Paige played at Fogel during this era.[15] Indianapolis, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Montreal were minor league franchises that utilized Fogel Field for Spring Training.[16]

On St. Patrick's Day, 1918, Babe Ruth, playing in a Spring Training game at nearby Whittington Park with the Boston Red Sox, hit a Home Run that traveled an amazing 573 feet. The home run sailed over Whittington Avenue, part of Fogel Field and landed in the alligator farm, which still exists, mostly unchanged. At the time Ruth was a pitcher, but in part due to his home run that day, he soon switched to hitting. The Alligator Farm has a marker recognizing the home run.[17][18][19]

Baseball Schools

From 1933-38, the annual Ray Doan Baseball School was held in Hot Springs, with Fogel Field utilized as one site for the hundreds of campers. Doan's school drew hundreds of younger players annually, with 1938 drawing 450 players. Doan had many famous players on his inst instructional staff, including: Rogers Hornsby, Grover Cleveland Alexander, Red Faber, Dizzy Dean, George Sisler, Bob Feller, Tris Speaker and Burleigh Grimes. [20][21]Legendary female athlete Babe Didrickson, attended in 1933. At the time Didrickson was the reigning Olympic Gold Medalist hurdler in the 1932 Summer Olympic Games and she went on to major success in golf.[22]

In 1939, Rogers Hornsby took over for Doan in Hot Springs and created the Rogers Hornsby Baseball College which operated until the 1950s, continuing to utilize Fogel Field.[23].

The first recognized Umpire School was held in conjunction with both baseball schools, starting in 1935. Drawing aspiring umpires, the George Barr Umpire School was the first of its kind and was operated by Major League Umpire George Barr. Future Major League Umpires Bill McKinley and Scotty Robb were attendees, as was war hero Harry Ladner. [24] [25]

Media/History

The National Baseball Hall of Fame library has a series of photos of the baseball schools and Cassidy Lent, Reference Librarian at the Hall of Fame, wrote the feature School Days in Arkansas, highlighting the baseball schools (and their use of Fogel Field). [26]

Memorabilia from the Umpire School, baseball schools and George Barr's umpiring career are on display at the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. The items were donated by George Barr. [27]

The George Barr Umpire School and the Hornsby Baseball School were featured in the March 10, 1947 issue of Life Magazine. [28][29]

Hall of Famer, Pie Traynor, Pittsburgh Pirates, 1922

Documentary

Fogel Filed is featured in The First Boys of Spring (2015), a Larry Foley documentary on Hot Springs Spring Training. The film is narrated by Hot Springs area native, actor Billy Bob Thornton.[30][31][32][33]

The Site Today

The grass field still exists at the site and is used by the Arkansas Alligator Farm for overflow parking.[34]

Today, there is a plaque at the site, near the alligator farm parking entrance. The plaque is part of the Hot Springs Baseball Historic Trail. The plaque reads: "Fogel Field. This field, also known as Fordyce Field, was constructed in 1912 by the Hot Springs Park Company to meet the demand of over 250 major leaguers training in Hot Springs. The Philadelphia Phillies’ owner Horace Fogel, leased the field for his team. The Phillies’ roster included pitching legend Grover Cleveland Alexander and slugging outfielders Gavvy Cravath and Sherwood Magee. The training ground was also later used by the Pittsburg Pirates."[35][36]

References

  1. ^ <http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMQ67H_Whittington_Park_Hot_Springs_AR
  2. ^ "Arkansas Baseball Encyclopedia - Spring Training in Hot Springs by Year".
  3. ^ http://arkbaseball.com/tiki-index.php?page=Spring+Training+in+Hot+Springs+by+Year
  4. ^ http://www.hotspringsbaseballtrail.com/see-the-trail/fogel-field/
  5. ^ http://baseballhall.org/archive-collection/short-stops/school-days-in-arkansas
  6. ^ http://www.hotsprings.org/pages/history-buffs/
  7. ^ http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=6221
  8. ^ http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=6221
  9. ^ "Ban Johnson Park-Whittington Park/Majestic Park/Fogel Field - Hot Springs Arkansas - Major League Spring Training grounds".
  10. ^ "Untold Stories".
  11. ^ https://arkansasdiamonds.wordpress.com/arkansas-diamonds/miscellaneous-ballparks/fogel-field/
  12. ^ http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMQ6JW_Fogel_Field_Hot_Springs_AR
  13. ^ http://arkbaseball.com/tiki-index.php?page=Fogel+Field
  14. ^ http://baseballhall.org/archive-collection/short-stops/school-days-in-arkansas
  15. ^ http://www.hotspringsbaseballtrail.com/untold-stories/snappy-aggregations-african-american-baseball-in-hot-springs-arkansas/
  16. ^ http://arkbaseball.com/tiki-index.php?page=Spring+Training+in+Hot+Springs+by+Year
  17. ^ http://billjenkinsonbaseball.webs.com/hotspringsbaseball.htm
  18. ^ http://www.baberuthcentral.com/babe-ruth/fan-rare-photos-babe-ruth-hot-springs/
  19. ^ Budd Bailey. "Road Trips!".
  20. ^ http://arkbaseball.com/tiki-index.php?page=Ray+Doan+Baseball+School
  21. ^ http://baseballhall.org/archive-collection/short-stops/school-days-in-arkansas
  22. ^ http://arkbaseball.com/tiki-index.php?page=Babe+Didrikson&structure=Professional+Baseball
  23. ^ http://arkbaseball.com/tiki-index.php?page=Fogel+Field
  24. ^ http://arkbaseball.com/tiki-index.php?page=George+Barr+Umpire+School
  25. ^ http://www.baseballsgreatestsacrifice.com/biographies/ladner_harry.html
  26. ^ http://baseballhall.org/archive-collection/short-stops/school-days-in-arkansas
  27. ^ http://newsok.com/article/3806892
  28. ^ John Bacchia (2011), "Augie: Stalag Luft VI to the Major Leagues" iUniverse, p.96
  29. ^ http://www.ebay.com/itm/LIFE-MAGAZINE-MARCH-10-1947-UMPIRE-SCHOOL-BABE-RUTH-HANK-GREENBERG-/150178490756
  30. ^ http://arkansaslife.com/boys-of-spring/
  31. ^ http://thefirstboysofspring.weebly.com
  32. ^ http://larryfoley.weebly.com/
  33. ^ http://www.sportinglifearkansas.com/rex-nelson-larry-foley-digs-first-boys-of-spring/
  34. ^ https://www.flickr.com/photos/arkbaseball/sets/72157633666033868/
  35. ^ http://www.hotspringsbaseballtrail.com/see-the-trail/fogel-field/
  36. ^ http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMQ6JW_Fogel_Field_Hot_Springs_AR
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