Need some of our best ballpark detectives - Mystery Park #1

[Digitalballparks]

Hey guys. www.digitalballparks.com is doing its best to become a complete database of every ballpark both past and present showing thousands of high quality photographs of baseball stadiums throughout the world. While we take all of todays ballparks ourselves by personally going to each one and taking hundreds of photos from every possible angle, we do seek out any and all ballparks of old. We are starting to have a great collection of ballparks now long gone.

Sometimes something crosses our desk that we simply cannot figure out and lately, we've been getting lots of old Minor League and Spring Training ballparks that have us scratching our heads.

Please let us know if you recognize Ballpark #1. (The first two photographs)

We thought perhaps it was Luther Williams Field in Macon, but we just got photos of that from this era proving that this isn't LWF. (The bottom four)

We have lots of these so any Sherlock Holmes of ballparks out there... please investigate!

WE ESTIMATE THAT THESE PHOTOGRAPHS WERE TAKEN BETWEEN 1977-1981

[coasterbill]

I can't help you unfortunately but I just figured that I'd let you know that you're site is awesome. I've had it bookmarked for awhile now and I'm on there all the time. Keep up the good work!

[Digitalballparks]

I can't help you unfortunately but I just figured that I'd let you know that you're site is awesome. I've had it bookmarked for awhile now and I'm on there all the time. Keep up the good work!


Thanks man! Nice to know that all the research and travel (and money...) is worth it. We make no money off this site, it's simply a baseball stadium museum that we put up there because we think it is important. The only thing we get out of it, is when someone like you appreciates what we do... so when we say thank you... we mean it.

Eric Pastore
www.digitalballparks.com

[atdy17]

Where did you gets the pics from?

[The Old Ballpark]

Could it be Dunn Field in Elmira NY?

[Digitalballparks]

Could it be Dunn Field in Elmira NY?


The surrounding street area and the shape of the ballpark would actually make this a good guess. The thing is, that big stone/concrete facade outside. As far as I know, that's always been there

Eric
www.digitalballparks.com

[Digitalballparks]

We've been getting them from a collection that had been sold. It's an unbelivable collection really. You should see Crocket Park in Charlotte NC. We put them up a few weeks ago. We also got the old Mets Triple-A Parks... lawrence stadium and the met in tidewater. great stuff...

Eric
www.digitalballparks.com

[NeoExelor]

It's Luther Williams Stadium (http://www.baseballpilgrimages.com/A/macon.html) in Macon.

http://www.baseballpilgrimages.com/A/lutherwilliams.jpg

Compared with...

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b100/NeoMExelor/Macon1.jpg

The thing that was the tipoff was the "Williams" on top of the gate in image #4

[RoastedPeanut]

It's Luther Williams Stadium (http://www.baseballpilgrimages.com/A/macon.html) in Macon.

http://www.baseballpilgrimages.com/A/lutherwilliams.jpg

Compared with...

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b100/NeoMExelor/Macon1.jpg

The thing that was the tipoff was the "Williams" on top of the gate in image #4

You know.. I think you're right! It is Luther Williams Stadium! Whoa!

Okay.. Back to the task at hand about the 'unknown' ballpark in the first two photos.. What states had light license plates during this period?

[NeoExelor]

I'd have to go with LWF. As proven, it's changed colors somewhat over its history, but the roof and side structure looks similar.

I'll do some more research.

[RoastedPeanut]

I'd have to go with LWF. As proven, it's changed colors somewhat over its history, but the roof and side structure looks similar.

I'll do some more research.

How do you get LWF from that?

[NeoExelor]

Nevermind. I thought the picture on the top from the "back" was a picture behind a side section of the grandstand.

[Digitalballparks]

Nevermind. I thought the picture on the top from the "back" was a picture behind a side section of the grandstand.

Right the bottom 4 photos of LWF was just to show that the top two "WEREN'T" LWF. They were taken during the same time period. That was just to show what they were not. We know very well that the bottom 4 are Macon.

