 |
Long Beach, CA - Joe Rodgers
Field
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
Most Long Beach
fastball locals know its location as the intersection of "10th and
Park." Joe Rodgers sits on one corner, opposite Long Beach's
baseball stadium, Blair Field (which can be seen in Aerial Photo 1
above.), and kitty-corner from Wilson High School, which produced such
baseball greats as Hall of Famer Bob Lemon, Bud Daley, Bob Bailey, Bob
Grich, League MVP Jeff Burroughs and son Sean.
Joe Rodgers Field also sits alongside
the Billie Jean King tennis courts (visible in photos 2 above), and
the Recreation Park golf course, which sits further to the east of the
field. (photo 1) |
| |
|
| |
History:
Joe Rodgers was the former GM and manager of the legendary Long Beach
Nitehawks, ten-time ISC World Champions, with 23 players in the ISC
Hall of Fame. Rodgers originally owned the land that the field
is located on, and deeded it to the City of Long Beach, with a proviso
that it remain a softball field.
Red Meairs took over and ran the team with his wife Connie for many
years, until shuttering operations in the late 1980's. The
'Hawks won their last ISC World title in 1975 in Kimberly, WI with Bob
Todd on the mound, and finished 2nd in 1979 in Bakersfield, CA.
The last ISC level team to call Joe
Rodgers home were the Long Beach Savala Painters, co-sponsored by "the
two Al's" -- Al Ruegsegger and Al Savala. The Painters finished
5th in the 1994 ISC World Tournament, the highest finish for a
California team since the 1979 Nitehawks.
Joe Rodgers (along with Mayfair Park in
Lakewood) was "the" place for fastball games and tournaments in the
Greater Long Beach up until the mid-1990's. |
| |
|
| |
Trivia:
During all of the years that the Nitehawks played at Joe Rodgers, the
field had no grass. Yes, hard to believe (unless you sat in the
stands for game). One would think that a 10-time World
Champion was deserving of grass in their outfield, but ironically, it
was not until after the Nitehawks ceased operations that the City
planted grass. With today's game played in tournament or
travel league format, requiring multiple fields at one location,
nowadays, the
field is seldom used for men's fastball. |
| |
|
| |
Joe Rodgers Field is
home to the "Long Beach Softball Hall of Fame", including the
beautiful plaque that now graces the wall behind the third base
bleachers. The LB (Baseball) and Softball Hall of Fame was
established in 2004, and will induct its third group of inductees in
2006.
Reprinted below is a portion of our website that features the Hall of
Fame. |
| |
Long Beach Baseball
and
Softball Hall of Fame
 On
May 8, 2004, inducted the thirty-one (31) inaugural members of its new
Baseball and Softball Halls of Fame, at a luncheon held at Blair Field
in Long Beach, and attended by a number of the inductees, which
includes major league baseball greats such as Bob Grich, Jeff
Burroughs, and softball greats such as Nick Hopkins and Don Sarno, and
others honored posthumously, including Joe Rodgers and Red Meairs.
Fastpitchwest was honored to be among those in attendance.
The Baseball Hall of Fame is now located at Blair
Field, while the Softball Hall of Fame is located across the street at
Joe Rodgers Field, longtime home field of the 10-time World Champion
Long Beach Nitehawks. Each is commemorated by a large plaque bearing
the insignia of the Long Beach Hall of Fame, and an engraved plate
listing the names of the honorees. New members will be added on an
annual basis.
The Long Beach Softball Hall of Fame is located
inside Joe Rodgers Field, on the wall along the third base side.
Click photo to enlarge. (It's easier to read the names on the
enlarged version)
|
|
