Some Jazz-Age Ballparks - Page 13

asrivkin · 10-28-2023, 11:10 PM

By request here's Handlan's Park, home ballpark of the Federal League's St. Louis Terriers:

Google Drive Link for Handlan's Park

While its use by the Federal League didn't last very long, this ballpark did have a bit of an extended life--after the Terriers were done with it, it apparently was used by some of the better soccer teams in the USA during its first wave of popularity in the 1920s. At that point it was called "High School Field", which is not an easy thing to do a search on.

In any case, there are some maps (both contemporary and by researchers), and two photos (one tiny, the other of a soccer game). I actually tried going the skybox route with this one, though I'm not sure if it's really better than going no skybox and YMMV. I used the park factors from the Gambo spreadsheet rather than calculating them from the park itself, though I did include the dimensions of the park (which differ from the ones in Green Cathedrals by a little bit). I also left it unadorned with ads or anything specific.

I'm planning to move on to do the Indianapolis and Buffalo Federal League parks next, I maaaaaaaay also try Newark's. The reason I didn't do these three originally was because I didn't have much information and I was just starting out with making stadia. I've gotten a lot more experience and think I can do OK with Indy and Buffalo, but I'm still not convinced I have what I need for Newark...

Anyhow, as ever, enjoy!

asrivkin · 11-05-2023, 12:09 PM

Next up, it's Greenlawn Park, aka Federal League Park, home of the Indianapolis Hoosiers Federal League team (obviously).

Google Drive Link to Greenlawn Park

A history of the ballpark at the SABR website can be found here. In short, it was purpose-built for the 1914 season, then the Feds moved the team for 1915, it was used for random sporting events and as a home park for the Indianapolis ABCs through 1916, and then the park was torn down early in 1917.

Given its very short life, there's more info than I might have expected. Only a couple of photos, both from the LF corner (or beyond it) looking toward home plate. An Sanborn map update was fortuitously made that included it, but it split the park between three different maps (a quick-n-dirty splice is included below). However, the dimensions appear to be pretty well-known, and I used the Green Cathedrals values in the .prk file. I again used the Gambo park factors.

As far as other design choices, I put in a few Indianapolis- and period-appropriate ads, which I pulled from the West Washington Street ballpark I posted very early in this thread. The scoreboard is also pulled from that ballpark. I'm also doing an experiment by using skyboxes that are only the sky--I'm always thrown by the way the world seems to spin because the sky moves non-physically, but I've been unable to make location-appropriate skyboxes that I like. Anyhow, put the skybox on or not, as you like.

zappa1 · 11-06-2023, 07:23 AM

Nice. This is another one I've been waiting for. Thank you.

spanky8992 · 11-07-2023, 05:44 PM

Thank you for your hard work. Being able to bring these old stadiums to life from a few graining pictures takes great skill.

asrivkin · 11-18-2023, 08:36 AM

Next up is another Federal League Park, and a bit of a mouthful: Buffalo International Fair Association Grounds. This was in what is today the Hamlin Park neighborhood of Buffalo, but about 150 years ago it was "The Driving Park", a popular race track and polo grounds. It then hosted the International Industrial and Agricultural Exposition in 1888 before getting destroyed by fire in 1896. At that point it was recognized as prime real estate for a housing development, and starting in 1912 that whole area began getting developed as such. It took a while to get that underway, though, so in the meantime part of the old Driving Park grounds got used for this ballpark, the home of the Federal League's Buffalo Blues. I'm not certain when it was torn down, but I don't think it lasted too long--I can't find any trace of it on a 1927 aerial photo of that part of Buffalo.

Google Drive Link to Buffalo etc. Park

Not a ton of photo evidence for this one, just an outside shot (which I used but I don't think anyone will ever see evidence of!). I decided that since the Sanborn map prominently says "stucco" that that's what the design would use, though not on the outfield walls.

I also decided to use a bit more color than I often do, taking the shade of blue that the Buffeds used in their uniforms according to Dressed to the Nines.

