LaGrave Field

Infobox_Baseball_Stadium
stadium_name = LaGrave Field
nickname =


location = 301 NE 6th St
Fort Worth, TX 76106
broke_ground = December 3, 2001
opened = May 23, 2002
closed =
demolished =
owner = LaGrave Reconstruction Company, LLC
Carl Bell - Chairman and CEO
operator = Fort Worth Baseball, LLC
surface = Grass
construction_cost = $4 million USD
architect = Jim Anglea Turf Construction Company
former_names =
tenants = Fort Worth Cats (Central Baseball League) (2002-2005)
Fort Worth Cats (American Association) (2006-present)
Texas Wesleyan University (Red River Athletic Conference)
seating_capacity = 4,100 fixed seats (2002)
dimensions = Left Field - 325 ft (99.1 m)
Center Field - 400 ft (121.9 m)
Right Field - 335 ft (102.1 m)

General information

LaGrave Field is a stadium in Fort Worth, Texas. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the Fort Worth Cats independent minor league baseball team. Its original version was the home of the predecessor Panthers / Cats team of the Texas League, during 1926-1958; the American Association in 1959; and then in Texas League again in 1964. It also served as the part-time home of the Dallas Rangers during 1960-1962. The ballpark was rebuilt during 2001, and opened in 2002 after the club played one season at Lon Goldstein Field.

The ballpark sits on land bounded by a parking lot and then North Calhoun Street (southwest, first base); Northeast 6th Street (if extended) (southeast, right field); Northeast 7th Street (if extended) (northwest, third base); and the banks of a branch of the Trinity River (northeast, left field). The imaginary line running from home plate through second base runs roughly east-southeast.

History

LaGrave Field opened in 1926, replacing Panther Park, which had been opened in 1900 and was located on the "west side of North Main Street, a few blocks from" the eventual LaGrave Field (Michael Benson, "Baseball Parks of North America", McFarland, 1989). Panther Park, in turn, had replaced Hayne's Park, located "in the 'Prairie' area near downtown."

After winning consecutive Texas League championships during 1919-1925, the club owners decided to build a new ballpark, which was named for the club's principle owner, Paul LaGrave. It turns out that the last year of the old ballpark was also the last year of the Panthers/Cats string of league titles, but the club would go on to win several more league titles in the 1930s and 1940s.

Early in the 1949 season, on May 15-16, the ballpark was attacked on several fronts, by a destructive fire and then rains and floods. The ballpark was rebuilt and rededicated in time for the 1950 season.

After baseball left the city in 1965, the site languished for years, but parts of it remained. When the site was rebuilt during 2001, the original dugouts were retained and renovated as as dugout suites, making LaGrave the only ballpark in America to house "four dugouts" [ [http://www.fwcats.com/ Fort Worth Cats Official Website] ] . The original location of home plate was also retained. [ [http://www.fwcats.com/ Fort Worth Cats Official Website] ]

Even at that, the ballpark was planned to be only a temporary site, to be replaced by an $8 million USD stadium owned by the Fort Worth Sports Authority; however that plan never materialized, due to soil contamination and water pollution at the city-owned site [ [http://www.fwweekly.com/content.asp?article=3196 Fort Worth Weekly - May 2, 2002] ]

When games are not being played, the southeast end of the stadium's parking lot serves as an official parking area for the Tarrant County Courthouse.

Texas Wesleyan University, an NAIA University also in Fort Worth, plays home games at LaGrave Field.

Members of Baseball's Hall of Fame

A sign outside the field states the following information:

Members of Baseball's Hall of Fame who have played at LaGrave Field:
Babe Ruth	Jackie Robinson	Pee Wee Reese	Lou Gehrig	Joe DiMaggio
Hank Aaron	Warren Spahn	Willie McCovey	Brooks Robinson	Herb Pennock
Pie Traynor	Carl Hubbell	Charlie Gehringer	Lloyd Waner	Tony Lazzeri
George Sisler	Luke Appling	Duke Snider	Paul Waner	Rogers Hornsby
Sparky Anderson	Bobby Doerr	Ralph Kiner	Earle Combs	Harry Heilman
Ted Williams	Stan Musial	Kiki Cuyler	Heine Manush	Chick Hafey
Bill Dickey	Monte Irvin	Yogi Berra	Roy Campanella	Willie Mays
Jim Bottomley	Leo Durocher	Bob Feller	Red Schoendienst	Bob Lemon
Richie Ashburn	Larry Doby	Lou Boudreau	Eddie Matthews	Johnny Mize
Don Drysdale	Ernie Banks	Nellie Fox	Enos Slaughter	Ted Lyons

External links

* [http://www.fortwortharchitecture.com/oldftw/oldlagravefield.jpgA photo of the original LaGrave Field]

References