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At the turn of the 20th century, baseball fever captivated the City of Waco, and leaders set their sights on providing a ballpark for a potential hometown team. They chose farming lot #13 a non-descript piece of land owned by local businessman Alfred Abeel (1836-1922) on the corner of Eighth Street and Webster Avenue, near the MKT rail line. Abeel also owned the architecturally notable home known as Cottonland Castle. Katy Park was designed by Henry Fabian (1865-1940), a former baseball player and entrepreneur. Fabian had arrived in Waco in 1904 to manage and co-own his first baseball team, the Waco Tigers. In the early years, the Tigers and Fabian were instrumental in overturning legislation outlawing Sunday baseball.
The Tigers struggled with profitability, and Katy Park sometimes went without a home team. In 1925, the Galveston Cubs were acquired and became the Waco Cubs. The Cubs hosted the New York Yankees in a 1929 exhibition game. When Babe Ruth hit a line drive over the right field fence, the ball struck a boy. Ruth waded into the crowd to check on the boy and gave him an autographed baseball. The Cubs left town in 1930, and three years later, Waco received another team, the Pirates. Katy Park hosted both white and black teams, as baseball was still a segregated sport. The first night game was played in May 1930 between the Negro League's Kansas City Monarchs and the Waco Black Cardinals. In 1946 and 1950 respectively, Jesse Owens and Joe Lewis held events at Katy Park. The ballpark was completely destroyed in a powerful 1953 tornado but was later rebuilt. The Pirates remained until 1955. The last baseball games, part of a statewide tournament of African American teams, were held at Katy Park in June 1965. Katy Park Was eventually torn down, but the site remains an important part of the city's sports and cultural legacy. (2022) |
