Clemens Field facts for kids
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 Clemens Field
Location in Missouri
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| Address | 403 Warren Barrett Drive |
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| Location | Hannibal, Missouri, United States |
| Coordinates | 39°42′18″N 91°21′35″W / 39.70500°N 91.35972°W |
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Clemens Field
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| Location | 403 Warren Barrett Drive, Hannibal, Missouri |
| Area | 9.9 acres (4.0 ha) |
| Built | 1939 |
| Architectural style | baseball diamond |
| NRHP reference No. | 08000807 |
| Added to NRHP | August 26, 2008 |
| Owner | City of Hannibal |
| Operator | Clemens Field Management |
| Genre(s) | Sporting events |
| Capacity | 2500 |
| Field size | (LF-CF-RF): 328-303-308 |
| Surface | Grass |
| Scoreboard | Yes |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1936-1938 |
| Opened | 1939 |
| Renovated | 2008 |
| Expanded | 2008 |
| Construction cost | $100,000 ($40,0000 Works Project Administration grant) $3.3 Million renovation in 2008 |
| Tenants | |
| Central Association Hannibal Pilots (1947–48) Mississippi–Ohio Valley League Hannibal Stags (1952) Hannibal Cardinals (1953–1954) Hannibal Citizens (1955) Prospect League Hannibal Cavemen (2009-2016) Hannibal Hoots (2018-2019) |
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Clemens Field is a historic baseball stadium in Hannibal, Missouri, United States. It's located at 403 Warren Barrett Drive, near downtown Hannibal. The stadium is named after the famous author Samuel Clemens. He lived in Hannibal and wrote many well-known books.
This ballpark has been a home for many minor league baseball teams. It was built in 1938 after the first field was destroyed by fire. In 2008, Clemens Field got a big makeover. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places that same year. This means it's recognized as an important historical site. Most recently, it was home to the Hannibal Hoots of the collegiate summer Prospect League.
Contents
History of Clemens Field
Building the Ballpark
The first Clemens Field was built in 1924. Sadly, it was destroyed by a fire on August 14, 1936. A new stadium was quickly built to replace it. This new ballpark was part of a Works Project Administration (WPA) project. The WPA was a government program during the 1930s. It helped create jobs for people during a tough economic time.
The stadium was built between 1936 and 1938. It features a strong limestone wall around its edge. There is also a grandstand behind home plate. The plans for Clemens Field were also used for Carson Park in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Carson Park is also on the National Register of Historic Places.
Past Baseball Teams
Clemens Field has hosted many baseball teams over the years. These include the Hannibal Citizens (1955) and the Hannibal Cardinals (1953–1954). Other teams were the Hannibal Stags (1952) and the Hannibal Pilots (1947–48). These teams played in leagues like the Mississippi–Ohio Valley League and the Central Association.
Some Hannibal teams were connected to bigger professional teams. For example, the Hannibal Cardinals were linked to the St. Louis Cardinals. The Hannibal Pilots were linked to the St. Louis Browns. Minor league baseball stopped playing in Hannibal after 1955. Because of this, Clemens Field was not used very often for many years.
A Unique Use During Wartime
In 1944, during World War II, Clemens Field had a very unusual role. It was used for a short time as a camp for German prisoners of war. About 200 prisoners stayed in tents at the stadium. They were surrounded by barbed wire. Their job was to sort military shoes for repair and reuse.
Modern Baseball Returns
In 2008, Clemens Field received a major renovation. This project kept the original grandstand and brick wall. It also added 2,500 new seats and modern facilities. After the renovation, the Hannibal Cavemen of the Prospect League started playing there in 2009.
The Hannibal Cavemen team stopped playing after the 2016 season. They were replaced by the Hannibal Hoots in 2018. However, flooding forced the Hoots to move to O'Fallon, Missouri after the 2019 season. Since 2020, Clemens Field has been used for local youth baseball. It also hosts 16-and-under summer leagues.
Stadium Renovations
Starting the Project
On June 10, 2008, a special ceremony was held. This marked the start of major renovations at Clemens Field. In late 2007, a group called Hannibal Baseball LLC worked with the City of Hannibal. Their goal was to bring a college-level summer league team to the city. They planned to renovate Clemens Field for this new team.
Many important people from baseball helped with the renovation plans. This included Arizona Diamondbacks General Manager Roland Hemond. Also involved were St. Louis Cardinals General Manager Walt Jocketty and Philadelphia Phillies executive Lee Thomas. Former Cardinals player and manager Red Schoendienst also helped. So did former Kansas City Royals player Frank White.
Award-Winning Work
The renovation project cost $3.3 million. It was completed in time for the Hannibal Cavemen to start playing in 2009. In 2010, the project received a special honor. It was given the Preserve Missouri Award from Missouri Preservation. This award recognized how well the historic ballpark was restored.
New Features and Upgrades
More improvements were made to Clemens Field over the years. A new scoreboard and a press box were installed before the 2012 season. These additions helped make the stadium more modern.
In 2016, a new entrance gate was added. It was named the Jake Beckley .308 Gate. This gate honors Jake Beckley, a famous baseball player. Beckley was from Hannibal and played for a Hannibal team. He is also a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. The grandstand roof was also replaced for the 2016 season.
