Best Athletic Track Long Beach Near Me

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Blair Field, located in Recreation Park is one of the few semi-professional baseball facilities in California. It was constructed in 1958 and over the years has fostered local amateur baseball and hosted Moore League High School Football teams, and American Legion and Connie Mack seasons. The Chicago Cubs baseball team, the Los Angeles Rams football team and Olympic teams have used the site for practice. It is a popular location for the filming of commercials, television programs and movies. It is the home of the California State University at Long Beach 49er baseball team the "Dirtbags", and the Long Beach Armada professional baseball team. Recently, $1.475 million was spent to renovate the 3,238-seat facility. New spectator seating, field lights, a playing field with state-of-the-art drainage system, and turf which exceeds professional baseball standards were installed.


The City acquired Recreation Park in March 1923 and built a baseball field with a grandstand seating for 1,000. Opening day was March 14, 1924, with a game between the Pacific Coast League, Los Angeles Angels and Chicago Cubs, both owned by William Wrigley and was a front-page story in the Long Beach Press, by Frank T. Blair.

The Salt Lake City Bees, the first minor club to train at Recreation Park, set up camp in the fall of 1925. In 1926, Seattle of the Pacific Coast League, trained here and Denver of the Western League moved in for training in 1927. Bob Feller and Satchel Paige brought their barnstorming teams to play in the 1930s and Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics played an exhibition game at Recreation Park in 1940.

Local Long Beach ball players who made it to the major leagues during the 1920s, 30s, and 40s included: Jack Rothrock (a member of the Shell Oilers in 1926), Jack Salveson, Walt Carson, Frank Gabler, Bob Sturgeon, Vern Stephens, Bob Lemon, Chuck Stevens, Jack Graham, and Eddie Bockman.