Centennial Field
Encyclopedia
Centennial Field is the name of two sports facilities at the University of Vermont
in Burlington, Vermont
. One is used for baseball
and the other is now primarily used for men's and women's soccer. It once serving as the home field for the school's football and lacrosse teams. The baseball field is also the home of the Vermont Lake Monsters
minor league
baseball team.
The field takes its name, Centennial Field, from the fact that the land on which it was built was dedicated to its current purpose on July 6, 1904, at the conclusion of the three-day celebration of the 100th anniversary of UVM's first graduating class. It officially opened on April 17, 1906 with UVM's 10-4 victory over the University of Maine
. Larry Gardner
was the first batter for UVM. Future-Boston Red Sox
pitcher Ray Collins started the game for Vermont and threw the first pitch at the ballpark. Gardner and Collins are among 10 former Catamounts to reach the major leagues, the latest being Kirk McCaskill
, who hurled for the Angels and White Sox from 1985 to 1995.
In addition to the baseball field, the adjacent soccer field was used by the University of Vermont football
team until 1974, and UVM's men's and women's lacrosse teams in the 1990s through 2006. The school's men's soccer team has played there since 1975 and the women have played there since 1995. This stadium seats 5,000 and drew America East record crowds during the 1989 postseason when UVM advanced to the NCAA Men's Soccer Championship East Regional Finals. Vermont hosts the long-running Smith Barney Men's Soccer Classic that has featured many national powers including UCLA, Stanford, Old Dominion, San Francisco, New Mexico and North Carolina. Its recent women's soccer tournament has featured Indiana, Notre Dame and Villanova. On occasion, Centennial Field hosts the Vermont boy's and girl's high school soccer championships.
During the era the Catamounts had a football team, Centennial Field had stands on both sides of the gridiron and UVM's game with UMass in 1966 had a record crowd of 10,000 fans. Vermont that season featured Little All-American halfback Bobby Mitchell and UMass had future NFL QB Greg Landry. The football field also was the home to several Vermont high school state championship games.
The baseball ballpark was part of the sports complex constructed as part of the UVM Centennial celebration. The original wooden baseball bleachers burned on March 12, 1913. The current concrete and steel main grandstand was erected in 1922. Today, it seats 4,415 for baseball. Common treats at Vermont Lake Monsters home games include Dippin' Dots
, grilled foods, and Rhino Foods
' Chessters.
The first UVM hockey game was played on Centennial Field. The field's large foul territory comes from the running track that at one time circled the park.
On occasion, the University has held its commencement ceremonies at the soccer field.
Centennial Field in the summer of 2005 was the Vermont stop on ESPN's "50 States in 50 Days" tour. In 2007 it was recognized by ESPN.com's Jim Caple as one of the top 10 ball park destinations in the U.S. It is also featured in the 2008 book, "101 Baseball Places To See Before You Strike Out" by Josh Pahigian
(2008, The Lyons Press).
On February 20, 2009, the University announced that it would eliminate the varsity baseball program following the 2009 season. UVM Athletic Director Dr. Robert Corran announced that he expected that the university would continue to maintain and use the baseball field. The UVM baseball team played its last home game of the 2009 season at Centennial Field on May 12, 2009 when they hosted Bryant
.
Among the many future major leaguers who played for the Cardinals, Johnny Podres
made his professional debut at Centennial Field in 1950
pitching for Cardinals. In 2005, the Vermont Expos invited Podres back to Centennial Field to throw out the first pitch in honor of the 50th-anniversary of the 1955
Brooklyn Dodgers
World Series championship
.
. The League was affiliated with the National Association
from 1940 to 1943 and 1950 to 1955. Between 1950 and 1955, it was a Class C minor-league; the Philadelphia Athletics
had an affiliate during this time. In 1954, the American League
Athletics were based in Philadelphia and their Provincial League club in Drummondville, Quebec
.