Next up I'm going to try Harrison Park, which should complete the Federal League ballparks!

zappa1 · 11-19-2023, 04:36 PM

Thanks again. I just happen to be playing the Federal League right now.

silvam14 · 11-19-2023, 11:01 PM

Great stuff again asrivkin!

asrivkin · 11-20-2023, 01:10 AM

Thanks for your continued encouragement, all!

Ty Cobb · 11-20-2023, 09:00 AM

Well deserved praise, sir. I'm copping many of your parks for my Five Lakes League...

silvam14 · 11-21-2023, 11:23 PM

For what its worth, I'm pimping out your parks to some fellas I know who love doing 19th century. Since I don't have any that I created myself, I think yours and my deadball parks can give them more of a selection. Hope you don't mind

asrivkin · 11-23-2023, 01:27 AM

I'm flattered, I don't mind at all!

I've actually started kicking around the idea of trying some 19th century parks, though the first ones I looked at have the too-common problem of being way too small to have a model be both sensible and historic...

asrivkin · 11-25-2023, 06:28 AM

I am very glad to complete a set with today's post of Harrison Park, home of the Newark Peppers of the Federal League and occasional home to Newark's minor league teams of the late 1910s-early 1920s!

Google Drive Link to Harrison Park

There's an article on the SABR website about the park and its history, which is a fun little read for history buffs.

The park burned down in 1923, just a bit before systematic aerial surveys began. One of the photos below shows the site in 1927, after the park structure was removed, but with the traces of the diamond still visible. The giant gasometers were in place at the time, as shown on the city map and apparently were rather close, as seen in the view of the outfield. I tried to reflect that in the model. The NYC skyline should have been visible according to Google Earth, though I used the 2023 skyline rather than trying to suss out what it would have been in 1915.

This completes the set of Federal League parks for OOTP! Here's where you can find them all:

Brooklyn Tip Tops: Washington Park by silvam14 : download link from his thread
Chicago Whales: Weeghman Park by silvam14 : download link from his thread
Pittsburgh Rebels: Exposition Park by silvam14: download link from his thread
St. Louis Terriers: Handlan's Park, post with download link in this thread
Baltimore Terrapins: Terrapin (later Oriole Park (V)), post with download link in this thread
Kansas City Packers: Gordon and Koppel Park, post with download link in this thread
Buffalo Blues: Buffalo International Fair Association Grounds, post with download link in this thread
Indianapolis Hoosiers (1914): Greenlawn Park, post with download link in this thread

and then Indianapolis moved to Newark for 1915 and that's this post.

. I'll note for what it's worth that Baltimore was the very first park I ever made, and Kansas City wasn't long after that, so quality may vary...

OK, now for the Harrison Park screen shots...

Flying_Canuck · 11-25-2023, 08:07 AM

Wow, this one is really well done！Love the features in the background and the coloring. The ballpark itself also gives the perfect vibe of the bygone Era.

zappa1 · 11-26-2023, 09:17 PM

Thank you. All set up for play now.

Pelican · 11-29-2023, 09:01 PM

For those of us who enjoy playing Federal League games in 1914 and 1915, this is such a treat! It is amazing how these fields and what became Wrigley were all rather hastily erected in time for the 1914 Season (or 1915 in Newark), and now only Wrigley remains of that lot. I live in a housing development built starting in 1918 on the grounds of an old Union League ballpark, so I guess I’m part of the problem.

asrivkin · 01-21-2024, 10:09 AM

If anyone is following this thread, I just wanted to say that I've started a separate thread for19th century ballparks, but that I do still intend to add to this one! I've got several that I made for my league, and hopefully I can make some of them presentable enough to post before long!

oosl · 02-03-2024, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asrivkin

If anyone is following this thread, I just wanted to say that I've started a separate thread for19th century ballparks, but that I do still intend to add to this one! I've got several that I made for my league, and hopefully I can make some of them presentable enough to post before long!

I really enjoy your work and look forward to seeing more of it!

