Save Municipal Stadium: A Historic Baseball Field

0:00Folks in these Lawrence are rallying hard to save municipal stadium at Hobbs Park, a spot built back in 1947 that seen better days. Neighbors, baseball fans, and kickball crews are teaming up to raise cash and awareness, aiming to land it on the national register of historic places. That move would unlock grants, tax credits, and donations to fix up the resting screens, crack stands, and faded glory. This feels got deep roots from Native American history in the area to poet Langston Hughes growing up nearby, all captured in a mural at the UM, southeast corner. A kicked off with the Lawrence Colts playing semi-pro ball that first summer, drawing over 30,000 fans across 55 games. Even the Kansas City Monarchs rolled through in 1949, managed by Hall of Famer Buck O'Neill. Local legends like Lee Ice grew up chasing foul balls and hanging scoreboard numbers there, following his dad out, who coached American Legion teams. For 25 years, Ice went on to play for the University of Kansas and the Royals minors, then coached for four decades.

1:05Today, the Cal Valley kickball league packs the stands twice a week, where players like Aaron Adams and Ari Oxter met their spouses, Adams God. Proposed to on the field, Oxter married at home plate. The stadium once had dugouts, a press box, locker rooms, and concessions, but those are long gone under the wear and tear. Kickball keeps it alive, filling half the stands for games and practices, but the community's pushing for more. Right now, the Legacy Project needs funds for a historic structure report to map out repairs, costs, and a master plan. With this kind of hard time generations together, East Lawrence is set to bring back the buzz that made it a summer hotspot. From your city, powered by AI, this is Kansas News Today.