Dr. Clarence H. Beecher, former Burlington-mayor and dean of the UVM College of Medicine
is seen to be responsible for bringing the club to Burlington. Dr. Beecher had been president of the Burlington Cardinals during the Northern League's final season and assumed the same position with the new club when the Provincial League Dummondville club became available in the fall of 1954.
The 1955 Burlington A's attracted 51,267 fans to Centennial Field for the season, the second highest attendance in the League. Burlington went 65 and 64 to finish in third-place, 20.5 games behind the first-place St. Jean Canadians
. Burlington pitcher Jack Hale tied for the league-lead in wins with 17. In the playoffs, Burlington beat first-place St. Jean in the first round but lost the championship to the Quebec
Braves
, four games to one. The League was not financially sustainable and disbanded prior to the 1956 season.
from Lynn, Massachusetts
to Burlington. The club had been affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates
and Agganis signed a four-year agreement with the Cincinnati Reds
. The club was renamed the Vermont Reds
.
The club finished in fourth-place in 1984 and 1985, and in second-place in 1986. The Reds excelled in the post-season and won the Eastern League championship each of these three years. Vermont finished fourth again in 1987 but lost in the League finals. Barry Larkin
, Jeff Montgomery, Rob Dibble
, Chris Sabo
, and Norm Charlton
all starred in Burlington and became the core of the 1990 World Champion
Cincinnati Reds
.
. The Seattle Mariners
had themselves been affiliated with Chattanooga and signed with Agganis and the Burlington franchise. The Vermont Reds became the Vermont Mariners
.
The team finished second in the Eastern League behind the Glens Falls Tigers
. Vermont made the playoffs but lost to the Albany-Colonie Yankees in the finals. Mariners manager Rich Morales
was named Eastern League Manager of the Year and Jim Wilson
and Omar Vizquel
were Eastern League All-Stars.
Ken Griffey, Jr.
had been drafted by the Mariners with the first pick in 1987. Griffey played for the Bellingham Mariners in 1987 and spent most of the 1988 season with the Class A California League
San Bernardino Spirit
. Griffey was promoted to Burlington and played at Centennial Field late in the 1988 season. He played in 17-games for the Mariners and hit two home runs.
By September 1988, with the team in the Eastern League playoffs, Agganis had decided to move the franchise to Canton, Ohio
. Canton was building a brand-new ballpark, Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium
, which would have a capacity of 5,700. More so, the Canton metropolitan area offered twice the population of Burlington. Agganis told the New York Times, "Our attendance has averaged out to about 85,000 over five years in Burlington. In Canton, we can probably do between 225,000 and 300,000 attendance." The franchise moved to Canton after the 1988 season, affiliated with Cleveland
, and became the Canton-Akron Indians
.
and brought minor league baseball back to Burlington.
The Vermont Expos debuted at Centennial Field on June 16, 1994. They lost 6 to 5 to the Pittsfield Mets
but more than 5,000 fans attended the game.
The Expos passed 1,000,000 in cumulative attendance during the 2002 season.
University of Vermont
The University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or...
in Burlington, Vermont
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
. One is used for baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and the other is now primarily used for men's and women's soccer. It once serving as the home field for the school's football and lacrosse teams. The baseball field is also the home of the Vermont Lake Monsters
Vermont Lake Monsters
The Vermont Lake Monsters are a minor league baseball team in the Short-Season A classification New York - Penn League, affiliated with the Oakland Athletics. The team plays its home games at Centennial Field on the University of Vermont campus in Burlington, Vermont...
minor league
Minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
baseball team.
The field takes its name, Centennial Field, from the fact that the land on which it was built was dedicated to its current purpose on July 6, 1904, at the conclusion of the three-day celebration of the 100th anniversary of UVM's first graduating class. It officially opened on April 17, 1906 with UVM's 10-4 victory over the University of Maine
University of Maine
The University of Maine is a public research university located in Orono, Maine, United States. The university was established in 1865 as a land grant college and is referred to as the flagship university of the University of Maine System...
