- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,199,405
- Reaction score
- 59
In 1926, Spartanburg unveiled the Duncan Park baseball stadium, a place that would establish an important place in the sport's history and serve the community as a place for locals to gather, compete and build memories.
Name a 20th century baseball legend, and there's a good chance they played at Duncan Park.
Situated in the picturesque Duncan Park neighborhood in Spartanburg, the stadium was once home to minor league teams — the Spartanburg Peaches and then the Phillies — and the semi-pro Spartanburg Sluggers, a well-known Negro League team.
Players who wore Spartanburg jerseys or came through as members of opposing teams or on barnstorming tours included such all-time greats as Satchel Paige, Jackie Robinson, Larry Doby, Nolan Ryan, Ryne Sandberg and Scott Rolen, according to Ed Epps, author of Duncan Park: Stories of a Classic American Ballpark.
Now the stadium is 100-years-old. And on July 11, community members will celebrate with a baseball clinic for children, a presentation about the stadium's history and an exhibition game.
The event will get underway at 9 a.m.
The late Pat Williams got his start as a pro sports executive leading the Spartanburg Phillies in the 1960s.
In a Herald-Journal article at the time of the stadium's 75th anniversary, Williams reflected on Duncan Park's history and its charm.
He called it "the Wrigley Field of minor league baseball."
Williams, who would go on to be a founder of the Orlando Magic NBA team, said "everything in my career" started at Duncan Park.
He packed the stadium with appearances by famous athletes, including Bart Starr and Johnny Unitas, along with fan-pleasing gimmicks and promotions.
Along the way, fans at Duncan Park were treated to some outstanding baseball.
The 1966 Phillies were Western Carolinas League champions and 25 games in a row.
On a hot July 2 morning, a group of volunteers, including members of the Hub City Spartanburgers front office, painted railings and trim near the stadium's entrance in preparation of the celebration.
"For us, as the new era of baseball in Spartanburg, it's important not to forget the earlier eras that paved the way for what we're doing now," said Hub City general manager Tyson Jeffers.
He's proud of the Spartanburgers' downtown stadium, Fifth Third Park, but said he loves visiting Duncan Park.
"The nostalgia of the park — that's the kind of thing that makes baseball America's game," Jeffers said.
At the Spartanburgers' game on July 8, the first 1,000 fans will receive a replica of the Duncan Park stadium.
Though sections of the stadium are in disrepair and sectioned off from the public, Duncan Park sees steady use as home to the Spartanburg High School Vikings and the Spartanburg Post 28 American Legion team.
The City of Spartanburg owns the facility. Spartanburg School District 7 has funded repairs and upgrades, including renovated locker rooms.
Luther Norman, who works with youngsters at Duncan Park stadium and adjacent youth ballfields, helped out on July 2. He's excited about bringing people together for the park's centennial.
"I think it's Spartanburg's greatest jewel," said Norman, who played baseball at South Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T before playing for the Pirates' minor league team in Charleston.
His father-in-law, Newt Whitmire, owned the Sluggers.
Norman said Duncan Park has an important part in the social history of Spartanburg.
While seating in the stadium was segregated during the Jim Crow era, Sluggers games and the minor league teams attracted racially diverse fan bases.
"Duncan Park was instrumental in bringing people together," Norman said.
As a space for other community events, including concerts, Duncan Park was the scene of a cutting-edge cultural moment in the late 1960s.
A group of teenage "longhairs" put on a Woodstock-style festival featuring about 10 folks and rock acts from around the Carolinas. One of the featured acts was the Toy Factory, which featured future members of the Marshall Tucker Band.
Lead organizer John Featherston recalled that several hundred music fans attended — and about as many cops.
He said that a few weeks before the festival, several young people "had been busted for marijuana, and it was on the front page of the paper. Longhairs with a music festival was cause for alarm by establishment, so (the police) flooded the place."
The crowd was well-behaved Featherston said, though one kid was arrested for desecrating the American flag. His mother had fashioned a flag into a vest that he wore to the event.
Ticket proceeds benefited the local animal shelter, Featherston said.
The future of Duncan Park isn't exactly clear. The city and school district have helped to stabilize the facility. The field is in excellent condition.
The Spartanburgers have brought pro baseball back to the community, and organization leaders say they are committed to promoting an appreciation for the game's history in Spartanburg.
A group of called Friends of Duncan Park has raised awareness about the stadium's rich history and secured funds for a consultant to visit later this summer.
Epps, author of the book on Duncan Park and a member of Friends of Duncan Park, said baseball historian Layton Revel, who founded the Center for Negro League Baseball Research, will provide guidance on possibilities for Duncan Park's future.
A full-scale renovation would be expensive, and no funders -- public or private -- have stepped up to the plate yet. The stadium would also need a steady source of revenue, such as tournaments, concerts or other events.
"We'd love to have some sort of an endowment," Epps said. "That would be ideal."
This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Spartanburg's historic Duncan Park readied for centennial celebration
Continue reading...
Name a 20th century baseball legend, and there's a good chance they played at Duncan Park.
