Simmons Field

Simmons Field is a baseball stadium in Kenosha, Wis. It is currently the home of the Kenosha Kings of the Wisconsin State League, Kenosha American Legion Post 21, Kenosha Tremper High School, and the Men's Senior Baseball League of Kenosha.

The ballpark has a capacity of 3,000 people and opened in 1920 as the home of the Simmons Mattress Industrial League team in an early incarnation of the Midwest League. The original wooden grandstand was burned down by the crosstown rival Nash Motor Company team after that 1920 season. The current grandstand and current field configuration was put into play for the 1921 season.

Simmons features a permanent grandstand behind home plate, with semi-permanent metal bleachers along the left field line. At one time, there were in-ground dugouts and wooden bleachers behind the first base dugout. The in-ground dugouts were removed by the Kenosha Parks Department due to flooding problems in 2001. Right now, there are enclosed, field-level metal benches. The wooden bleachers, installed as part of a Works Progress Administration project in the 1930s, were removed in 2004. The minor league scoreboard, installed in 1984, broke down permanently in 2004 and was removed.

Simmons Field was the home of the Kenosha Comets of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League from the late 1940's through their final season in 1951. This league was made famous in the 1992 movie “A League of Their Own”. The Class A Midwest League affiliate of the Minnesota Twins called Simmons home from 1984 through 1992. It also hosted a Northwoods League franchise Kenosha Kroakers from 1994 through 1999 and the Kenosha Mammoths of the Frontier League in 2003. Other semi pro men's teams such as the Kenosha Chiefs and Kenosha Pirates also played at Simmons Field. Having called Simmons Field home every season since 1984, the Kenosha Kings are one of the longest serving tenants at the historic field.

As of January 1, 2007, ownership of Simmons Field was transferred from the Parks Department to the Kenosha Unified School District. The district has since leased the field out to the Kenosha Simmons Baseball Organization (KSBO), a non-profit working to upgrade and restore the stadium. In the fall of 2007 the field and grandstand restoration began with the installation of a new infield installed by H & K Sports Fields of Egg Harbor, Wis..