I selfishly would love to see Toledo's Swayne Field and Bush Stadium of Indianapolis if you ever get around to them.

asrivkin · 02-03-2024, 12:41 PM

Oh! I have Swayne Field! I could have sworn that I posted it here, but a search seems to show that I didn't. I should be able to post that one this weekend!

I feel like someone else has done Bush Stadium, or I've seen it floating around somewhere. Nielsoncp did Victory Stadium here, and Bush Stadium was later renamed Victory Stadium, and then replaced in the 90s by a different Victory Stadium. If the linked one isn't the one you want I can put it on my to-do list...

oosl · 02-03-2024, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asrivkin

Oh! I have Swayne Field! I could have sworn that I posted it here, but a search seems to show that I didn't. I should be able to post that one this weekend!

I feel like someone else has done Bush Stadium, or I've seen it floating around somewhere. Nielsoncp did Victory Stadium here, and Bush Stadium was later renamed Victory Stadium, and then replaced in the 90s by a different Victory Stadium. If the linked one isn't the one you want I can put it on my to-do list...

Swayne Field would be excellent. I would truly appreciate that one.

The Victory Field redo (which was certainly well done) that nielsoncp did is for the "new" stadium downtown, as opposed to the original Bush Stadium/Victory Field, which is what I was referring to. The one on 16th Street.

The original Bush Stadium/Victory Field on 16th Street is very cool because it has been a baseball stadium, it was used in the movie Eight Men Out, then it closed and became a midget racing track, then it closed and now is an apartment complex.

oosl · 02-04-2024, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asrivkin

Oh! I have Swayne Field! I could have sworn that I posted it here, but a search seems to show that I didn't. I should be able to post that one this weekend!

I feel like someone else has done Bush Stadium, or I've seen it floating around somewhere. Nielsoncp did Victory Stadium here, and Bush Stadium was later renamed Victory Stadium, and then replaced in the 90s by a different Victory Stadium. If the linked one isn't the one you want I can put it on my to-do list...

Another one I would add to my personal wishlist of Toledo’s Swayne Field and the original Bush Stadium in Indianapolis would be the Federal Park from the Covington Blue Sox of the Federal League (the year prior to the Federal League becoming a Major League), I am not sure if that park or Cleveland’s Luna Park, home of the Green Sox have ever been done from the year the Federal League was a minor league.

Appreciate all you do.

10-28-2023, 11:10 PM	#241
asrivkin Major Leagues Join Date: Aug 2020 Location: Maryland Posts: 315	Handlan's Park, St. Louis By request here's Handlan's Park, home ballpark of the Federal League's St. Louis Terriers: Google Drive Link for Handlan's Park While its use by the Federal League didn't last very long, this ballpark did have a bit of an extended life--after the Terriers were done with it, it apparently was used by some of the better soccer teams in the USA during its first wave of popularity in the 1920s. At that point it was called "High School Field", which is not an easy thing to do a search on. In any case, there are some maps (both contemporary and by researchers), and two photos (one tiny, the other of a soccer game). I actually tried going the skybox route with this one, though I'm not sure if it's really better than going no skybox and YMMV. I used the park factors from the Gambo spreadsheet rather than calculating them from the park itself, though I did include the dimensions of the park (which differ from the ones in Green Cathedrals by a little bit). I also left it unadorned with ads or anything specific. I'm planning to move on to do the Indianapolis and Buffalo Federal League parks next, I maaaaaaaay also try Newark's. The reason I didn't do these three originally was because I didn't have much information and I was just starting out with making stadia. I've gotten a lot more experience and think I can do OK with Indy and Buffalo, but I'm still not convinced I have what I need for Newark... Anyhow, as ever, enjoy! Attached Images