I need to know what those top two were. They can't be LWF because these 2 ballparks were taken around the same time, and obviously LWF during that era looked nothing like the top 2.

[Digitalballparks]

You know.. I think you're right! It is Luther Williams Stadium! Whoa!

Okay.. Back to the task at hand about the 'unknown' ballpark in the first two photos.. What states had light license plates during this period?

Roasted Peanut,

I'm including 2 more photos right now. It is much higher resolution. I see Knight Funeral Home and Carpet Cleaning by Doc or Dee or something. I can't read much of the outfield signage. I wish there were better closeups.

[DallasGoon]

As far as license plates, PA had light yellow, but not on front of car. New Jersey has that pale yellow?/tannish color that was on front of car.
Maybe this helps, probably not...

[CrisgoMets]

Some place in Upstate NY. I can tell with the Genesse Beer signage. I am going to take a wild guess and say Batavia?

[Oct251986]

I found a Knight Funeral Home in Berlin, New Jersey.

[Digitalballparks]

Batavia was a very small ballpark as you can see. I'm not sure how universal Genessee was. However, you could be on to something. Could be a Pennsylvania or Ohio ballpark.

However... The other sign seems to say Buckeye (though it could be Sockeye or Rockeye) which would relate it to Ohio.

The other sign is Path something. It could be Path Construction but Path Construction is in Ontario. Not sure what Ontario ballpark this could be.

Eric
President
www.digitalballparks.com

[The Old Ballpark]

The surrounding street area and the shape of the ballpark would actually make this a good guess. The thing is, that big stone/concrete facade outside. As far as I know, that's always been there

Eric
www.digitalballparks.com

Sorry, I've never seen Dunn photographed from behind homeplate entrance.

[metfan13]

I think it says Path Communication.

Also found a KNight Funeral home in Arlington, VT. Clsoe enough to NY for Gennesee?

[go_leafs_go02]

I found a Carpet Service in Toronto, Ohio that goes by the name of Dee Jays.

That would be in keeping with the Buckeye advertisement from before.
I thought it could be Sockeye, but that is in the Pacific, pretty sure this is in the great lakes/northeast region.

how does this site look to fit in?

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=toronto,+OH&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=33.572881,79.101563&ie=UTF8&ll=40.451486,-80.611324&spn=0.00787,0.019312&t=h&z=16

going back in google earth to 1995 imagery, the one building wasn't constructed south of the ball-diamond.


there also is a bit of a mountain (large hill) in the one photo on the right side.

Vermont/New York/Ohio/Pennsylvania could all fit into that topography.

[go_leafs_go02]

Nevermind.. I've got two leads to it being in South Denver Metropolitan area, being littleton and englewood.

First is the Doc's Carpet Service:
http://www.docsofdenver.com/contact.htm
Note "since 1971" and also the script of Doc's is still very similar.

Second is Path Communication
http://www.manta.com/coms2/dnbcompany_d67d8

possible site:
http://maps.google.com/maps?t=h&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=39.636695,-104.943337&spn=0.003982,0.009656&z=17

http://www.worldlicenceplates.com/jpglps/USA_CO_GI7_1970%27s.jpg
certain plates are lighter in colour....

[Bernard Shakey]

Did they sell Genessee Beer in Colorado back then? I'm thinking OH/PA/NY/WV/VT because of that particular sign.

[efin98]

It's Luther Williams Stadium (http://www.baseballpilgrimages.com/A/macon.html) in Macon.

The thing that was the tipoff was the "Williams" on top of the gate in image #4

"Macon" is visible in the bottom left photo as well

[Bernard Shakey]

Again, the Williams pictures are there to show what the mystery ballpark is not.

[stadiumbuilder]

The license plate on the front of that old beater looks like Jersey from that era. Who else besides PA didn't require a front plate?

[Digitalballparks]

We may have an answer...

