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 Paul Richards Park
N 32° 23.182 W 096° 51.328
14S E 701728 N 3585285
Texas Historical Marker commemorating the history of Paul Richards Park, a baseball field that, although it predates Richards, honors him by bearing his name.
Waymark Code: WMEYJB
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 07/23/2012
Views: 6
Paul Richards (1908–1986) was a "famous son" of Waxahachie, and you'll find plenty of references to him as you travel the city. The house where he was born is today the famous "Catfish Plantation," known not only for their great food and atmosphere, but also [by believers] as a haunted house.
Richards was a catcher who played for the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants, Philadelphia Athletics, and Detroit Tigers. After he retired from playing, he managed the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles, and later served as General Manager for the Orioles, the Houston Colt 45s, and the Atlanta Braves.
In his book, "Cobb," author Al Stump makes a reference to the Tigers having their training camp in Waxahachie, and while he doesn't mention the name of the park, it's a pretty good bet that this was where they trained. He goes on to mention an incident where, back in Dallas, where the Tigers stayed during training camp and were playing an exhibition game against the New York Giants, Ty Cobb picked a fight with Giant, Buck Herzog (in the outfield for the game was one Jim Thorpe, for the Giants). Cobb later fought Herzog back at the Oriental Hotel in Dallas, and the next day tweaked the nose of Giants manager, John McGraw, and threatened to kill him.
Marker Number: 13956
Marker Text:
This ballpark has hosted athletic events since the early 20th century. By 1914, local officials began planning for a field to attract a major league baseball team to train in Waxahachie. After various team representatives visited in 1915, local businessmen formed the Waxahachie Ball Park Association to raise funds. The Detroit Tigers decided to train here in 1916 if facilities were satisfactory.
Builders soon completed the field, known as Jungle Park. It included a grandstand and bleachers, and its field measured 360 feet down both foul lines and 412 feet from home plate to the center field fence. The Tigers trained here in 1916 and 1917, and the Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds, as well as the Kansas City Blues of the American Association, followed in subsequent seasons. The Reds won the World Series the year they trained here (1919). The diamond also served as an athletic field for Waxahachie High School.
In 1922, when the Chamber of Commerce began managing the property, a flood damaged the site. Although the grandstand was dismantled and rebuilt at the high school campus in 1923, Jungle Park continued to be used by teams, including one organized by the Woodmen of the World; for a time the field was also known as Woodman Park. During World War II, it fell into disrepair until Waxahachie native Paul R. Richards, a major league player and manager, again stirred local interest for baseball. Renamed Paul Richards Park, the field reopened in 1946 with lights for night games and a terrace system to prevent flooding. In following years, many local teams and organizations have used the field, which the school district purchased in 1965. (2007)
Marker is Property of the State of Texas
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Visit Instructions:
Please include a picture in your log. You and your GPS receiver do not need to be in the picture. We encourage additional information about your visit (comments about the surrounding area, how you ended up near the marker, etc.) in the log.
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