Henninger Field is a little-known, historic

ballpark A ballpark, or baseball park, is a type of sports venue where baseball is played. The playing field is divided into the infield, an area whose dimensions are rigidly defined, and the outfield, where dimensions can vary widely from place to pla ...

located in historic Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Erected in 1895, Henninger Field, (originally known as Wolf Park), is the home of the

Chambersburg Maroons The Chambersburg Maroons were a baseball team located in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. They called historic Henninger Field their home, and had done so since the club's creation in 1895. They played their last season in 2010, ending 116 years of ex ...

. Wolf Park was renamed in 1920 in honor of Clay Henninger, a very influential person in baseball in Chambersburg. The field, owned by the Borough of Chambersburg, is leased currently to Wilson College, a local four-year liberal arts school, as the home field for their Men's NCAA Division III baseball program.

Major League Memorial

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

third baseman

Mike Mowrey Harry Harlan Mowrey (March 24, 1884 – March 20, 1947) was an American professional baseball third baseman who played in the Major Leagues from 1905 to 1917. He would play for the Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, Brooklyn Robins, and Pit ...

was born in Chambersburg and managed and played baseball for the

at Henninger Field for several seasons prior to his days in the Major Leagues. Mowrey had his memorial service held at Henninger Field. Two months after his death on March 20, 1947, Mowrey's memorial service was held following a game played by the sandlot Letterkenny team. More than 1,000 people attended the service, and according to the eulogy, "He was our Grand Old Man of Baseball, who started as a sandlotter and went to the top in baseball to become one of the greatest third basemen the game had known."

Other Users

Henninger Field has been a cornerstone of athletics in the Greater Chambersburg area since the nineteenth century. Aside from the Maroons, Henninger has hosted sporting events ranging from another Minor League Baseball team, the Chambersburg Young Yanks (1929–1930), to the Chambersburg Cardinals of the Mason Dixon Football League (1946–1955). Chambersburg Trojans athletics have also been present, with events ranging from baseball (1900–2006), football (1898–1956), and soccer (1968–2003, 2005) being played at the site as well. In 2018, the Wilson College Phoenix baseball team will play their home games here, 2018 is the first year for the program.

Babe Ruth and Henninger Field

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...

and the 1929

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

played an exhibition game at Henninger Field against the

in the summer of 1929. Ruth hit a home run to left-center field during the game.

Location

This historic ballpark is located at the corner of Vine Street and Riddle Alley in downtown Chambersburg.

Dimensions

* Leftfield (305) * Centerfield (455) * Right field (375)

References

{{Reflist Baseball venues in Pennsylvania Defunct minor league baseball venues Chambersburg, Pennsylvania Buildings and structures in Franklin County, Pennsylvania 1895 establishments in Pennsylvania Sports venues completed in 1895 Soccer venues in Pennsylvania Defunct college soccer venues in the United States American football venues in Pennsylvania High school football venues in the United States High school baseball venues in the United States College baseball venues in the United States Wilson College (Pennsylvania)