Bill from York PA just sent me a message that it looks like a pre-renovated Williamsport Bowman Field. I'm looking at my post renovation shots on www.digitalballparks.com and I'm thinking he very well may be on to something there. It is fitting every criteria that everyone has mentioned on this board. It does look like PA, the license plates would work. Genessee is sold there. The scoreboard is the same. I'm gonna see if I can find any vintage Bowman Field shots to confirm... but we may have the answer here.

I have several more mystery parks coming up this week. Good job guys!!!

[Digitalballparks]

Again, the Williams pictures are there to show what the mystery ballpark is not.

GoLeafs, Metfan and Bernard Shakey as well as many others on this board did such a great job trying to figure this out. The answer came from a baseball-fever lurker named Bill Kaufman. He noticed several things that made him come to the conclusion...

"The ballpark you’re asking about is Bowman Field, in Williamsport, PA – built in 1923. Down the 3rd base/ lf line is a dike protecting the site from Old Lycoming Creek. Beyond the rf fence is Memorial Park, and beyond right-center is the municipal swimming pool which is part of the park.

If you look at the scoreboard, the home team line is some garbled abbreviation of Williamsport."

Now look at these photos of the two ballparks. Notice that weaved X's across the top of the ballpark especially from the exterior. The ballpark went through many renovations in recent years but the grandstand is still the same with lots of bells and whistles and add ons.

Thanks to Bill Kaufman for figuring out Mystery Park #1!!!!

Many more to come (very soon).

Eric Pastore
www.digitalballparks.com

[metfan13]

Great. I love a mystery solved.

Fun to try picking up little details form old photos.

[Digitalballparks]

Great. I love a mystery solved.

Fun to try picking up little details form old photos.

Isn't it?! I love this. I've done about 12 so far that I had to figure out. This one really stumped me. I got a few reallllly hard ones coming up. I'll try to get the new one on tomorrow.

Eric
President
www.digitalballparks.com
Over 10,000 baseball stadium photos online

[PurpleMustReign]

I Am thoroughly impressed by the knowledge on this board of old ballparks. Good job all!!:clapping

[CandlestickBum]

I Am thoroughly impressed by the knowledge on this board of old ballparks. Good job all!!:clapping

This is going to be an epic thread.

Thanks in advance DP.

[Bernard Shakey]

This could be fun, although the way to do these is to have folks send their answers to the submitter privately instead of blurting them out for all to see. Which I wish I had done with Bowman Field early yesterday (yeah I know, you don't believe me).

[Chevy114]

This reminds me of the thread where we would shot a random shot of a stadium and based on it we would see how long it takes people to guess it Like the time someone showed the dugout at alohua stadium.

[Digitalballparks]

This is going to be an epic thread.

Thanks in advance DP.

Thanks Candlestick. I think i'll add the new one today.

... and the difference Chevy, is that I really need these answers. This isn't just for the fact of doing it.

I believe you Bernard...
no really I do...
reallly!...

:disbelief:

Eric
www.digitalballparks.com

[alpineinc]

This could be fun, although the way to do these is to have folks send their answers to the submitter privately instead of blurting them out for all to see. Which I wish I had done with Bowman Field early yesterday (yeah I know, you don't believe me).

It makes it more fun and actually helpful for everyone to add what information or insight they can provide publicly on the thread! Unless of course there'll be cash prizes involved or something. :D

[Digitalballparks]

It makes it more fun and actually helpful for everyone to add what information or insight they can provide publicly on the thread! Unless of course there'll be cash prizes involved or something. :D

Let's see, I have a $1.42 and a pack of gum! Would you like that fed-exed to you or is UPS ground okay? :laugh

[Digitalballparks]

The 4 historic photographs of Williamsport's Bowman Field have been added to the existing gallery and has been added as the additional ballpark of the week.

William Kaufman's name has been permanently added to the gallery on page 2A stating that he was the one who figured out what the ballpark was.

The others will appear soon, with credit going out to the people who discovered the Mystery ballpark. Those who wish their real names to be used, please let me know what they are.

Eric Pastore
President
www.digitalballparks.com