Ainsworth Field is a 3,000 seat
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
stadium
A stadium (: stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage completely or partially surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit ...
located in
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, fifth-most populous city in Pennsylvania and the most populous in Northwestern Pen ...
. It hosted the
Erie Sailors
The Erie Sailors was the primary name of several minor league baseball teams that played in Erie, Pennsylvania between 1906 and 1994.
Pre-1930s
Several unrelated teams used the Erie Sailors name in the Interstate League (1906–1907, 1913, 19 ...
and other Erie-based minor league teams between 1928 and 1994. In 1995, it was made obsolete for professional use by the opening of
UPMC Park
UPMC Park, formerly known as Jerry Uht Park, is a baseball park located in Erie, Pennsylvania. It is the home of the Double-A Erie SeaWolves of the Eastern League, the city's Minor League Baseball (MiLB) franchise. The SeaWolves are affiliated ...
. It was refurbished in 2004 and is currently used for high school and other amateur baseball games.
History
In 1914, the ballpark opened under the name Athletic Field. The name was changed on August 25, 1947, to honor James "Doc" Ainsworth, a longtime adviser of Erie's youth.
Babe Ruth
George Herman "Babe" Ruth (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional Baseball in the United States, baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nickna ...
and Ruth's All-Stars visited the ballpark in 1923 to play an exhibition game against the Erie Moose Club. Ruth's All-Stars won 15-1. Ruth had played first base. He had two singles and committed two errors. He also had a home run. There are many myths about where his home run ball landed. Some say it cleared past the adjacent Roosevelt Middle School, while others believe it entered the school's smoke stack.
In August 2024, minor restoration work began, with an aim to bring more usage to the stadium.
See also
References
External links
BallparkReviews.com Photos and Review
{{coord, 42.1040, -80.1023, region:US-PA_type:landmark, display=title
Minor league baseball venues
Sports venues in Pennsylvania
Sports in Erie, Pennsylvania
Parks in Erie, Pennsylvania
Sports venues in Erie, Pennsylvania