Situated in the picturesque Duncan Park neighborhood in Spartanburg, the stadium was once home to minor league teams — the Spartanburg Peaches and then the Phillies — and the semi-pro Spartanburg Sluggers, a well-known Negro League team.
Players who wore Spartanburg jerseys or came through as members of opposing teams or on barnstorming tours included such all-time greats as Satchel Paige, Jackie Robinson, Larry Doby, Nolan Ryan, Ryne Sandberg and Scott Rolen, according to Ed Epps, author of Duncan Park: Stories of a Classic American Ballpark.
You must be registered for see images attach
Now the stadium is 100-years-old. And on July 11, community members will celebrate with a baseball clinic for children, a presentation about the stadium's history and an exhibition game.
The event will get underway at 9 a.m.
"The Wrigley Field of minor league baseball"
The late Pat Williams got his start as a pro sports executive leading the Spartanburg Phillies in the 1960s.
In a Herald-Journal article at the time of the stadium's 75th anniversary, Williams reflected on Duncan Park's history and its charm.
He called it "the Wrigley Field of minor league baseball."
Williams, who would go on to be a founder of the Orlando Magic NBA team, said "everything in my career" started at Duncan Park.
He packed the stadium with appearances by famous athletes, including Bart Starr and Johnny Unitas, along with fan-pleasing gimmicks and promotions.
Along the way, fans at Duncan Park were treated to some outstanding baseball.
The 1966 Phillies were Western Carolinas League champions and 25 games in a row.
You must be registered for see images attach
Community partners keep park viable
On a hot July 2 morning, a group of volunteers, including members of the Hub City Spartanburgers front office, painted railings and trim near the stadium's entrance in preparation of the celebration.
"For us, as the new era of baseball in Spartanburg, it's important not to forget the earlier eras that paved the way for what we're doing now," said Hub City general manager Tyson Jeffers.
He's proud of the Spartanburgers' downtown stadium, Fifth Third Park, but said he loves visiting Duncan Park.
"The nostalgia of the park — that's the kind of thing that makes baseball America's game," Jeffers said.
You must be registered for see images attach
At the Spartanburgers' game on July 8, the first 1,000 fans will receive a replica of the Duncan Park stadium.
Though sections of the stadium are in disrepair and sectioned off from the public, Duncan Park sees steady use as home to the Spartanburg High School Vikings and the Spartanburg Post 28 American Legion team.
The City of Spartanburg owns the facility. Spartanburg School District 7 has funded repairs and upgrades, including renovated locker rooms.
Duncan Park "instrumental in bringing people together"
Luther Norman, who works with youngsters at Duncan Park stadium and adjacent youth ballfields, helped out on July 2. He's excited about bringing people together for the park's centennial.
"I think it's Spartanburg's greatest jewel," said Norman, who played baseball at South Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T before playing for the Pirates' minor league team in Charleston.
His father-in-law, Newt Whitmire, owned the Sluggers.
Norman said Duncan Park has an important part in the social history of Spartanburg.
You must be registered for see images attach
While seating in the stadium was segregated during the Jim Crow era, Sluggers games and the minor league teams attracted racially diverse fan bases.
"Duncan Park was instrumental in bringing people together," Norman said.
Beyond baseball: A venue for late 60s music festival
As a space for other community events, including concerts, Duncan Park was the scene of a cutting-edge cultural moment in the late 1960s.
A group of teenage "longhairs" put on a Woodstock-style festival featuring about 10 folks and rock acts from around the Carolinas. One of the featured acts was the Toy Factory, which featured future members of the Marshall Tucker Band.
Lead organizer John Featherston recalled that several hundred music fans attended — and about as many cops.
He said that a few weeks before the festival, several young people "had been busted for marijuana, and it was on the front page of the paper. Longhairs with a music festival was cause for alarm by establishment, so (the police) flooded the place."
The crowd was well-behaved Featherston said, though one kid was arrested for desecrating the American flag. His mother had fashioned a flag into a vest that he wore to the event.
Ticket proceeds benefited the local animal shelter, Featherston said.
Supporters hope renewed interest will secure stadium's future
The future of Duncan Park isn't exactly clear. The city and school district have helped to stabilize the facility. The field is in excellent condition.
You must be registered for see images attach
The Spartanburgers have brought pro baseball back to the community, and organization leaders say they are committed to promoting an appreciation for the game's history in Spartanburg.
A group of called Friends of Duncan Park has raised awareness about the stadium's rich history and secured funds for a consultant to visit later this summer.
Epps, author of the book on Duncan Park and a member of Friends of Duncan Park, said baseball historian Layton Revel, who founded the Center for Negro League Baseball Research, will provide guidance on possibilities for Duncan Park's future.
A full-scale renovation would be expensive, and no funders -- public or private -- have stepped up to the plate yet. The stadium would also need a steady source of revenue, such as tournaments, concerts or other events.
"We'd love to have some sort of an endowment," Epps said. "That would be ideal."
This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Spartanburg's historic Duncan Park readied for centennial celebration
Continue reading...
