Tinker Field

Last updated

Tinker Field
Orlando-Tinker-Field04.jpg
Tinker Field
Location287 South Tampa Ave, Orlando, Florida
Coordinates 28°32′19″N81°24′17.2″W / 28.53861°N 81.404778°W / 28.53861; -81.404778
OwnerCity of Orlando
OperatorCity of Orlando
Capacity 5,014 (1965–2015)
4,000 (1933–1964)
1,500 (1923–1932)
Field sizeLeft Field - 340 ft (104 m) [1]
Center Field - 412 ft (126 m) [2] [3] [4]
Right Field - 320 ft (98 m)
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Broke ground1914
Built1914
Opened1923
DemolishedJune 2015
Tenants
Cincinnati Reds (MLB) (spring training) 1923–1933
Brooklyn Dodgers (MLB) (spring training) 1934–1935
Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins (MLB) (spring training) 1936–1990
Orlando Rays (SAL/SL) 1963–1999
Orlando Suns (FCSL) 2008
Tinker Field
USA Florida location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location in Florida
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location in United States
Location1610 W. Church St., Orlando, Florida
Area7 acres (2.8 ha)
Built1922 (1922)
NRHP reference No. 04000456 [5]
Added to NRHPMay 14, 2004

Tinker Field was an outdoor baseball stadium in Orlando, Florida, United States. Named after Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Joe Tinker, it was located in the West Lakes neighborhoods of Downtown Orlando. In April 2015, the City of Orlando tore down the grandstands and removed all other extant buildings, due to its proximity to renovation work on the Orlando Citrus Bowl football stadium (later renamed as Camping World Stadium). The ballpark is now memorialized by Tinker Field History Plaza. [6]

Contents

Constructed in 1914, Tinker Field was the spring training home of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, Washington Senators, and Minnesota Twins. It was also the home park of the Orlando Rays minor league baseball team before they moved to Cracker Jack Stadium in 2000. It was located directly adjacent to the western side of the aforementioned football stadium and boasted a capacity of 5,100 before the grandstands were removed in 2015.

History

The field first saw use for baseball in 1914; the first known stadium built on the site was in 1923. It was all-wood construction and seated 1,500. For the next 10 years, the Cincinnati Reds called Tinker Field their spring training home until 1933. The Brooklyn Dodgers trained there in 1934 and 1935. In 1936, Clark Griffith moved spring training of the Washington Senators to Orlando, where the Senators (who later relocated as the Minnesota Twins) trained until after the 1990 season. The stadium was rebuilt again in 1963, and when Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C., was demolished, nearly 1,000 of the stadium's seats were moved to Tinker Field. The remaining seats were sold by the City of Orlando in 2015. [7] The old press box next to the home side dugout was the original press box and can be seen in photographs as early as the 1920s.

Some college football games were played at the stadium, one example being the 1937 edition of the Orange Blossom Classic. [8]

Tinker Field was added to the United States National Register of Historic Places in 2004. [9] One of the most historical non-baseball events to take place at Tinker Field was a visit from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on March 6, 1964. He spoke before thousands of people from the pitcher's mound in his only public speech in the city. [10]

On January 28, 2014, during the groundbreaking of the Orlando Citrus Bowl stadium reconstruction, it was announced that the grandstands and all other extant buildings surrounding Tinker Field would be torn down. The reasons cited were that the expansion of the Orlando Citrus Bowl stadium would shorten right field of Tinker Field so much that it would make it unusable even if it the entire building complex was renovated. On March 9, 2015, Orlando City Council approved an ordinance to demolish the grandstands and buildings, and allocated money to re-create the area surrounding the field. [11]

In September, 2015, the City of Orlando held a public input meeting and unveiled preliminary plans to memorialize Tinker Field. [12] Tinker Field History Plaza opened in May 2018, memorializing civil rights and baseball in Orlando. [13]

Present

Each November, Tinker Field hosts the Electric Daisy Carnival—a three-day festival that features electronic dance music with celebrity DJs, visual effects, rides, and art. [14]

On September 6, 2015, Tinker Field was the site of West Lakes Family Fun Day—an event held by members of the neighborhoods surrounding the field prior to the MEAC/SWAC Challenge.

Each June or July, Tinker Field hosted the Orlando Vans Warped Tour—a one-day festival that features rock music with popular bands from around the world.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camping World Stadium</span> Stadium in Florida, U.S.