. Larry Gardner
Larry Gardner
William Lawrence "Larry" Gardner was a third baseman in Major League Baseball. From 1908 through 1924, Gardner played for the Boston Red Sox , Philadelphia Athletics, and Cleveland Indians . He batted left-handed and threw right-handed...
was the first batter for UVM. Future-Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
pitcher Ray Collins started the game for Vermont and threw the first pitch at the ballpark. Gardner and Collins are among 10 former Catamounts to reach the major leagues, the latest being Kirk McCaskill
Kirk McCaskill
Kirk Edward McCaskill is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher and a retired professional hockey player....
, who hurled for the Angels and White Sox from 1985 to 1995.
In addition to the baseball field, the adjacent soccer field was used by the University of Vermont football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team until 1974, and UVM's men's and women's lacrosse teams in the 1990s through 2006. The school's men's soccer team has played there since 1975 and the women have played there since 1995. This stadium seats 5,000 and drew America East record crowds during the 1989 postseason when UVM advanced to the NCAA Men's Soccer Championship East Regional Finals. Vermont hosts the long-running Smith Barney Men's Soccer Classic that has featured many national powers including UCLA, Stanford, Old Dominion, San Francisco, New Mexico and North Carolina. Its recent women's soccer tournament has featured Indiana, Notre Dame and Villanova. On occasion, Centennial Field hosts the Vermont boy's and girl's high school soccer championships.
During the era the Catamounts had a football team, Centennial Field had stands on both sides of the gridiron and UVM's game with UMass in 1966 had a record crowd of 10,000 fans. Vermont that season featured Little All-American halfback Bobby Mitchell and UMass had future NFL QB Greg Landry. The football field also was the home to several Vermont high school state championship games.
The baseball ballpark was part of the sports complex constructed as part of the UVM Centennial celebration. The original wooden baseball bleachers burned on March 12, 1913. The current concrete and steel main grandstand was erected in 1922. Today, it seats 4,415 for baseball. Common treats at Vermont Lake Monsters home games include Dippin' Dots
Dippin' Dots
Dippin' Dots is an ice cream snack, invented by Southern Illinois University Carbondale graduate Curt Jones in 1987. The confection is created by flash freezing ice cream mix in liquid nitrogen; consequently, Dippin' Dots contain less air than conventional ice cream...
, grilled foods, and Rhino Foods
Rhino Foods
Rhino Foods Incorporated, founded in 1981 by Anne and Ted Castle, is a specialty ice cream novelty and ice cream ingredient manufacturer located in Burlington, Vermont, United States. Rhino Foods has grown from a small ice cream shop, Chessy's Frozen Custard, into a major Vermont business with over...
' Chessters.
The first UVM hockey game was played on Centennial Field. The field's large foul territory comes from the running track that at one time circled the park.
On occasion, the University has held its commencement ceremonies at the soccer field.
Centennial Field in the summer of 2005 was the Vermont stop on ESPN's "50 States in 50 Days" tour. In 2007 it was recognized by ESPN.com's Jim Caple as one of the top 10 ball park destinations in the U.S. It is also featured in the 2008 book, "101 Baseball Places To See Before You Strike Out" by Josh Pahigian
Josh Pahigian
Josh Pahigian is an American author who specializes in books and articles about baseball. He is particularly well known as an expert in the field of sports travel, writing books on this topic, as well as articles that appear on the espn.com Sports Travel page...
(2008, The Lyons Press).
Operation
The field was described as "dilapidated" in 2010. A major league report suggested that it needed improvement to continue hosting the Lake Monsters.Centennial Field Baseball
In addition to the Lake Monsters and collegiate baseball, Vermont high schools also use it a few times during the regular season and also hold the four divisions championships at Centennial. It also hosts American Legion baseball and was home to the Northeast Regional tournament in 2007.On February 20, 2009, the University announced that it would eliminate the varsity baseball program following the 2009 season. UVM Athletic Director Dr. Robert Corran announced that he expected that the university would continue to maintain and use the baseball field. The UVM baseball team played its last home game of the 2009 season at Centennial Field on May 12, 2009 when they hosted Bryant
Bryant University
Bryant University is a private university located in Smithfield, Rhode Island, U.S., that grants the degrees of bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, and master's degrees in business, taxation and accounting. Until August 2004, it was known as Bryant College...
