Indianapolis, IN
From BR Bullpen
Players who were born here / Players who died here
Indianapolis (2000 population: 791,926) has not been a major league city since Indianapolis Hoosiers played in the Federal League in 1914, but the city has a rich baseball history nonetheless. It is the birthplace of Hall of Famers Chuck Klein and Oscar Charleston. The Indianapolis Clowns and Indianapolis ABCs were legendary teams of the Negro Leagues. The minor league Indianapolis Indians played for years at Bush Stadium (named after major leaguer and Hoosier native Donie Bush), where the movie "Eight Men Out" was also filmed. They now play at Victory Field, a downtown retro-style park. The Indians were the only team to be a member of the American Association in every season of its second and third incarnations. Indianapolis will likely never be a major league city though, due to its proximity to Cincinnati, Ohio and Chicago, Illinois. The city is also home to the NFL's Indianapolis Colts, the NBA's Indiana Pacers, the Indianapolis 500, and the NCAA Headquarters. Butler University, the University of Indianapolis, and IUPUI are also located in Indianapolis.
[edit] Teams that have played here
| Years | Team | League | Ballpark |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1878 | Indianapolis Blues | National League | South Street Park |
| 1884 | Indianapolis Hoosiers | American Assocation | |
| 1885 | Indianapolis Hoosiers | Western League | |
| 1887-1889 | Indianapolis Hoosiers | National League | |
| 1892 | Indianapolis Rainmakers | Western League | Ohio Street Park |
| 1894-1899 | Indianapolis Hoosiers | Western League | |
| 1900 | Indianapolis Hoosiers | American League | |
| 1901 | Indianapolis Hoosiers | Western Association | |
| 1902-1962 | Indianapolis Indians | American Association | Perry Stadium/Victory Field (1931-1962) |
| 1913-1919 | Indianapolis ABCs | Negro Leagues | |
| 1914 | Indianapolis Hoosiers | Federal League | |
| 1920-1926, 1931 | Indianapolis ABCs | Negro National League | ABCs Field |
| 1932 | Indianapolis ABCs | Negro Southern League | ABCs Field |
| 1933 | Indianapolis ABCs | Negro National League | |
| 1937 | Indianapolis Athletics | Negro American League | ABCs Field |
| 1938-1939 | Indianapolis ABCs | Negro American League | ABCs Field |
| 1940 | Indianapolis Crawfords | Negro American League | ABCs Field |
| 1944-1945 | Cincinnati-Indianapolis Clowns | Negro American League | |
| 1946-1950 | Indianapolis Clowns | Negro American League | Victory Field |
| 1963 | Indianapolis Indians | International League | Victory Field |
| 1964-1968 | Indianapolis Indians | Pacific Coast League | Victory Field/Bush Stadium |
| 1969-1997 | Indianapolis Indians | American Association | Bush Stadium (1969-1996); Victory Field (1996-1997) |
| 1998-present | Indianapolis Indians | International League | Victory Field |
- In 1942, the ballpark originally called Perry Stadium was renamed Victory Field. In 1967, it was renamed Owen Bush Stadium.
- In 1997, the Indians moved into a new park, Victory Field, which was also the name of their previous home from 1942 to 1967.
