Martin Stadium, originally known as Lewis Park, was a

baseball park 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 ...

in Memphis, Tennessee, which served as the home stadium of the

Memphis Red Sox The Memphis Red Sox were an American Negro league baseball team that was active from 1920 to 1959. Originally named the Barber College Baseball Club, the team was initially owned and operated by Arthur P. Martin, a local Memphis barber. In the la ...

, a

Negro league baseball The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African Americans and, to a lesser extent, Latin Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be ...

team, in the 1920s through 1959. The park was built in 1923 by the team owner, local businessman Robert S. Lewis. The Red Sox were one of only a few teams in the Negro leagues to have owned their own stadium, allowing them scheduling flexibility not widely enjoyed by their peers and removing the cost of gate fees on leased facilities. The ballpark was included in the 1927 sale of the baseball team from Lewis to the Martin brothers, including W.S. Martin and J.B. Martin, resulting in the name being changed to reference the new owners. The facility was enlarged, and the stadium was built in 1947 at a cost of US$200,000. After spending decades more acting as the home of the Red Sox and as a space for community events, the Martin brothers sold the stadium in 1960 after disbanding the baseball team, whereupon it was demolished the next year. The site is now home to a semi-truck dealer and has an historical marker.

References

{{Baseball-venue-stub Negro league baseball venues Sports venues in Memphis, Tennessee Baseball venues in Tennessee Defunct sports venues in Tennessee 1923 establishments in Tennessee Sports venues completed in 1923 1961 disestablishments in Tennessee Sports venues demolished in 1961

See also

References