.
Professional Franchises
Centennial Field has been home to minor league baseball teams through the years.Burlington Cardinals
The semi-professional Northern League (baseball, 1934–1952) Burlington Cardinals played at Centennial Field from 1935 to 1941 and from 1946 to 1952.Among the many future major leaguers who played for the Cardinals, Johnny Podres
Johnny Podres
John Joseph Podres was an American left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who spent most of his career with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers...
made his professional debut at Centennial Field in 1950
1950 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Philadelphia Phillies *All-Star Game, July 11 at Comiskey Park: National League, 4-3 -Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Carta Vieja *College World Series: Texas...
pitching for Cardinals. In 2005, the Vermont Expos invited Podres back to Centennial Field to throw out the first pitch in honor of the 50th-anniversary of the 1955
1955 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Brooklyn Dodgers over New York Yankees ; Johnny Podres, MVP*All-Star Game, July 12 at County Stadium: National League, 6-5 -Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Cangrejeros de Santurce...
Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
World Series championship
1955 World Series
The 1955 World Series matched the Brooklyn Dodgers against the New York Yankees, with the Dodgers winning the Series in seven games to capture their first championship in franchise history. It would be the only Series the Dodgers won in Brooklyn . The last time the Brooklyn franchise won a World...
.
Burlington Athletics
Clarence Beecher brought the Philadelphia Athletics' Provincial League Class C team to play at Centennial Field in 1955. The Provincial League was founded in 1935 and based in QuebecQuebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. The League was affiliated with the National Association
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
from 1940 to 1943 and 1950 to 1955. Between 1950 and 1955, it was a Class C minor-league; the Philadelphia Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
had an affiliate during this time. In 1954, the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
Athletics were based in Philadelphia and their Provincial League club in Drummondville, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
.
Dr. Clarence H. Beecher, former Burlington-mayor and dean of the UVM College of Medicine
University of Vermont College of Medicine
The University of Vermont College of Medicine is an American medical school located in Burlington, Vermont and associated with the University of Vermont . Established in 1822, it is the nation's seventh oldest medical school...
is seen to be responsible for bringing the club to Burlington. Dr. Beecher had been president of the Burlington Cardinals during the Northern League's final season and assumed the same position with the new club when the Provincial League Dummondville club became available in the fall of 1954.
The 1955 Burlington A's attracted 51,267 fans to Centennial Field for the season, the second highest attendance in the League. Burlington went 65 and 64 to finish in third-place, 20.5 games behind the first-place St. Jean Canadians
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
. Burlington pitcher Jack Hale tied for the league-lead in wins with 17. In the playoffs, Burlington beat first-place St. Jean in the first round but lost the championship to the Quebec
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
, four games to one. The League was not financially sustainable and disbanded prior to the 1956 season.
Vermont Reds
Minor League baseball returned to Centennial Field in 1984 when Mike Agganis moved his AA Eastern League Lynn PiratesLynn Sailors
The Lynn Sailors were a class AA American minor league baseball team affiliated with the Seattle Mariners and Pittsburgh Pirates. They were a member of the Eastern League and played at Fraser Field in Lynn, Massachusetts from 1980-1983....
from Lynn, Massachusetts
Lynn, Massachusetts
Lynn is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 89,050 at the 2000 census. An old industrial center, Lynn is home to Lynn Beach and Lynn Heritage State Park and is about north of downtown Boston.-17th century:...
to Burlington. The club had been affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
and Agganis signed a four-year agreement with the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
. The club was renamed the Vermont Reds
Vermont Reds
The Vermont Reds are a defunct minor league baseball team. They played in the Eastern League at Centennial Field in Burlington, Vermont from 1984 to 1987...
