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Parks and RecreationSalem Kiwanis Baseball Field History[Main] [History] [Weekend Schedule] [Calendar] [Directions] Municipal Field in Salem was first laid out in 1927. To put things in perspective, Calvin Coolidge was in the White House and Babe Ruth was embarking on his record setting 60 home run season. In fact, “The House That Ruth Built”, Yankee Stadium, opened only four years earlier. Suprisingly, some of the seats that occupied Yankee Stadium eventually found their way to Municipal Field in the late 1950’s. In 1939, Municipal was literally turned around and the dugouts and two sections of cement bleachers were constructed. The “Salem Friends” of the VirginiaState League played there from 1939 through 1942 but folded during World War II. The Roanoke Red Sox then emerged at Mahr Field in Roanoke as the pro baseball team of the RoanokeValley and Municipal Field remained virtually unchanged until the mid 1950’s. After the demise of the Roanoke Red Sox in 1953, the valley was left without a pro baseball team until the Salem Rebels entered the Appalachian League in 1955. A first place finish with a club that won 84 and lost 38 was not enough to keep the full season Appy League from folding. It re-emerged as a short season (70 games) rookie league in 1957, with Salem remaining a member through 1967. During this time, the ball park was dramatically improved. A scoreboard was added, several more sections of concrete bleachers were poured and seats that had once been in Yankee Stadium were purchased from the Yankee farm club located in Schenectady, New York that had folded. The club house was built and the lights were installed. In 1968, Salem stepped up to full season member of the Carolina League and has remained a member ever since. During the 1974 season, tragedy struck this facility on August 22, 1974. Francisco Alfredo Edmead a Salem Pirates player from the Dominican Republic died of injuries he sustained in a game against Rocky Mount. A plaque dedicated to Edmead is still in place behind the home plate area of the grand stands. In 1985 a new scoreboard was installed and new lights were added prior to the 1987 season. Following the 1990 season, major league baseball came up with a set of regulations requiring minimum facility standards that all professional baseball stadiums must accomplish on or before April 1, 1995. Converting Municipal Field to the new standards was not feasible so the City of Salem, Virginia opted to build a new stadium which opened in 1995. Municipal Field was turned over to the City of Salem Parks and Recreation Department and renamed the facility Salem Kiwanis Baseball Field because the new Memorial Stadium was partly built on the original Kiwanis Field at the Salem Civic Center Sports Complex Quick Facts:
UPDATED FEB. 2, 2006 |
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