Posts by Byron Bennett
Atlanta’s Other Lost Ballpark – Ponce De Leon Park
Long before Turner Field, before Fulton County Stadium, there was a wonderful minor league ballpark in Atlanta known as Ponce De Leon Park. Ponce De Leon was the home to the Atlanta Crackers and Atlanta Black Crackers. The Atlanta Crackers played in the Southern Association from 1901 until 1965, and played at Ponce De Leon in…
Read MoreSearching For The Baltimore Black Sox’s Lost Ballparks
Just south of Camden Yards are two historic baseball sites, the exact location of which was unknown until November 2013. The first was Maryland Baseball Park, located at the intersection of Bush Street and Russell Street, where the Baltimore Black Sox played from 1921 to 1932. The second was Westport Park, located two blocks south…
Read MoreShoeless Joe Jackson Comes To Greenville And Stays
Joesph Jefferson Wofford “Shoeless Joe” Jackson was born in 1887 in Pickens County, South Carolina, just west of Greenville. He began his professional baseball career in 1908, playing first for the Greensville Spinners and then for the Philadelphia Athletics later that season. In addition to the Athletics, Shoeless Joe also played for the Cleveland Indians…
Read MoreChicago’s South Side Park And The Neighborhood Of Lost Ballparks
South Side Park, located at the intersection of W Pershing Road and S Princeton Street in Chicago, Illinois, was the home of the Chicago White Sox from their inception in the American League in 1901 until mid way through the 1910 season. Starting in 1911, the ballpark was home to Rube Foster’s Chicago American Giants.…
Read MoreChicago’s West Side Grounds – Where The Cubs Last Won the World Series
West Side Grounds (also called West Side Park) at the intersection of S Wolcott Avenue and W Polk Street was the home of the Chicago Cubs from 1893 until 1915. It was the second ballpark in Chicago known by that name, the first being located a mile to the northeast at the intersection of South…
Read MoreWalter Johnson: The Montgomery County Farmer Who Could Also Pitch
Walter Johnson was arguably the greatest pitcher of all time. He played his entire major league career for the Washington Senators from 1907 to 1927, compiling a record of 417-279 and an ERA of 2.17 for often last-place Washington squads. Johnson struck out 3,509 batters during his 20 year career and was nicknamed the “Big…
Read MoreLonaconing’s Own Lefty Grove
Robert Moses “Lefty” Grove was one of the greatest left-handed pitchers of all time. He spent his 17 year major league career with the Boston Red Sox and the Philadelphia Athletics, compiling a record of 300-141 with an ERA of 3.06. Prior to his major league debut, he pitched for several seasons for the Baltimore Orioles…
Read MoreAlbert Spalding and Point Loma Nazarene University
Baseball pioneer and Hall of Famer Albert Spalding played for two early major league teams in the 1870s, the Boston Red Stockings (who later became the Braves) and the Chicago White Stockings (later known as the White Sox). Towards the end of his playing days he helped form the National League and, with an eye…
Read MoreTed Williams – His Boyhood Home When “The Kid” Was Just A Kid
Ted Williams, the Splendid Splinter, grew up in the North Park section of San Diego, California. His boyhood home is located at 4121 Utah Street. His home on Utah Street is located in the North Park section of San Diego, just northeast of Balboa Park. The home is a modest, one story bungalow. Williams lived there…
Read MoreCharlie Ebbets’s Field
Ebbets Field was home to the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1913 until 1957. The ballpark was the brainchild of Dodgers owner Charlie Ebbet. He spent four years piecing together the land necessary to construct the ballpark when it became clear that the Dodgers’ home at Washington Park was no longer suitable. Located in the Flatbush section…
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