McCulloch Park (Muncie, Indiana) facts for kids
| Location | Corner of North Broadway & East Centennial Avenue Muncie, IN 47303  United States |
|---|---|
| Owner | Muncie |
| Operator | City of Muncie |
| Capacity | 4,100 |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1892 (Park) 1931 (Grnd) |
| Demolished | 1952 (Grandstand only, fire) |
| Tenants | |
| MLB Spring Training Pittsburgh Pirates (NL) (1943–1945) Minor League Baseball Muncie Packers/Reds (OSL/OIL) (1947–1950) Muncie Fruit Jars (IA/IOL) (1906, 1908) |
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McCulloch Park is a big community park located in Muncie, Indiana. It's named after George F. McCulloch, who was a local newspaper owner. He gave 118 acres of land to the city for this park in 1892. This park became famous for its baseball field. It hosted two professional teams: the Muncie Fruit Jars and the Muncie Reds. The park was also the spring training home for the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team from 1943 to 1945.
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Baseball History at McCulloch Park
Early Baseball Teams in Muncie
In 1906, Muncie got its first professional baseball team, the Muncie Fruit Jars. They played in a league called the Interstate Association. The team played again in 1908 in the Ohio–Indiana League. That league stopped playing on June 8, with the Muncie team in last place.
For the next 20 years, McCulloch Park was home to several local semi-pro teams. These were teams made up of players who weren't fully professional. In 1931, a permanent wooden grandstand was built at the park. During the 1930s, some major league teams even came to play games there. One time, the St. Louis Browns lost a game to one of Muncie's local teams.
Pittsburgh Pirates Spring Training
In 1943, the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team came to Muncie for their spring training. Spring training is when baseball teams practice before the regular season starts. This happened during World War II. Major League Baseball wanted teams to travel less because of the war.
The 1943 Pirates were managed by Frank Frisch and Honus Wagner. Both of these men are in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Their presence helped the team become popular in Muncie. Other major league teams also came to McCulloch Park to play against the Pirates. A player named Rudy York from the Detroit Tigers hit a very long home run out of the park.
Minor League Baseball Returns
After the war ended, the Pirates stopped using Muncie for spring training. However, the Cincinnati Reds started a minor league team in the city. This team was called the Muncie Reds. They played at McCulloch Park from 1947 to 1950.
Some future stars of the Cincinnati Reds played for the Muncie Reds in 1947. These included Joe Nuxhall and Wally Post. Six players from the Muncie Reds later played in the major leagues. The Muncie Reds team stopped playing in 1950. After that, the field was used only by amateur and semi-pro teams again.
McCulloch Park Today
On Friday, June 13, 1952, a fire completely destroyed the grandstand at the park. The grandstand was never rebuilt. However, the baseball field was fixed up and has been taken care of ever since.
McCulloch Park is still open and used by the community today. It has many fun things to do, including:
- Playgrounds for kids
- A disc golf course
- A soap box derby track
- Basketball courts
- Baseball fields
- Picnic areas for families
- A park lodge that can be rented
- Restrooms
- Areas for fishing and boating
