Ainsworth Field facts for kids
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| Former names | Athletic Field (1914–1947) |
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| Location | Washington Place Erie, Pennsylvania 16502 |
| Owner | Erie School District |
| Operator | Erie School District |
| Capacity | 3,000 |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1913 |
| Opened | 1914 |
| Tenants | |
| Erie Sailors (Central League) (1928) Erie Sailors (Middle Atlantic League) (1938–1939, 1941–1942, 1946–1951) Erie Sailors (New York-Penn League) (1954–1959, 1961–1963) Erie Senators (New York-Penn League) (1960) Erie Tigers (New York-Penn League) (1967) Erie Cardinals (New York-Penn League) (1981–1987) Erie Orioles (New York-Penn League) (1988–1989) Erie Sailors (Frontier League) (1994) Erie Glenwood League Baseball (1995–present) Central Tech High School Falcons (1995–present) East High School (1995–present) Strong Vincent High School (1995–present) |
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Ainsworth Field is a baseball stadium in Erie, Pennsylvania. It can hold 3,000 fans. This field was once home to the Erie Sailors and other local minor league teams. They played there from 1928 to 1994.
In 1995, a new stadium called UPMC Park opened. This meant Ainsworth Field was no longer used for professional games. The stadium was fixed up in 2004. Today, it is used for high school and other local baseball games.
Stadium History
How Ainsworth Field Got Its Name
The ballpark first opened in 1914. It was called Athletic Field back then. On August 25, 1947, its name changed. It was renamed to honor James "Doc" Ainsworth. He was a special person who helped guide young people in Erie for many years.
Babe Ruth's Visit
A famous baseball player, Babe Ruth, visited the ballpark in 1923. He came with his team, Ruth's All-Stars. They played an exhibition game against the Erie Moose Club. Ruth's All-Stars won the game 15-1.
Babe Ruth played first base in that game. He hit two singles and made two mistakes. He also hit a huge home run! People still tell fun stories about where his home run ball landed. Some say it flew past Roosevelt Middle School, which is next door. Others believe it went right into the school's smoke stack.
Recent Updates
In August 2024, some small repair work started at the stadium. This work aimed to help more people use the stadium for games and events.
See also
