Swayne Field

Swayne Field

Swayne Field was a minor league baseball park in Toledo, Ohio. It was the home of the Toledo Mud Hens from July 3, 1909, until the club disbanded after the 1955 season. It was also home to a short-lived entry in the South-Michigan League in 1914.

The park was named for Noah H. Swayne, Jr., the son of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Noah Haynes Swayne, who donated the land for the ballpark.[1] The double-decker ballpark replaced Armory Park.

The ballpark was located on a block bounded by Monroe Street (southwest - first base), Detroit Avenue (southeast - right field), Council Street (northeast - left field) and railroad tracks (northwest - third base).

Ground was broken on March 6, 1909, and the park opened on July 3. The opening game crowd got its money's worth, as the game went 18 innings, Columbus edging out Toledo 12-11. (Toledo Baseball Guide, p. 97)

Field dimensions initially were 360 feet down the left field line, 482 feet to center field, and 327 to right field. The park initially held 11,800 spectators. 1928 expansion added 3,000 more seats. Inner bleachers cut the center field distance to 425. In later years, an inner fence cut down the size of the left and center field areas further, to become more "home run friendly".

With the Mud Hens calling this field their home for the better part of 4612 years, this was the longest-lived of the many ballparks used for professional ball in Toledo. There were a few interruptions. The Mud Hens were transferred to Cleveland for 1914 and 1915 by their owner, who was also the owner of the Cleveland Indians. This was done to keep the Federal League at bay, by ensuring that there was a home game every day at Cleveland's League Park.

Another team was placed in Toledo for 1914, as part of the South-Michigan League. The "Soumichers" or "Little Mud Hens" drew poorly and became strictly a road team for the second half of the season. There was no club in 1915. In 1916, the original Mud Hens transferred back from Cleveland, with the Fed having folded.

The Mud Hens had little success over the years, and in mid-1952 the team transferred to Charleston, West Virginia. Another AA club transferred to Toledo for 1953, but after three seasons it left, and Swayne Field was demolished soon after.

The revived Mud Hens would begin in 1965 at Lucas County Stadium in Maumee, Ohio, which had been remodeled specifically to attract baseball to Toledo again.

Contents

See also

Sources

  • The Toledo Baseball Guide of the Mud Hens 1883–1943, Ralph Elliott Lin Weber, 1944.
  • Baseball Parks of North America, Michael Benson, McFarland, 1989.
  • Baseball in Toledo, John R. Husman, Arcadia, 2003.

Notes

  1. ^ "Swayne Field", Toledo's Attic, accessed March 1, 2009

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Swayne — may refer to : * Charles Swayne, American judge * Desmond Swayne (1956 ), conservative politician in the United Kingdom * Geraldine Swayne (1965 ), a British painter and film maker * Giles Swayne (1946 ), British composer * Harry Swayne (1965 ),… …   Wikipedia

  • Swayne — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Swayne peut faire référence à : Charles Swayne, un juge américain, Charles Richard Swayne (1843 1921), un commissaire résident des Kiribati de 1892 à …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Noah Haynes Swayne — Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court In office January 24, 1862 …   Wikipedia

  • Kevin Swayne — (born January 17, 1975 in Riverside, California) is an American football wide receiver. In the past, he has played for Wayne State College, the Iowa Barnstormers (AFL), the New York Jets (NFL) and the Orlando Rage (XFL). Swayne currently plays… …   Wikipedia

  • Wager Swayne — Infobox Military Person name= Wager Swayne born= Birth date|1834|11|10 died= Death date and age|1902|12|18|1834|11|10 placeofburial= caption=Medal of Honor recipient nickname= placeofbirth= Columbus, Ohio placeofdeath= New York City allegiance=… …   Wikipedia

  • Toledo Mud Hens — Founded in 1897 Toledo, Ohio Team Logo …   Wikipedia

  • Ned Skeldon Stadium — Coordinates: 41°35′04″N 83°38′39″W / 41.58456°N 83.644203°W / 41.58456; 83.644203 Ned Skeldon Stadium, originally opened as Lucas C …   Wikipedia

  • Ohio League — Sport American football Founded 1903 Claim to fame Predecessor to the National Football League (NFL) Inaugural season 1903 No. of teams 23 Country(ies) …   Wikipedia

  • Armory Park — was a minor league baseball park in Toledo, Ohio. It was the home of the Toledo Mud Hens and their predecessors from 1897 until mid season 1909 when Swayne Field opened.Armory Park is the first Toledo ballpark for which any photograph is known to …   Wikipedia

  • List of baseball parks in Toledo, Ohio — This is a list of venues used for professional baseball in Toledo, Ohio. The information is a synthesis of the information contained in the references listed.;League Park:Occupant: Toledo Blue Stockings Northwestern League (1883); American… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”