Camping World Stadium is an outdoor stadium in Orlando, Florida, United States located in the West Lakes neighborhood of Downtown Orlando, west of new sports and entertainment facilities including the Kia Center, the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, and Inter&Co Stadium. It opened in 1936 as Orlando Stadium and has also been known as the Tangerine Bowl and Florida Citrus Bowl. The City of Orlando owns and operates the stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Tinker</span> American baseball player and manager (1880-1948)

Joseph Bert Tinker was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played from 1902 through 1916 for the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Chicago Whales of the Federal League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baker Bowl</span> Former baseball field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States (1887-1938)

National League Park, commonly referred to as the Baker Bowl after 1923, was a baseball stadium home to the Philadelphia Phillies from 1887 until 1938, and the first home field of the Philadelphia Eagles from 1933 to 1935. It opened in 1887 with a capacity of 12,500. It burned down in 1894 and was rebuilt in 1895 as the first ballpark constructed primarily of steel and brick and with a cantilevered upper deck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palace of the Fans</span> Former baseball park in Cincinnati, Ohio USA

Palace of the Fans was a Major League baseball park located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the home of the Cincinnati Reds from 1902 through 1911. The ballpark was on an asymmetrical block bounded by Findlay Street (south), Western Avenue, York Street (north) and McLean Avenue (west).

The Stadium at the ESPN Wide World of Sports is a baseball stadium located at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in the Walt Disney World Resort. The stadium was built in 1997. It was most recently the home of the Rookie-league GCL Braves, until they moved to CoolToday Park in North Port.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George M. Steinbrenner Field</span> Baseball stadium in Tampa, Florida

George M. Steinbrenner Field, formerly known as Legends Field, is a baseball stadium located in Tampa, Florida, across the Dale Mabry Highway from Raymond James Stadium, the home of the National Football League's Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The ballpark was built in 1996 and seats 11,026 people, with an addition in right field built in 2007. It is the largest spring training ballpark in Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BayCare Ballpark</span> American baseball stadium

BayCare Ballpark is a baseball stadium located in Clearwater, Florida. The stadium was built in 2004 and has a maximum seating capacity of 8,500 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LECOM Park</span> Baseball field in Bradenton, Florida

LECOM Park is a baseball field located in Bradenton, Florida. It is the spring training home of the Pittsburgh Pirates and is named after a 15-year naming rights deal was signed with the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, which has its main campus in Erie, Pennsylvania, and also a campus in Bradenton. It was formerly known as McKechnie Field, named for Bradenton resident and Baseball Hall of Fame great Bill McKechnie, who led the Pirates in 1925 and the Cincinnati Reds in 1940 to World Series titles. He was also a coach with the Cleveland Indians in 1948.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackie Robinson Ballpark</span> Historic baseball field in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States

The Jackie Robinson Ballpark is a historic baseball field in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. It is located at 105 East Orange Avenue on City Island, in the Halifax River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FirstEnergy Stadium (Reading, Pennsylvania)</span> Baseball stadium in Pennsylvania, U.S.

FirstEnergy Stadium is a 10,000-seat baseball-only stadium in Reading, Pennsylvania, that hosted its first regular season baseball game in 1951. The park is home to the Reading Fightin Phils of the Eastern League. It was voted the second best place to see a baseball game by Minor League News in 2006. It is also the first ballpark to ever receive the annual Digital Ballparks.com Ballpark Of The Year Award, which it was awarded in 2002. It is the first American baseball stadium to reach a total attendance of ten million without ever serving a team higher than AA.

Boardwalk and Baseball was a theme park built near Haines City, Florida, at the southeast corner of the Interstate 4-US 27 interchange. It replaced Circus World at the same location, and was owned by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Park Group. It opened in April 1987, and closed January 17, 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex</span> Sports complex in Walt Disney World

The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex is a 220-acre (89 ha) multi-purpose sports complex located at Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida, United States, near Orlando. The complex allows families to combine tournaments and competition with a visit to vacation destinations in the area. The complex includes nine venues and hosts numerous professional and amateur sporting events throughout the year.