11-05-2023, 12:09 PM	#242
asrivkin Major Leagues Join Date: Aug 2020 Location: Maryland Posts: 315	Greenlawn Park, Indianapolis Next up, it's Greenlawn Park, aka Federal League Park, home of the Indianapolis Hoosiers Federal League team (obviously). Google Drive Link to Greenlawn Park A history of the ballpark at the SABR website can be found here. In short, it was purpose-built for the 1914 season, then the Feds moved the team for 1915, it was used for random sporting events and as a home park for the Indianapolis ABCs through 1916, and then the park was torn down early in 1917. Given its very short life, there's more info than I might have expected. Only a couple of photos, both from the LF corner (or beyond it) looking toward home plate. An Sanborn map update was fortuitously made that included it, but it split the park between three different maps (a quick-n-dirty splice is included below). However, the dimensions appear to be pretty well-known, and I used the Green Cathedrals values in the .prk file. I again used the Gambo park factors. As far as other design choices, I put in a few Indianapolis- and period-appropriate ads, which I pulled from the West Washington Street ballpark I posted very early in this thread. The scoreboard is also pulled from that ballpark. I'm also doing an experiment by using skyboxes that are only the sky--I'm always thrown by the way the world seems to spin because the sky moves non-physically, but I've been unable to make location-appropriate skyboxes that I like. Anyhow, put the skybox on or not, as you like. Attached Images

11-18-2023, 08:36 AM	#245
asrivkin Major Leagues Join Date: Aug 2020 Location: Maryland Posts: 315	Buffalo International Fair Association Grounds Next up is another Federal League Park, and a bit of a mouthful: Buffalo International Fair Association Grounds. This was in what is today the Hamlin Park neighborhood of Buffalo, but about 150 years ago it was "The Driving Park", a popular race track and polo grounds. It then hosted the International Industrial and Agricultural Exposition in 1888 before getting destroyed by fire in 1896. At that point it was recognized as prime real estate for a housing development, and starting in 1912 that whole area began getting developed as such. It took a while to get that underway, though, so in the meantime part of the old Driving Park grounds got used for this ballpark, the home of the Federal League's Buffalo Blues. I'm not certain when it was torn down, but I don't think it lasted too long--I can't find any trace of it on a 1927 aerial photo of that part of Buffalo. Google Drive Link to Buffalo etc. Park Not a ton of photo evidence for this one, just an outside shot (which I used but I don't think anyone will ever see evidence of!). I decided that since the Sanborn map prominently says "stucco" that that's what the design would use, though not on the outfield walls. I also decided to use a bit more color than I often do, taking the shade of blue that the Buffeds used in their uniforms according to Dressed to the Nines. Next up I'm going to try Harrison Park, which should complete the Federal League ballparks! Attached Images

11-19-2023, 11:01 PM	#247
silvam14 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Dedham, MA Posts: 9,898	Great stuff again asrivkin! __________________ Senior "Nancy Boy" of the OOTP Boards _______________________________________________

11-20-2023, 09:00 AM	#249
Ty Cobb Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Grayling, MI Posts: 4,577	Well deserved praise, sir. I'm copping many of your parks for my Five Lakes League... __________________ "You could not live with your own failure. Where did that bring you? Back to me." Thanos

11-06-2023, 07:23 AM	#243
zappa1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 2,118	Nice. This is another one I've been waiting for. Thank you.

11-07-2023, 05:44 PM	#244
spanky8992 Bat Boy Join Date: Nov 2021 Posts: 7	Thank you for your hard work. Being able to bring these old stadiums to life from a few graining pictures takes great skill.

11-19-2023, 04:36 PM	#246
zappa1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 2,118	Thanks again. I just happen to be playing the Federal League right now.

11-20-2023, 01:10 AM	#248
asrivkin Major Leagues Join Date: Aug 2020 Location: Maryland Posts: 315	Thanks for your continued encouragement, all!

