Kiger Stadium, formerly known as Gem Stadium, is a baseball stadium in the Altamont area of
Klamath Falls, Oregon
Klamath Falls ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Klamath County, Oregon, United States. The city was originally called ''Linkville'' when George Nurse founded the town in 1867. It was named after the Link River, on whose falls the city was ...
, United States.
Construction began in late 1947 at the Crest Street site of Kiger Stadium, with a goal of opening in Spring 1948 for the Class D Klamath Falls Gems, the Far West League farm team of the Philadelphia Phillies. The stadium was built by Klamath Baseball, Inc. and paid for by the sale of stock to local citizens. The opening, and the original Gems, were a huge success, as the team led the league in attendance in three of the four years they were in the League, and won the Far West League's final Championship before the league folded after the 1951 season.
Since those days, the venerable stadium has stood against weather and other obstacles to become one of only two remaining all-wood stadiums in North America. Historic Kiger Stadium has hosted thousands of amateur baseball games, from
Little League
Little League Baseball and Softball (officially, Little League Baseball Inc) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizationAmerican Legion through a semi-pro incarnation of the Gems, through the years. In 1968 the ballpark hosted the Babe Ruth World Series, and in 1970 the American Legion Championships.
For a time in the 1950s, Kiger Stadium was even turned into an auto racing track. Through the years Kiger has seen it all, and in 2011 welcomed the new Klamath Falls Gems of the
West Coast League
The West Coast League (WCL) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league founded in 2005, comprising teams from Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Alberta. The WCL was previously named the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League (WCCB ...
. The Gems gave
Klamath Basin
The Klamath Basin is the region in the U.S. states of Oregon and California drained by the Klamath River. It contains most of Klamath County and parts of Lake and Jackson counties in Oregon, and parts of Del Norte, Humboldt, Modoc, Siskiyou ...
families another reason to visit Kiger Stadium, and the success of the Gems and the WCL have brought many improvements to Kiger, without losing the charm of the original park. (The current Gems now play in the
Great West League
The Great West League (GWL) was a collegiate summer baseball league founded in 2014, comprising teams from California and Oregon. The league was designed to develop college talent, and only current college eligible players are allowed to parti ...
.)
In 2014 the Klamath Falls Gems, have planned minor improvements to Kiger Stadium, such as making the restrooms ADA accessible, and painting the outfield wall, the stadium facades, and stadium bleachers.
Niles Jordan
Niles Chapman Jordan (December 1, 1925 – March 15, 2008) was an American professional baseball player, a pitcher who appeared in Major League Baseball during the 1951 and 1952 seasons for the Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds. Listed at ...
Troy Herriage
William Troy Herriage (December 20, 1930 – January 21, 2012) was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Kansas City Athletics during the season. Nicknamed "Dutch," he was listed at (1.85 m), 170 lb. (77 kg).
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Bert Convy
Bernard Whalen "Bert" Convy (July 23, 1933 – July 15, 1991) was an American actor, singer, game show host and panelist known for hosting '' Tattletales'', ''Super Password'' and ''Win, Lose or Draw''.
Early life
Convy was born in St. Loui ...
Arcata Ball Park
Arcata Ball Park is a collegiate baseball venue in the Western United States, located in Arcata, California. Opened in 1941, it is the home of the summer collegiate Humboldt Crabs. Arcata Ball Park is located at the corner of F Street and 9th Str ...
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Harry & David Field
Harry & David Field is a baseball park in the northwest United States, located in Medford, Oregon.
Adjacent to U.S. Cellular Community Park (now known as Lithia & Driveway Fields), it hosts youth and high school baseball, primarily the Amer ...