Whittington Park, McKee Park[1] | |
 Ban Johnson HOF plaque | |
 | |
| Former names | Whittington Park (1894–1920, 1924-1935) McKee Park (1921-23) |
|---|---|
| Location | 870 Whittington Ave Hot Springs, Arkansas United States |
| Coordinates | 34°0.952′N 93°04.458′W / 34.015867°N 93.074300°W[2] |
| Owner | Weyerhauser Company (current) |
| Capacity | 1,400 (1913) 2,000 (1939) |
| Field size | 260 RF; 400 CF; 340 LF |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1894 |
| Opened | 1894 |
| Renovated | 1910, 1930, 1936, 1938 |
| Expanded | 1910, 1930, 1938 |
| Closed | 1947 |
| Demolished | c. 1947 |
| Tenants | |
| Spring training Cleveland Spiders (1896,1898–1899) Chicago Cubs (1896) St. Louis Cardinals (NL) (1900) Pittsburgh Pirates (NL) (1896, 1901–1916, 1926) Detroit Tigers (1908) New York Yankees (1908) Brooklyn Dodgers (1910-12, 1917–1918) Boston Red Sox (1920–1923) Minor League Baseball Hot Springs Vapors (1906) Hot Springs Vaporites (1908-09) Hot Springs Bathers (1894, 1897-98, 1938-41) Negro leagues Hot Springs Arlingtons (1896-1903) Hot Spring Blues (1904) Baseball Schools Ray Doan Baseball School (1933–1938) George Barr Umpire School (1935–1947) Rogers Hornsby Baseball College (1939-1947)[3] | |
Ban Johnson Park was a baseball stadium located in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It was also known as Whittington Park and McKee Park. The ballpark was located within today's Whittington Park Historic District and directly across from the still active Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo.[4][5][6]
Originally known as Whittington Park, the ballpark was the Spring training site for numerous Major League Baseball teams, hosting spring training games and served as home for Hot Springs minor league teams. Over 130 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame inductees played at Whittington Park. In 1918, Babe Ruth, then a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, hit a 573-foot home run at the park. The park was also home to the ever first Umpire School. In 1935, Whittington Park, was renamed after Hall of Fame baseball pioneer Ban Johnson, founder of the American League.[7][8]
- ^ "Dodgers Rise Up to Smite Yankees". The New York Times. March 26, 1921. p. 12.
- ^ "Whittington Park Hot Springs, AR". Arkansas Historical Markers. Waymaking.com. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
- ^ "Spring Training in Hot Springs by Year". Arkansas Baseball Encyclopedia. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
- ^ "Whittington Park Historic District". The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
- ^ "Whittington Park". National Park Service. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
- ^ "Ban Johnson Field". Baseball in Arkansas Project. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
- ^ "Johnson, Ban – Baseball Hall of Fame". National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
- ^ "Ban Johnson Field". Arkansas Baseball Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2016.