Alfred A. McKethan Stadium at Perry Field was the college baseball stadium of the University of Florida, serving as the home field for the Florida Gators baseball team until being replaced by Condron Ballpark in 2020. McKethan Stadium was located on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus, in close proximity to the university's indoor sports arena, the Stephen C. O'Connell Center, and its football stadium, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terry Park Ballfield</span> Historic site in Fort Myers, Florida, USA

The Terry Park Ballfield is a historic site in Fort Myers, Florida, United States. The park is named after the family who donated the land in the 1920s. For years the stadium hosted Major League Baseball spring training, as well as a dozen years of Florida State League baseball. The stadium hosted the Philadelphia Athletics, Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Kansas City Royals spring training through the years. Terry Park was also home to some early minor league baseball, most notably the Fort Myers Palms and Fort Myers Royals, both belonging to the Florida State League. Hall of Famers Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Roberto Clemente, Jimmy Foxx, Bob Feller, Tris Speaker, and George Brett are some of the notable players who have played at Terry Park Field.

Orlando, Florida has a history of major events in sports. It has had a considerable measure of success in minor league sports as well, with teams winning several minor league championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clearwater Athletic Field</span> Stadium in Clearwater, Florida

Clearwater Athletic Field was a stadium in Clearwater, Florida. It was first used by professional baseball teams for spring training in 1923 and was the Phillies' first spring training ballpark in Clearwater. The grandstand sat approximately 2,000 and bleachers increased capacity to close to 3,000. Home plate was located on Pennsylvania Avenue, which ran south to north along the third base line, near Seminole Street. Left field ran parallel to Palmetto Street, and right field ran parallel to Greenwood Ave. The grandstand was destroyed by fire in April 1956.

Cooke Field was a stadium located in Leesburg, Florida, used primarily for baseball and football. The stadium was named after R.F.E. Cooke, a local banker, and had been the site of local baseball games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grant Field (Dunedin)</span> Baseball stadium located in Dunedin, Florida

Grant Field was a baseball stadium located in Dunedin, Florida. It was the longtime home of Dunedin amateur baseball and the first spring training home of the Toronto Blue Jays, as well as home to the Dunedin Blue Jays of the Class A Florida State League. It was closed in 1989 and replaced with TD Ballpark built on the same site.

The Orlando Nationals were a minor league baseball team based in Orlando, Florida. In 1942, the Orlando Nationals played as members of the Rookie level Florida East Coast League, winning the league championship in a shortened season. The Nationals hosted minor league home games at Tinker Field.

References

  1. ↑ "Tinker Field - Ballpark History". springtrainingonline.com. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Pitchers Look Good As CBs Work Out". The Orlando Sentinel. April 1, 1954. p. 16. "Charlie [Big Dike] Wilson[...] showed decided promise. [...] He connected for two doubles, one of them hitting the fence in dead centerfield on one bounce, 412 feet from home plate. Yesterday's workout was the first at Tinker's Field for the CBs." Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  3. ↑ Sokolove, Michael (March 9, 1987). "Reds' 8-7 loss not beautiful, but young players raise value". The Cincinnati Post. p. 22. "It's hard to imagine what's more quickly forgotten than a March 8 game at Tinker's Field against the anonymous Twins. [...] Utility candidate Lloyd McClendon had a strange day. He hit a double to the base of the 412-foot centerfield wall, and walked in all three of his other at-bats." Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  4. ↑ Greenberg, Steve (1990). The Minor League Road Trip . New York: Viking Penguin. p. 52. ISBN   0828907714.
  5. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Tinker Field History Plaza". orlando.gov. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  7. ↑ Weiner, Jeff (September 16, 2015). "Orlando to sell Tinker Field seats at Citrus Bowl this month". Orlando Sentinel . Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Hampton Loses To A.&M. 25-20". The Sunday Sentinel-Star. December 5, 1937. p. 7 – via newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Tinker Field". National Park Service. April 6, 2004. Retrieved April 19, 2020. With accompanying pictures
  10. ↑ Dickinson, Joy Wallace (January 20, 2019). "King offered vision of hope at Tinker Field speech in 1964". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Orlando City Council votes to demolish Tinker Field grandstands". WFTV . March 9, 2015. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  12. ↑ Weiner, Jeff (September 1, 2015). "Tinker Field memorial plans draw scrutiny at Parramore community meeting". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  13. ↑ Gillespie, Ryan (May 2, 2018). "Tinker Field History Plaza memorializes civil rights and baseball in Orlando". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
  14. ↑ "HOMEPAGE". EDC Orlando 2015. Retrieved November 4, 2015.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Tinker Field at Wikimedia Commons

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.