Celebrating Renovation of East Chicago Ball Field
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Eighty years after the first pitch crossed home plate, Block Stadium in East Chicago has been restored and is welcoming teams and visitor. Officials from the city last weekend celebrated the reopening of the sports venue, which was built in 1942.
The stadium was built by the Block brothers who owned Inland Steel. The ballpark became a place where East Chicago families could enjoy America’s favorite pastime.
“Today we celebrate not only the opening of this stadium, but our first family gathering in many generations, today you have brought us together,” said P.D. Block, grandson of the founders.
During the celebration, East Chicago Mayor Anthony Copeland said, ‘the Block family provided a portion of the quilt that formed the life of many natives of East Chicago’.
As the steel industry struggled, and jobs left the city, the stadium fell into disrepair.
Block Stadium is a city-owned baseball field used by Calumet College of St. Joseph, the East Chicago Central High School baseball team and the East Chicago Post 369 American Legion summer baseball team.