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The Louisville Grays were a charter member of the National League, and played at the Louisville Baseball Park in 1876 and 1877, their only two years in existence. The team was involved in baseball's first gambling scandal. Their ballpark burned down a few years later, and the site became a posh neighborhood called St. James Court. They have an annual art show there, and this page tells about the history of the neighborhood, though it doesn't mention the ballpark.

I don't know how it was situated. But my guess is based on the fact that this page shows a picture of the building at the northwest corner of 3rd and Hill--so I figure it's on that block as opposed to the west side of St. James Court, or further north along that road. I put right field in that spot as opposed to home plate, as that would make for a tough sun. There is a plaque visible on Steet Views at the north end of St. James--I'd love to see what that says. Maybe home plate was actually up there. I thought maybe the park was in what they call "Central Park," but I have read that that park was already there, and the land south of it was all park-land, too, so the ballpark was in that southern section.

Next up: either Providence or something else. Maybe even another Louisville park.

Labels: old ballpark locations