Pullman Park
Encyclopedia
Pullman Park is a baseball
stadium
located in Butler
, Pennsylvania
. Constructed in 1934, and rebuilt in 2008, the ballpark hosted minor league teams that were affiliated with the New York Yankees
, Cleveland Indians
, Detroit Tigers
, and the Pittsburgh Pirates
. Today, the ballpark hosts the Butler High School Golden Tornado, and the Butler BlueSox
of the summer collegiate Prospect League
.
, Joe Dimaggio
, and Whitey Ford
played at the stadium while the Yankees farm team (Butler Yankees
) was in Butler. Joe Namath
, Terry Hanratty
, and Rich Saul
also played at Pullman during their high school football years. The ballpark itself was named after the Pullman-Standard Company
's railroad car manufacturing facility which sat adjacent to the ballpark from 1902-2005.
A state record was broken at Pullman Park in May of 2003 when High School Senior, Jerry Obiecunas, of Bethel Park High School went 5 for 5 with 5 rbi's at the plate against WPIAL champion North Allgheny in the first round of the 2003 P.I.A.A State Playoffs. Obiecunas finished the day with 2 doubles, 3 singles, 3 runs scored in a 15-6 win for Bethel Park. The Bethel Park Blackhawks eventually lost to West Chester East in the P.I.A.A. Class AAA State Finals.
The ballpark closed after the 2004 baseball season, and sat vacant for two years while necessary funds were raised to rebuild it. Construction began in the fall of 2007, and work was completed in June 2008.
match, televised on ESPN2
. Butler native, Brian Minto
knocked out John Poore 2:23 in the first round of the main fight. The match was the first major event to be hosted at the ballpark after the restoration and the first nationally televised event in Butler.
The following summer saw Pullman Park get its first major full-time baseball tenant in almost 60 years, the Prospect League
's Butler BlueSox
. The BlueSox went 28(W)-26(L) during their inaugural season at the ballpark.
40.859598°N 79.905967°W
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...
stadium
Baseball park
A baseball park, also known as a baseball stadium, ball park, or ballpark is a venue where baseball is played. It consists of the playing field and the surrounding spectator seating...
located in Butler
Butler, Pennsylvania
The city of Butler is the county seat of Butler County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, situated north of Pittsburgh. The population was 15,121 at the 2000 census.- History :...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. Constructed in 1934, and rebuilt in 2008, the ballpark hosted minor league teams that were affiliated with the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, Cleveland Indians
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...
, Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, and 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...
. Today, the ballpark hosts the Butler High School Golden Tornado, and the Butler BlueSox
Butler BlueSox
The Butler BlueSox are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Butler, Pennsylvania, in the United States. They are a member of the East Division of the summer collegiate Prospect League.-History:...
of the summer collegiate Prospect League
Prospect League
The Prospect League is a collegiate summer baseball league comprising teams of college players from North America and beyond. All players in the league must have NCAA eligibility remaining in order to participate. Players are not paid so as to maintain their college eligibility...
.
1934–2004
Pullman Park hosted minor league baseball from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. Notable players such as Lou GehrigLou Gehrig
Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig , nicknamed "The Iron Horse" for his durability, was an American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played his entire 17-year baseball career for the New York Yankees . Gehrig set several major league records. He holds the record for most career grand slams...
, Joe Dimaggio
Joe DiMaggio
Joseph Paul "Joe" DiMaggio , nicknamed "Joltin' Joe" and "The Yankee Clipper," was an American Major League Baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career for the New York Yankees. He is perhaps best known for his 56-game hitting streak , a record that still stands...
, and Whitey Ford
Whitey Ford
Edward Charles "Whitey" Ford is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who spent his entire 18-year career with the New York Yankees. He was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.-Early life and career:...
played at the stadium while the Yankees farm team (Butler Yankees
Butler Yankees
The Butler Yankees were a Pennsylvania State Association and Middle Atlantic League baseball team based in Butler, Pennsylvania, USA. They were affiliated with the New York Yankees during their entire existence....
) was in Butler. Joe Namath
Joe Namath
Joseph William "Joe" Namath , nicknamed "Broadway Joe" or "Joe Willie", is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the University of Alabama under coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and his assistant, Howard Schnellenberger, from 1962–1964, and professional football in the...
, Terry Hanratty
Terry Hanratty
Terrence Hugh "Terry" Hanratty was a former professional American football quarterback in the NFL during the 1960s and 1970s, he earned two Super Bowl rings as the backup quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, his hometown team....
, and Rich Saul
Rich Saul
Rich Saul was a National Football League offensive lineman from 1970 through 1981, all with the Los Angeles Rams. He played college football at Michigan State University...
also played at Pullman during their high school football years. The ballpark itself was named after the Pullman-Standard Company
Pullman Company
The Pullman Palace Car Company, founded by George Pullman, manufactured railroad cars in the mid-to-late 19th century through the early decades of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. Pullman developed the sleeping car which carried his name into the 1980s...
's railroad car manufacturing facility which sat adjacent to the ballpark from 1902-2005.
A state record was broken at Pullman Park in May of 2003 when High School Senior, Jerry Obiecunas, of Bethel Park High School went 5 for 5 with 5 rbi's at the plate against WPIAL champion North Allgheny in the first round of the 2003 P.I.A.A State Playoffs. Obiecunas finished the day with 2 doubles, 3 singles, 3 runs scored in a 15-6 win for Bethel Park. The Bethel Park Blackhawks eventually lost to West Chester East in the P.I.A.A. Class AAA State Finals.
2005–2008 Renovation
The New Pullman Park
On July 2, 2008, Pullman Park hosted a boxingBoxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
match, televised on ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN2 is an American sports cable television network owned by ESPN. The channel debuted on October 1, 1993.Originally nicknamed "the deuce," ESPN2 was initially branded as a network for a younger generation of sports fans featuring edgier graphics as well as extreme sports like motocross,...
. Butler native, Brian Minto
Brian Minto
Brian Matthew Minto is a professional heavyweight and cruiserweight boxer.-Pro:Minto turned pro in 2002 and won his first 18 bouts, gaining the West Virginia heavyweight boxing title....
knocked out John Poore 2:23 in the first round of the main fight. The match was the first major event to be hosted at the ballpark after the restoration and the first nationally televised event in Butler.
The following summer saw Pullman Park get its first major full-time baseball tenant in almost 60 years, the Prospect League
Prospect League
The Prospect League is a collegiate summer baseball league comprising teams of college players from North America and beyond. All players in the league must have NCAA eligibility remaining in order to participate. Players are not paid so as to maintain their college eligibility...
's Butler BlueSox
Butler BlueSox
The Butler BlueSox are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Butler, Pennsylvania, in the United States. They are a member of the East Division of the summer collegiate Prospect League.-History:...
. The BlueSox went 28(W)-26(L) during their inaugural season at the ballpark.
External links
- Pullman Park Website
- Pullman Park at Baseball Reference.com, the online baseball encyclopedia
- Digital Ballparks page on Pullman Park
- Butler BlueSox
40.859598°N 79.905967°W