Bowman Field facts for kids
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Bowman Field during the 2023 MLB Little League Classic
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| Former names | Memorial Field (1926–1929) Bowman Field (1929–2000) |
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| Location | Williamsport, Pennsylvania 17701 |
| Coordinates | 41°14′32″N 77°02′49″W / 41.242347°N 77.047067°W |
| Owner | City of Williamsport |
| Operator | Williamsport Crosscutters |
| Capacity | 2,366 |
| Field size | Left Field: 323 ft (98 m) Center Field: 411 ft (125 m) Right Field: 331 ft (101 m) |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | October 1925 |
| Opened | April 22, 1926 |
| Construction cost | US$75,000 ($932,000 in 2021 ) |
| General contractor | James V. Bennett/Drennen Bros./J. C. Dressler |
| Tenants | |
| Williamsport Crosscutters (NYPL/MLBDL) 1999–present MLB Little League Classic (MLB) 2017–present Williamsport Outlaws (FHL) 2012 Williamsport Cubs (NYPL) 1994–1998 Williamsport Bills (EL) 1987–1991 Williamsport Tomahawks (EL) 1976 Williamsport Red Sox (NYPL) 1971–1972 Williamsport Astros (NYPL) 1968–1970 Williamsport Mets (EL) 1964–1967 Williamsport Grays (EL) 1954–1956, 1958–1962 Williamsport A's (EL) 1953 Williamsport Tigers (EL) 1951–1952 Williamsport Grays (EL) 1950 Williamsport Tigers (EL) 1947–1949 Williamsport Grays (EL) 1938–1946 Williamsport Grays (NYPL I) 1926–1937 |
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Pennsylvania Historical Marker
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| Official name: Bowman Field | |
| Designated: | July 29, 2000 |
Historic Bowman Field is a super old and famous baseball stadium in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. It's home to the Williamsport Crosscutters, a team where future baseball stars play in the MLB Draft League. With room for 2,366 fans, Bowman Field is the second-oldest minor league baseball park still in use today! It first opened way back in 1926.
This historic field is also where the Pennsylvania College of Technology Wildcats play their home games. For over a decade, they've called Bowman Field their own.
In 1929, the stadium was named after a local businessman, J. Walton Bowman. Then, in 2000, it officially became "Historic Bowman Field" because of its long and important past.
Since 2017, something really cool happens here every August. Major League Baseball (MLB) teams come to play a special game called the MLB Little League Classic. This happens while the Little League World Series is going on nearby.
In 2012, Bowman Field even had an outdoor ice hockey rink called Airmen Pond. It was home to the Williamsport Outlaws hockey team for a short time.
Discovering Bowman Field's Past
Early Baseball Fields in Williamsport
Before Bowman Field, baseball teams in Williamsport played in different spots. One early field was near the West Branch Susquehanna River. Today, that area has roads and a levee instead. Another field was in the Vallamont neighborhood, where Cochran Elementary School now stands. Later, teams played at Williamsport High School's field, which is now part of the Pennsylvania College of Technology.
Building a New Home for Baseball
Bowman Field was built in 1926 for the Williamsport Grays. They were a new team in the New York–Pennsylvania League. The Grays needed a bigger, permanent stadium because their old high school field was too small.
Local leaders and baseball fans worked together to build the new stadium. J. Walton Bowman, who the stadium was later named after, helped a lot. The stadium was first called Memorial Field. It cost $75,000 to build, which was a lot of money back then! Construction started in late 1925, and the field was ready for the 1926 baseball season.
The original field was huge! It was 367 feet (112 m) to the right field foul pole, 450 feet (137 m) to dead center field, and 400 feet (122 m) to the left field foul pole. It even had a unique terrace in left field.
The very first game at Bowman Field was on April 22, 1926. The Grays played against Bucknell University. The first professional game was against the Harrisburg Colored Giants. The Grays played their first league game on May 4, beating the Shamokin Indians 5-1.
The Eastern League Years
Bowman Field was home to teams in the Eastern League for almost 70 years. The Williamsport Grays started there in 1926. The last Eastern League team to play at the park was the 1991 Williamsport Bills.
Williamsport teams were part of this league for 46 years. They had different names like the Grays, Tigers, A's, Mets, Tomahawks, and Bills. These teams were connected to famous MLB teams like the Philadelphia A's, Pittsburgh Pirates, and New York Mets.
The Famous Potato Incident
In 1987, something very funny and unusual happened at Bowman Field! A catcher for the Williamsport Bills, Dave Bresnahan, was playing against the Reading Phillies. With a runner on third base, Bresnahan secretly switched his catcher's mitt. He had hidden a shaved-down potato inside!
When the pitch came, Bresnahan threw the white potato down the third-base line. The runner thought it was the ball and ran home! Bresnahan then tagged the runner with the real baseball. The umpire was not happy about the trick and let the runner score.
Bresnahan was released from the team the next day. But the people of Williamsport loved his clever idea! The team even retired his number 59. At the ceremony in 1998, Bresnahan joked, "Lou Gehrig had to play in 2,130 games and hit .340 for his number to be retired, and all I had to do was bat .140 and throw a potato."
The New York–Penn League and Beyond
Baseball came back to Bowman Field in 1994 with the New York–Penn League's Williamsport Cubs. In 1999, the team became the Crosscutters, connected to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The stadium got some big upgrades before the 2002 season. Later, the Crosscutters became a team for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2006.
After 2020, Major League Baseball changed how minor leagues worked. Williamsport left the New York–Penn League. Now, the Crosscutters are a collegiate summer baseball team in the new MLB Draft League. This league helps showcase players who might get drafted by MLB teams.
Ice Hockey at Bowman Field
In 2012, Bowman Field hosted something totally different: ice hockey! The Williamsport Outlaws of the Federal Hockey League played their season on an outdoor rink built right on the baseball field. This rink was called Airmen Pond.
The rink opened on October 18, 2012. The Outlaws' first home game on October 24 brought over 3,000 fans, which was a record for the league! The rink was also open for public skating and local amateur teams.
Stadium Upgrades and Renovations
On May 26, 2016, work began on a big project to upgrade Bowman Field. This $3 million project added a new deck for fans to enjoy food and drinks. These renovations helped make one of the country's oldest baseball parks even better. As of 2017, the stadium's seating capacity is 2,366.
The MLB Little League Classic
Since 2017, Bowman Field has hosted a super exciting event: the MLB Little League Classic. This special game brings real Major League Baseball teams to Williamsport every August. It happens during the Little League World Series, which is held nearby.
The first game was on August 20, 2017, between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Tickets are usually for those involved in the Little League World Series and some local residents. The game is even shown on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball! Before the first game, the field was updated to meet MLB's high standards.
How Bowman Field Got Its Name
The stadium was first called Memorial Field from 1926 to 1929. On June 26, 1929, it was renamed Bowman Field. This honored J. Walton Bowman, who was the president of the Grays team. He played a huge part in getting the stadium built. In 2000, the name was changed to Historic Bowman Field to celebrate its long history.
Over the years, the stadium has also had names from sponsors. Banks like Susquehanna Bank and BB&T added their names for a while. In 2020, a new deal was made with Muncy Bank and Trust. As of 2023, that bank merged with another, so the sponsor name changed again to Journey Bank.
Championship Teams at Bowman Field
Bowman Field has been home to several championship teams:
- 1934 Grays, New York–Pennsylvania League champions
- 1960 Grays, Eastern League co-champions
- 2001 Crosscutters, New York–Penn League co-champions
- 2003 Crosscutters, New York–Penn League champions
- 2024 Crosscutters, MLB Draft League champions
