Joe Devine Airway Park was a minor league baseball stadium in the western United States, located in Boise, Idaho. Opened in 1939, the ballpark was the home of Boise's teams (Pilots, Yankees, Braves) in the Class C Pioneer League, which briefly moved to Class A in 1963, the final year of the Braves and the ballpark.[1]
 | |
  Boise Location in the United States  Boise Location in Idaho | |
| Former names | Braves Field (1955–1963) Joe Devine Airway Park (1952–1954) Airway Park (1939–1952) |
|---|---|
| Address | 600 S. Walnut Street |
| Location | Boise, Idaho, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 43°36′07″N 116°11′10″W / 43.602°N 116.186°W |
| Elevation | 2,700 feet (825 m) |
| Capacity | 5,000 3,000 (1939) |
| Surface | Natural grass |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1939 |
| Renovated | c. 1947 |
| Closed | 1963 |
| Tenants | |
| Boise Braves (PL) 1955–63 Boise Pilots (PL) 1954 Boise Yankees (PL) 1952–53 Boise Pilots (PL) 1939–42, 1946–51 | |
Originally named "Airway Park," it was the home of the Pilots and was a few blocks east of the Boise Airport, then located at the present-day campus of Boise State University. The city donated 11 acres (4.5 ha) of the western portion of Municipal Park (now Kristin Armstrong Municipal Park) in 1939 for the ballpark.[2]
North of the nearby Boise River, the elevation of the natural grass field was approximately 2,700 feet (825 m) above sea level, and it was aligned to the southeast; the recommended alignment (home plate to center field) is east-northeast.[3] Opened with a seating capacity of 3,000, it was increased to 5,000 after World War II.[2]
Yankees
editWhen the New York Yankees moved their Pioneer League affiliate from Twin Falls to Boise after the 1951 season, the ballpark was renamed in March to honor Joe Devine (1892–1951),[4][5][6] a talented Yankees scout in the West who had played for the Boise Irrigators of the Union Association.[2] The park was officially dedicated to Devine on Thursday, May 1, 1952.[7]
Braves
editThe Milwaukee Braves became the parent club in 1955 and the stadium was renamed "Braves Field." Boise's last season in the Pioneer League was 1963. Notable baseball broadcaster Bob Uecker was a catcher for Boise in 1956 and 1958.
After demolition
editThe stadium was razed soon after the Braves departure and the site became the headquarters of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Subsequent minor league and independent teams have played at Borah High School's Bill Wigle Field and Memorial Stadium in northwest Boise.
See also
edit- Boise Braves players (1955–1963)
- Boise Pilots players (1939–1942, 1946–1951, 1954)
- Boise Yankees players (1952–1953)
- Boise Hawks (1987–present)
References
edit- ^ "New York Yankees Baseball Stadium Minor League Affiliations and Yankees Baseball Parks". Digitalballparks.com.
- ^ a b c "Airway Park" (PDF). City of Boise. 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 14, 2014. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
- ^ Normandin, Marc (August 17, 2022). "MLB Official Baseball Rules, Annotated: The Playing Field (Part 2)". Baseball Prospectus. DIY Baseball LLC. Retrieved August 13, 2023.
- ^ "Joe Devine honored". St. Petersburg Times. Associated Press. March 17, 1952. p. 15.
- ^ Kling, Dwayne (November 2011). "Joe Devine". In Sandoval, Jim (ed.). Can He Play? A Look at Baseball Scouts and their Profession. SABR. pp. 41–42. ISBN 9781933599236.
- ^ Chipman, Dee (April 13, 1952). "Joe Devine's Pioneer League Help Is Missed At Boise's Spring Camp". Deseret News. Salt Lake City, Utah. p. 2C.
- ^ Chipman, Dee (May 2, 1952). "Hivers snap loss streak at Boise; Pokes trip Ogden". Deseret News. Salt Lake City, Utah. p. 10A.
External links
edit- New York Times – obituary for Joe Devine
- Boise State University Library – 1950s photo of Bronco Stadium and Braves Field
- Baseball Reference – teams history, Boise, Idaho