Veteran's Field facts for kids
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| Address | 1 Veterans Field Road |
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| Location | Chatham, Massachusetts |
| Coordinates | 41°41′04″N 69°57′45″W / 41.684579°N 69.9626°W |
| Capacity | 8,000 |
| Field size | Left Field: 325 ft Center Field: 385 ft Right Field: 314 ft |
| Surface | Grass |
| Opened | 1927 |
| Tenants | |
| Chatham Anglers | |
Veterans Field is a cool baseball park in Chatham, Massachusetts. It's where the Chatham Anglers team plays. They are part of the famous Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL). You can find the park right in downtown Chatham, near Massachusetts Route 28.
This ballpark is special because it sits in a natural bowl. This means fans get great views from all around. People have called it a "panorama of beauty." It even looks like a picture from Yankee Magazine. There's also a big playground next to the field. Many people walk by from the busy shops on Main Street. Fans often sit on blankets on the grassy hillside in right field. Behind them, you can see the town's fire house. There's also the old train station, which is now the Chatham Railroad Museum. Chatham is almost surrounded by the sea. This often causes "fog delays" during evening games. This unique fog has become a fun part of baseball in Chatham.
Contents
How Veterans Field Started
Chatham was one of the first four teams in the Cape Cod Baseball League. The league began playing in 1923. Chatham quickly started building a field for its town baseball team. They also wanted a place for other town events.
Getting the Land for the Park
In 1925, the town got the land for Veterans Field. They named it "as a memorial to those from Chatham who served in the World War and all other wars." This honored people from Chatham who fought in wars.
First Games at the Field
By early 1927, the field was almost ready. That season, the Chatham High School baseball team started playing there. The Chatham CCBL team also began playing at the park.
Improvements Over the Years
Veterans Field has been updated many times since it was first built. In 2008, a grant from the Yawkey Foundation helped a lot. It led to big improvements for the lights. The outfield playing area also got better. A new brick backstop and safety netting were added too.
Hosting Big Baseball Events
Veterans Field has hosted some very important baseball games.
Team USA Visits Chatham
In 1984, the park hosted a game between CCBL all-stars and the United States national baseball team. Team USA was getting ready for the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Veterans Field hosted Team USA again in 2000. This time, the national team was preparing for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. The 2000 game brought about 10,000 fans. This was the biggest crowd ever for a sports event on Cape Cod.
Veterans Field in Movies
The 2001 Hollywood romantic comedy movie Summer Catch was set in Chatham. It used Veterans Field to show what the Cape Cod Baseball League is like.
All-Star Games and Championships
Veterans Field has hosted the CCBL's yearly all-star game celebrations many times. These were in 1964, 1968, 1971, 1998, 2008, and 2016. The Chatham team has also won CCBL championships at the park. They won in 1967, 1982, 1992, 1996, and 1998. Many future major league baseball players have played here in the summer. Some famous names include Thurman Munson, Jeff Bagwell, and Kris Bryant.
