Eldredge Park facts for kids
| Address | 78 Eldredge Park Way |
|---|---|
| Location | Orleans, Massachusetts |
| Coordinates | 41°46′58″N 69°59′25″W / 41.782775°N 69.990298°W |
| Capacity | 6,000 |
| Field size | Left Field: 315 ft Center Field: 434 ft Right Field: 315 ft |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1913 |
| Renovated | 1966, 2011 |
| Tenants | |
| Orleans Firebirds | |
Eldredge Park is a famous baseball field in Orleans, Massachusetts. It is the home field for the Orleans Firebirds team. This team plays in the exciting Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL). The park is right next to Nauset Regional Middle School. It is known for having the deepest center field in the Cape League, which is 434 feet away! You can also find a bandstand and a playground there. Many fans enjoy watching games from the grassy hillsides. They bring blankets and chairs to relax and enjoy the action.
Contents
The Story of Eldredge Park
Eldredge Park is the oldest baseball park in the Cape League. It first opened in 1913. That was just one year after Fenway Park opened! A man named Louis Winslow "Win" Eldredge gave the land for the park. He loved baseball and wanted a playground for young people in Orleans. The park quickly became a favorite spot for everyone.
Early Days and Big News
In its early days, home plate was in a different spot. Batters had trouble seeing the ball because of the setting sun. But the park was still a special place. Thanks to a nearby transatlantic telegraph cable station, fans at Eldredge Park heard big news early. They were among the first Americans to learn that Charles Lindbergh had safely landed in Paris after his famous flight!
Changes and Improvements
The park's layout was changed in the mid-1960s. This helped batters see better. The "new" park opened in 1967 with a big all-star game. The Governor of Massachusetts, John A. Volpe, was there. He said Eldredge was the "finest" community field in New England.
Many improvements have been made over the years:
- In 1979, lights were added so games could be played at night.
- The hillsides were shaped into terraces in 1985 and 1986. This made them perfect spots for fans to watch.
- The press box, called the "Bird's Nest," was rebuilt in 2003.
- From 2010 to 2011, the park got major upgrades. These included a brick backstop, new dugouts, and new bullpens. They also added safety netting for fans and new grass for the infield.
- In 2019, a cool sculpture called The Catch was put on the hill. It shows a young baseball player reaching for a ball.
Famous Games and Players
Eldredge Park has hosted many important baseball events. It held the Cape Cod Baseball League's annual all-star game and home run derby several times. These events happened in 1988, 1989, 1990, 1994, 2004, and 2019. The Orleans Firebirds have also won CCBL championships at the park. They won in 1986, 1993, 2003, and 2005.
Many future major league baseball players have played at Eldredge Park. Some famous names include Carlton Fisk, Frank Thomas, Mark Teixeira, Nomar Garciaparra, and Marcus Stroman.
Eldredge Park in the Media
Eldredge Park is often praised for its beauty. Some people have called it "a Norman Rockwell painting come to life." Others say it's "a sylvan setting so transcendently beautiful one's breath is swept away." This means it's a very pretty and peaceful place.
The park has been featured in famous magazines like Sports Illustrated. Baseball America magazine even ranked it as the best summer college baseball park in the country! A well-known photographer named Joel Meyerowitz took a two-page photo of Eldredge Park. It was in a book called Baseball in America. The picture shows a hazy evening with the sun setting over the bandstand. In the front, fans are sitting in beach chairs, enjoying the game.
