Bosse Field

Location	23 Don Mattingly Way Evansville, Indiana 47711
Public transit	METS
Owner	Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation
Operator	Evansville Otters
Capacity	7,180 (1915–1958) 5,181 (1958–present) (with standing room at least 8,000)
Record attendance	8,253 (July 24, 2013)
Field size	Left field – 315 feet (96 m) Center field – 415 feet (126 m) Right field – 315 feet (96 m)
Surface	Bermuda Grass
Construction
Opened	June 17, 1915[1][2]
Construction cost	$65,000[1]
Tenants
Evansville Otters (FL) 1995–present List of previous tenants

Bosse Field is a baseball stadium located inEvansville, Indiana seating 5,181 people, but with picnic area and standing room it can hold more than 8,000 people. Opened in 1915, it was the first municipally owned sports stadium in the United States and is the third-oldest ballpark still in regular use for professional baseball, surpassed only byFenway Park (1912) inBoston andWrigley Field (1914) inChicago.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

It is the home field for theprofessionalEvansville Otters of theFrontier League, as well ashigh school andAmerican Legion games, and in the past hostedspring training for theDetroit Tigers, college baseball, high school, college, andNFL football, college soccer, and concerts.^[2][3] SixBaseball Hall of Fame members played for Evansville teams at Bosse Field during their minor league careers, includingChuck Klein,Hank Greenberg,Warren Spahn,Bob Uecker,Bert Blyleven andJack Morris.^{[1][3][4][6][7]} The historic stadium was also used in 1991 byColumbia Pictures for filming numerous game scenes in the 1992 comedy-drama,A League of Their Own.^[5][8]

Benjamin Bosse, mayor of Evansville from 1914 to 1922, reached an agreement with Thomas Garvin's family shortly after taking office in January 1914 to purchase land on the north side of the city for a park. However, the city was in a deficit and could not afford the full $50,000 price. Mayor Bosse conceived of the plan to sell part of the land to the school board who would then build a new stadium to be used for school functions as well as Evansville's baseball team, of which Bosse was a co-owner. When the president of the school board opposed the plan, Bosse had him replaced with a friend, and the new school board both approved the project and also voted to name it Bosse Field in honor of the mayor. Construction was completed the following summer, and Bosse Field opened on June 17, 1915.^[9] ACentral League record crowd of 8,082 fans attended the stadium dedication and opening game, a 4–0 Evansville victory.^[10] Evansville was in third place when they moved to Bosse Field, but went on to win the league championship in 1915.^[11]

Ten baseball teams other than the Otters have played at Bosse Field. Some of the most famous are theEvansville Triplets (1970–84),Evansville Braves (1946–57), Evas/Pocketeers/Hubs (1919–1931) and theEvansville River Rats (1914–15). TheRiver Rats had played in Evansville previously from (1903–1910) and (1901–1902). TheTriplets won theAmerican Association titles in 1972, 1975, and 1979. TheRiver Rats won theCentral League title in 1908 and 1915. TheBraves won theThree-I League title in 1946, 1948, 1956, and 1957.^[1]

From 1921 to 1922, Bosse Field was used as a football stadium and was home to theEvansville Crimson Giants of theNFL.

The Otters franchise came to Evansville in 1995 and have attracted a record number of fans for the league.^[13] In 2006 the Otters won the Frontier League title.

Baseball Hall of Fame membersHank Greenberg,Chuck Klein,Edd Roush,Warren Spahn, andSam Thompson played at Bosse Field during their careers; another 95 Hall of Fame members visited Bosse Field on opposing teams.^[3] There have been over 20 Major League Baseball players from Evansville and dozens of Minor Leaguers.

Football Hall of Fame memberBob Griese played high school football andAmerican Legion baseball at Bosse Field;Don Mattingly,Andy Benes,Rob Maurer,Jeff Schulz,Alan Benes andJamey Carroll all played at Bosse Field during their high school and/or college careers.

Current / former professional teams who have called Bosse Field home, have won a combined 10 league titles.

• July 2, 1972:Freedom Festival and Ice Cream Social withIke & Tina Turner Revue,Edgar Winter,Dr. John 'The Night Tripper',Cactus,Black Oak Arkansas,Spirit,Country Joe & The Fish,Howlin' Wolf,John Lee Hooker,Boones Farm andNew Riders of the Purple Sage^{[14][15][16][17]}
• August 20, 1974:Allman Brothers Band,Elvin Bishop,REO Speedwagon^{[14][18][19][20]}

• Bosse Field at Evansville Convention & Visitors Bureau website

37°59′34″N87°33′44″W / 37.99278°N 87.56222°W /37.99278; -87.56222

• Defunct college football venues
• Defunct NFL venues
• Detroit Tigers spring training venues
• Evansville Purple Aces football
• Frontier League ballparks
• Minor league baseball venues
• High school baseball venues in the United States
• Sports venues in Evansville, Indiana
• Spring training ballparks
• American football venues in Indiana
• Baseball venues in Indiana
• Sports venues completed in 1915
• 1915 establishments in Indiana

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