11-21-2023, 11:23 PM	#250
silvam14 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Dedham, MA Posts: 9,898	For what its worth, I'm pimping out your parks to some fellas I know who love doing 19th century. Since I don't have any that I created myself, I think yours and my deadball parks can give them more of a selection. Hope you don't mind __________________ Senior "Nancy Boy" of the OOTP Boards _______________________________________________

11-23-2023, 01:27 AM	#251
asrivkin Major Leagues Join Date: Aug 2020 Location: Maryland Posts: 315	I'm flattered, I don't mind at all! I've actually started kicking around the idea of trying some 19th century parks, though the first ones I looked at have the too-common problem of being way too small to have a model be both sensible and historic...

11-25-2023, 06:28 AM	#252
asrivkin Major Leagues Join Date: Aug 2020 Location: Maryland Posts: 315	Harrison Park, Newark I am very glad to complete a set with today's post of Harrison Park, home of the Newark Peppers of the Federal League and occasional home to Newark's minor league teams of the late 1910s-early 1920s! Google Drive Link to Harrison Park There's an article on the SABR website about the park and its history, which is a fun little read for history buffs. The park burned down in 1923, just a bit before systematic aerial surveys began. One of the photos below shows the site in 1927, after the park structure was removed, but with the traces of the diamond still visible. The giant gasometers were in place at the time, as shown on the city map and apparently were rather close, as seen in the view of the outfield. I tried to reflect that in the model. The NYC skyline should have been visible according to Google Earth, though I used the 2023 skyline rather than trying to suss out what it would have been in 1915. This completes the set of Federal League parks for OOTP! Here's where you can find them all: Brooklyn Tip Tops: Washington Park by silvam14 : download link from his thread Chicago Whales: Weeghman Park by silvam14 : download link from his thread Pittsburgh Rebels: Exposition Park by silvam14: download link from his thread St. Louis Terriers: Handlan's Park, post with download link in this thread Baltimore Terrapins: Terrapin (later Oriole Park (V)), post with download link in this thread Kansas City Packers: Gordon and Koppel Park, post with download link in this thread Buffalo Blues: Buffalo International Fair Association Grounds, post with download link in this thread Indianapolis Hoosiers (1914): Greenlawn Park, post with download link in this thread and then Indianapolis moved to Newark for 1915 and that's this post. . I'll note for what it's worth that Baltimore was the very first park I ever made, and Kansas City wasn't long after that, so quality may vary... OK, now for the Harrison Park screen shots... Attached Images

11-25-2023, 08:07 AM	#253
Flying_Canuck All Star Reserve Join Date: Nov 2015 Posts: 543	Wow, this one is really well done！Love the features in the background and the coloring. The ballpark itself also gives the perfect vibe of the bygone Era.

11-26-2023, 09:17 PM	#254
zappa1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 2,118	Thank you. All set up for play now.

11-29-2023, 09:01 PM	#255
Pelican Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2021 Location: Wilmington, Delaware Posts: 2,910	For those of us who enjoy playing Federal League games in 1914 and 1915, this is such a treat! It is amazing how these fields and what became Wrigley were all rather hastily erected in time for the 1914 Season (or 1915 in Newark), and now only Wrigley remains of that lot. I live in a housing development built starting in 1918 on the grounds of an old Union League ballpark, so I guess I’m part of the problem. __________________ Pelican OOTP 2020-? ”Hard to believe, Harry.”

01-21-2024, 10:09 AM	#256
asrivkin Major Leagues Join Date: Aug 2020 Location: Maryland Posts: 315	If anyone is following this thread, I just wanted to say that I've started a separate thread for19th century ballparks, but that I do still intend to add to this one! I've got several that I made for my league, and hopefully I can make some of them presentable enough to post before long!

02-03-2024, 12:41 PM	#258
asrivkin Major Leagues Join Date: Aug 2020 Location: Maryland Posts: 315	Oh! I have Swayne Field! I could have sworn that I posted it here, but a search seems to show that I didn't. I should be able to post that one this weekend! I feel like someone else has done Bush Stadium, or I've seen it floating around somewhere. Nielsoncp did Victory Stadium here, and Bush Stadium was later renamed Victory Stadium, and then replaced in the 90s by a different Victory Stadium. If the linked one isn't the one you want I can put it on my to-do list...