Evansville still hoping to host MLB game
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Major League Baseball on Thursday hosted a special game at Rickwood Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama as a tribute to the Negro Leagues. It’s part of an overall effort to host games outside of the regular MLB ballparks, and Bosse Field in Evansville is among the site being considered.
Our partners at WEHT-TV report conversations between the MLB and the city of Evansville began in 2022, but an estimated $3 million in renovations would need to be made before a game could be held in the city.
Bill Bussing, owner of the Evansville Otters, said it would be a huge deal for Major League Baseball to come to Bosse Field.
“If it happens, I think it would be the greatest single sports event in my lifetime in Evansville,” Bussing said.
Among the renovations needed to host the game are upgrading the playing surface, pushing the dugouts away from home plate, and the addition of extra lighting. However, Bussing said the old seating at the ballpark would remain.
“They were pleased with the seats,” Bussing said. “We considered that as an add-on that might make it more attractive, but there is certain charm about the old seats here. So that was not a requirement of MLB.”
Officials plan to cover the cost of the renovations with private funding. Former Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke, now CEO of the Evansville Regional Economic Partnership, says conversations with the league are still ongoing.
Built in 1915, Bosse Field is the third-oldest active professional ballpark in America, behind only Fenway Park in Boston and Wrigley Field in Chicago. It was featured in the 1992 movie “A League of Their Own” as the home of the Racine Belles.