.
The club finished in fourth-place in 1984 and 1985, and in second-place in 1986. The Reds excelled in the post-season and won the Eastern League championship each of these three years. Vermont finished fourth again in 1987 but lost in the League finals. Barry Larkin
Barry Larkin
Barry Louis Larkin is a retired Major League Baseball player. Larkin played shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds from 1986 to 2004 and was one of the pivotal players on the 1990 Reds' World Series championship team...
, Jeff Montgomery, Rob Dibble
Rob Dibble
Robert Keith Dibble is a former Major League Baseball pitcher and television analyst.-Personal life:Dibble is a graduate of Southington High School in Southington, Connecticut...
, Chris Sabo
Chris Sabo
Christopher Andrew Sabo is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Cincinnati Reds , Baltimore Orioles , Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals . At 6'0" and 180 lb , he batted and threw right-handed...
, and Norm Charlton
Norm Charlton
Norman Wood Charlton III , nicknamed "The Sheriff", is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds , Seattle Mariners , Philadelphia Phillies , Baltimore Orioles , Atlanta Braves , and Tampa Bay Devil Rays .Charlton holds three degrees from Rice University.The left-handed...
all starred in Burlington and became the core of the 1990 World Champion
1990 World Series
- Game 1 :Tuesday, October 16, 1990 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, OhioUntil , this was the last World Series to be scheduled to begin play on a Tuesday, and the first since . The schedule called for the seven-game series to be held Tue–Wed, Fri–Sat–Sun, Tue–Wed. Games 5, 6, and 7, however...
Cincinnati Reds
1990 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds' 1990 season was a season in American baseball. It consisted of the Reds winning the National League West, as well as the National League Championship Series in six games over the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the World Series in a four-game sweep over the overwhelming favorite...
.
Vermont Mariners
After the 1987 season, Cincinnati signed a new affiliation agreement with the Chattanooga LookoutsChattanooga Lookouts
The Chattanooga Lookouts are a minor league baseball team based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. They are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team, which plays in the Southern League, has been a Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers major-league club since the 2009 season. The Lookouts...
. The Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
had themselves been affiliated with Chattanooga and signed with Agganis and the Burlington franchise. The Vermont Reds became the Vermont Mariners
Vermont Mariners
The Vermont Mariners are a defunct minor league baseball team. They played in the Eastern League at Centennial Field in Burlington, Vermont in 1988...
.
The team finished second in the Eastern League behind the Glens Falls Tigers
Glens Falls Tigers
The Glens Falls Tigers were an American minor league baseball team from Glens Falls, New York that played in the Eastern League from 1986 until 1988. The team was founded in 1980 as the Glens Falls White Sox, the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. In 1986, the team affiliated with the...
. Vermont made the playoffs but lost to the Albany-Colonie Yankees in the finals. Mariners manager Rich Morales
Rich Morales
Richard Angelo Morales was an infielder who played from 1967-1974. He played for the Chicago White Sox until early in the 1973 season; most of '73 and all of 1974 were spent with the San Diego Padres. Morales played 480 games, starting 294...
was named Eastern League Manager of the Year and Jim Wilson
Jim Wilson (first baseman)
- External links :*...
and Omar Vizquel
Omar Vizquel
Omar Enrique Vizquel González , nicknamed "Little O", is a Venezuelan Major League Baseball shortstop and third baseman. Vizquel has played for the Seattle Mariners , the Cleveland Indians , the San Francisco Giants , the Texas Rangers and the Chicago White Sox...
were Eastern League All-Stars.
Ken Griffey, Jr.
Ken Griffey, Jr.
