Doubleday Field, Cooperstown
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
Images
The Doubleday Field Marker, located on the front of the grandstand, commemorating the construction of the field as a product of the Works Progress Administration and the Village of Cooperstown in 1938 and 1939
Photo showing the entrance to the grandstand behind home plate. From here, the Works Progress Administration marker can be seen just to the right of the main entrance.
Photo by Alan Lincourt. A crowd packs the outside area and parking lot to Doubleday Field.
Grandstand that opened on June 4, 1924, holding 250 seats
Current grandstand and seating arrangement, which opened in 1939, allowing the field to house nearly 10,000 spectators.
View from behind the left field fence during one of the many games played each year.
View from behind the bleachers down the left field foul line, also shows the picturesque setting for a good baseball environment.
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
In 1919, a baseball field was created here with the support of local volunteers. the first game was played in 1920 and baseball has been played here ever since. After being purchased by the Village of Cooperstown, the field would slowly turn into a stadium. In 1924, a wooden grandstand was built offering seats for 250 spectators, In 1939, the current stadium was constructed with funding from the Works Progress Administration. The first game played here included many baseball legends including Babe Ruth.
Many legends of the game have come to play on this field since 1939, The annual Hall of Fame Game was played by two major league teams from 1940 to 2008. The game continues as the Hall of Fame Classic but does not include players on current major league rosters. The field also hosts concerts and festivals.
Sources
“Doubleday Field.” Cooperstown, NY Official Site, www.thisiscooperstown.com/attractions/doubleday-field.
“Doubleday Field Historical Marker.” Historical Marker, 26 Sept. 2016, www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=43672.
“History of Doubleday Field.” Baseball Hall of Fame, baseballhall.org/about-the-hall/history/history-of-doubleday-field.