8,078
edits
Changes
no edit summary
|construction_start_date=
|completion_date=[[1911]]
|renovations=1915, 1926-1927, 1927-1928
|date_demolished=
|cost=
|mapcode=
}}
'''Legion Field''', also known as '''Maxent Park''' and '''American Legion Park''', was a Pensacola ballpark fronting on [[Gregory Street|Gregory]] and [[G Street]]s featuring a single deck grandstand. Its Organized teams that called the ballpark home team was included the [[Pensacola Fliers]] and [[Pensacola Pilots]].
==Construction==
On March 16, 1927, the Pensacola City Commission adopted an ordinance changing the name of the park from Maxent Park to American Legion Park, "as a testimonial to the grateful appreciation of the people of Pensacola of the unselfish and patriotic services of the [[Wikipedia:American Legion|American Legion]] to the community, state, and nation."
Despite the 1926-1927 rebuild, city leaders felt Legion Park needed additional upgrades and in late 1927 asked voters to approve a $25,000 bond issue for the park. The bond issue was narrowly approved by a margin of just six votes,<ref>"Library Bond Issue Fails as Three Others Carry". ''The Pensacola Journal''. December 14, 1927. p. 1. Retrieved June 3, 2019 – via [[Wikipedia:Newspapers.com|Newspapers.com]]</ref> but the election was nullified due to a technicality. A second election was held February 23, 1928, in which the bond issue was again approved, this time by a larger margin of 218 votes.<ref>"Voters Approve Bond Issue By Huge Majority". ''The Pensacola Journal''. February 24, 1928. p. 1. Retrieved June 3, 2019 – via [[Wikipedia:Newspapers.com|Newspapers.com]]</ref>
==Professional baseball==
[[Image:BabeRuthLegionField.jpg|Babe Ruth at Legion Field|thumb|right|220px|Babe Ruth at Legion Field in 1929]]
In 1913, the Cleveland Naps (a predecessor of today's Cleveland Indians) held its spring training at the park.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/32183998/cleveland_naps_maxent_park/ "Naps Pleased with Maxent Park Grounds"]. ''The Pensacola Journal''. February 25, 1913. p. 1. Retrieved June 2, 2019 – via [[Wikipedia:Newspapers.com|Newspapers.com]]</ref> Professional baseball came to Pensacola for the first time the same year, with the [[Pensacola Snappers]] entering play with the [[Wikipedia:Cotton States League|Cotton States League]]. However, the league folded at the end of the year and the team disbanded after only one season.
In 19281927, the [[Pensacola FlyersFliers]] began play in the [[Wikipedia:Southeastern League|Southeastern League]] and continued until folding after the 1930 season. In 1937, another Southeastern League team was fielded as the [[Pensacola Pilots]], which lasted until 1942. A third Southeastern League team, again named the [[Pensacola Fliers]], was established in 1946 and ran until 1950, when the league folded. On [[March 31]]. [[1929]],{{date uncertain}} the [[Wikipedia:New York Yankees|New York Yankees]] — including star players [[Wikipedia:Babe Ruth|Babe Ruth]] and [[Wikipedia:Lou Gehrig|Lou Gehrig]] — played the Fliers as part of a spring training tour of the South. More than 3,000 fans turned out for the game, which the Yankees won 12-2.
==References==