George Kenneth "Ken" Griffey, Jr. , nicknamed "Junior" and "The Kid", is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and during his final years, designated hitter...
had been drafted by the Mariners with the first pick in 1987. Griffey played for the Bellingham Mariners in 1987 and spent most of the 1988 season with the Class A California League
California League
The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
San Bernardino Spirit
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes are a minor league baseball team in Rancho Cucamonga, California, USA. They are a Class A – Advanced team in the California League and a farm team of the Los Angeles Dodgers, their third major league affiliate in team history....
. Griffey was promoted to Burlington and played at Centennial Field late in the 1988 season. He played in 17-games for the Mariners and hit two home runs.
By September 1988, with the team in the Eastern League playoffs, Agganis had decided to move the franchise to Canton, Ohio
Canton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. Canton was building a brand-new ballpark, Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium
Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium
Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium is a stadium in Canton, Ohio primarily used for baseball. The facility is named after former Major League Baseball player Thurman Munson, who grew up in Canton. The ballpark has a capacity of 5,700 people and opened in...
, which would have a capacity of 5,700. More so, the Canton metropolitan area offered twice the population of Burlington. Agganis told the New York Times, "Our attendance has averaged out to about 85,000 over five years in Burlington. In Canton, we can probably do between 225,000 and 300,000 attendance." The franchise moved to Canton after the 1988 season, affiliated with Cleveland
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
, and became the Canton-Akron Indians
Canton-Akron Indians
The Canton-Akron Indians are a defunct minor league baseball team. They played in the Eastern League at Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium in Canton, Ohio from 1989 to 1996...
.
Vermont Expos & Lake Monsters
Minor league baseball returned to Centennial Field in 1994. Burlington businessman Ray Pecor, owner of Lake Champlain Transportation Co. in Burlington since 1976, purchased the franchise rights of the Jamestown ExposJamestown Jammers
The Jamestown Jammers are a minor league baseball team in Jamestown, New York, United States. The team is the Short-Season A classification affiliate of the Miami Marlins and plays in the New York - Penn League...
and brought minor league baseball back to Burlington.
The Vermont Expos debuted at Centennial Field on June 16, 1994. They lost 6 to 5 to the Pittsfield Mets
Pittsfield Mets
The Pittsfield Mets were a minor league baseball team moved to Pittsfield, Massachusetts from Little Falls, NY by an investment group organized by Michael T. Casey. The team played in the New York - Penn League, and were affiliated with the New York Mets from 1989 to 2000 and the Houston Astros in...
but more than 5,000 fans attended the game.
The Expos passed 1,000,000 in cumulative attendance during the 2002 season.
Historic Marker
The Vermont Division for Historic Preservation erected a marker at the ballpark in 1997. It reads,Named to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the University of Vermont's first graduating class, Centennial Field has been the home of UVM athletics since 1906. The three ballparks that have stood on this site have hosted semi- professional and minor league baseball, as well as exhibitions by visiting Major League and Negro League ballclubs. The current grandstand, constructed in 1922, is one of the oldest still in use. Among the outstanding players who have graced Centennial's diamond are Larry Gardner, Ray Collins, Tris Speaker, Jesse Hubbard, Robin Roberts, Kirk McCaskill, Barry Larkin, Vladimer Guerrero and Ken Griffey, Jr.
External links
- University of Vermont: Centennial Field
- UVM Athletics: Centennial Field
- Vermont Lake Monsters: Centennial Field
- Ball Parks of the Minor Leagues: Centennial Field
- Project Ballpark: Centennial Field
- Digital Ballparks: Centennial Field
- Lost Ballparks and Old Landmarks by ESPN.com's Jim Caple
- http://www.globepequot.com/globepequot/index.cfm?fuseaction=customer.product&product_code=1-59921-251-X&category_code=BASEBALL101 Baseball Places To See Before You Strike Out by Josh PahigianJosh PahigianJosh Pahigian is an American author who specializes in books and articles about baseball. He is particularly well known as an expert in the field of sports travel, writing books on this topic, as well as articles that appear on the espn.com Sports Travel page...
(2008, The Lyons Press)]