Muncy Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field facts for kids
| Historic Bowman Field | |
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| Former names | Memorial Field (1926–1929) Bowman Field (1929–2000) Historic Bowman Field (2000–2014) Susquehanna Bank Park at Historic Bowman Field (2014–2016) BB&T Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field (2016–2021) |
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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 |
Muncy Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field is a famous baseball stadium in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. It's home to the Williamsport Crosscutters, a collegiate summer baseball team. This team plays in the MLB Draft League. The stadium can hold 2,366 fans.
Opened in 1926, Bowman Field is one of the oldest baseball parks used by minor league teams. Since 2017, it has also hosted a special Major League Baseball (MLB) game. This game, called the MLB Little League Classic, happens every August during the Little League World Series. In 2012, the stadium even had an outdoor ice hockey rink for a short time.
Contents
History of Bowman Field
Building a New Ballpark
Bowman Field was built in 1926. It was made for the city's new baseball team, the Williamsport Grays. The Grays were part of the New York–Pennsylvania League. This league started in 1923.
Two important people helped pay for the stadium. They were J. Walton Bowman and Thomas Gray. The stadium was named after Bowman. The team, the Grays, was named after Thomas Gray. The Grays used to play at a high school field. It was too small, so a bigger stadium was needed.
Local leaders decided to build a new stadium. It was built on the western side of Williamsport. It cost about $75,000 to build. Construction started in late 1925. The stadium was ready for the 1926 baseball season.
First Games and Field Size
The first game at Bowman Field was on April 22, 1926. The Grays played against Bucknell University. The first professional game was on April 27. The Grays played the Harrisburg Colored Giants. The first league game was on May 4. The Grays beat the Shamokin Indians 5-1.
The field was very big when it first opened. It was 367 feet (112 m) to right field. It was 450 feet (137 m) to center field. And it was 400 feet (122 m) to left field. There was also a unique sloped area in left field.
How the Stadium Got Its Name
From 1926 to 1929, the stadium was called Memorial Field. On June 26, 1929, it was renamed Bowman Field. This was to honor J. Walton Bowman. He was the team president and helped fund the stadium.
In April 2021, the stadium got a new name again. It became Muncy Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field. This happened because of a deal with Muncy Bank & Trust.
Baseball Leagues and Teams
Bowman Field has hosted many baseball teams over the years. The Eastern League played here for almost 70 years. The last Eastern League team was the 1991 Williamsport Bills. That team later moved to Binghamton, New York.
Williamsport teams were part of the New York–Pennsylvania League for 46 years. Teams included the Grays, Tigers, A's, Mets, Tomahawks, and Bills. These teams were connected to big MLB teams like the Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Famous Potato Incident
In 1987, a player named Dave Bresnahan was playing for the Williamsport Bills. He was a catcher. During a game, he did something very unusual. With a runner on third base, he secretly switched his glove. He had hidden a potato inside the new glove!
When the pitcher threw the ball, Bresnahan threw the 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 saw what happened. He said the runner was safe because of Bresnahan's trick.
The league president was not happy. He banned Bresnahan from the league. But the fans in Williamsport loved his clever idea! They even retired his jersey number, 59. At a ceremony in 1998, Bresnahan joked about it. He said other players had to be great to have their numbers retired. All he did was "throw a potato."
New York–Penn League and MLB Draft League
Baseball came back to Bowman Field in 1994 with the New York–Penn League's Williamsport Cubs. In 1999, the team became the Crosscutters. They were a farm team for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Later, in 2006, they became a farm team for the Philadelphia Phillies.
After the 2020 season, the Crosscutters joined the new MLB Draft League. This league helps showcase players who might be picked in the MLB draft.
Ice Hockey at the Ballpark
In 2012, something different happened at Bowman Field. An outdoor ice hockey rink was built there! The Williamsport Outlaws hockey team played their games on this rink. It was called Airmen Pond.
The rink opened on October 18, 2012. The Outlaws' first home game had over 3,000 fans. This was a record for their league! The rink was also open for public skating.
Stadium Upgrades
In 2016, there was a big project to improve Bowman Field. They added a new deck for fans. This deck lets fans hang out and enjoy food and drinks. These upgrades cost about $3 million. The stadium's seating capacity was changed to 2,366 after the renovations.
The MLB Little League Classic
On March 9, 2017, Major League Baseball announced a special game. It would be the first MLB Little League Classic. This game would happen on August 20, during the Little League World Series.
The St. Louis Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates played in this first game. Tickets were mainly for people involved in the Little League World Series. The game was shown on ESPN. Before the game, the field was updated to meet MLB standards. The field dimensions were changed to 331 feet (101 m) to right field, 411 feet (125 m) to center field, and 323 feet (98 m) to left field.
Championship Teams
Bowman Field has been home to four 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
