Historic Bowman Field | |
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Location of the Bowman Field in Pennsylvania
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Former names |
Memorial Field (1926–1929) Bowman Field (1929–2000) Historic Bowman Field (2000–2014) Susquehanna Bank Park at Historic Bowman Field (2014–2016) |
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Location | Williamsport, Pennsylvania 17701 |
Coordinates | 41°14′32″N 77°02′49″W / 41.242347°N 77.047067°WCoordinates: 41°14′32″N 77°02′49″W / 41.242347°N 77.047067°W |
Owner | City of Williamsport |
Operator | Williamsport Crosscutters |
Capacity | 2,366 |
Field size | Left Field: 345 feet (105 m) Center Field: 405 feet (123 m) Right Field: 350 feet (110 m) |
Surface | Grass |
Construction | |
Broke ground | October 1925 |
Opened | April 22, 1926 |
Construction cost | US$75,000 ($1.01 million in 2017 dollars) |
General contractor | James V. Bennett/Drennen Bros./J. C. Dressler |
Tenants | |
Williamsport Crosscutters (NYPL) (1999–present) Williamsport Outlaws (FHL) (2012) Williamsport Cubs (NYPL) (1994–1998) Williamsport Bills (EL) (1987–1991) Williamsport Tomahawks (EL) (1976) Williamsport Red Sox (NYPL) (1971–1972) Williamsport Astros (NYPL) (1968–1970) Williamsport Mets (EL) (1964–1967) Williamsport Grays (EL) (1954–1956, 1958–1962) Williamsport A's (EL) (1953) Williamsport Tigers (EL) (1951–1952) Williamsport Grays (1950) (EL) Williamsport Tigers (EL) (1947–1949) Williamsport Grays (EL) (1938–1946) Williamsport Grays (NYPL I) (1926–1937) |
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Official name | Bowman Field |
Designated | July 29, 2000 |
Memorial Field (1926–1929) Bowman Field (1929–2000) Historic Bowman Field (2000–2014)
BB&T Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field is a minor league baseball stadium in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is home to the Williamsport Crosscutters of the New York–Penn League. Official seating capacity is 2,366. Opened in 1926, Bowman Field is the second-oldest ballpark in minor league baseball. It is also the home field for the Wildcats of the Pennsylvania College of Technology.
In 2012 Airmen Pond, an outdoor ice hockey rink, was built at Bowman Field; it served as home ice for the Williamsport Outlaws of the Federal Hockey League until their demise in January 2013.
Williamsport has hosted minor league baseball since the late 19th century. The various teams played at differing sites in Williamsport. The earliest ballfield was near the West Branch Susquehanna River. It was long since been replaced by a levee and U.S. Route 220, U.S. Route 15 and Interstate 180. A second and more permanent facility was built in the Vallamont neighborhood. Cochran Elementary School sits on the former site of the ballpark. The Williamsport Billies and later Williamsport Grays played the seasons at Williamsport High School's athletic field on West 3rd Street. It too is long since gone, this property is currently home to the Pennsylvania College of Technology.
Bowman Field was completed in 1926 to host the city's entry as an original franchise in the New York–Pennsylvania League called the Williamsport Grays. The Grays were a charter member of the New York-Pennsylvania league which was established in 1923. Two of the most important boosters and financial backers of the team were J. Walton Bowman for whom the stadium was named and Thomas Gray, the Lycoming County, for whom the Grays were named.