orlando Florida history

Tinker Baseball Field

Constructed: 1923

Dedicated: April 19, 1923

Original Owner: City of Orlando.

Businesses: (1923-present) baseball field for various minor league teams (including the Orlando Bulldogs, Twins, Cubs, Sun Rays, and Rays) as well as major league teams during spring training (Cincinnati Reds, Brooklyn Dodgers, Washington Nationals, Washington Senators and Minnesota Twins).

Modifications: The field has undergone several major modifications, probably the most important was the replacing of the old wooden grandstand with a cinderblock one in the mid 1960s. Bleachers were increased in size and length to accommodate more fans.

Notes: Cost $50,000 to build. Had a deeper outfield than Yankee Stadium when built and could seat approximately 1500. Today its capacity is a little over 5,000. Tinker was and continues to be well-known for ceiling fans suspended from the roof, and the open-air press box. The field also still has the early type of wooden and metal fold-up seats instead of the plastic ones that fill nearly every other stadium. 909 of the grandstand seats are from long-demolished Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C.

Tinker Field was named in honor of Joe Tinker, retired major league baseball player and manager, member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, and manager of Orlando's first professional baseball team.

Visit Joe Tinker's grave site and read his biography

Tinker Field was not the first baseball park on the site. The first field was built around 1914.

RIGHT SIDE IMAGES - TOP to BOTTOM:

Tinker Field circa 1930, from a contemporary postcard.

Tinker Field circa 1968, from a contemporary postcard.

Tinker Field frandstands, 2003.

One of Tinker Field's last remaining steadfast fans.

BELOW: The monument to Clark Griffith. It states:

Clark C. Griffith

1869 - 1955

This memorial is dedicated to the memory of the late Clark C. Griffith who brought the Washington Senators to spring training in Orlando, Florida in 1936. He devoted more than 65 years of his life to baseball. A distinguished member of Baseball's immortal Hall of Fame, he won 237 games as a pitcher; he helped found the American League in 1900; was president of the Senator's pennant winning teams of 1924, '25 and '33. Clark Griffith gave the National Pastime great dignity and respect . . . truly one of its finest benefactors. The image of baseball is exemplified by the immortal "Old Fox."

ORLANDO HISTORY BIT: Baseball in Orlando

Spring training happened at Tinker Field from 1923 to 1931 and 1934 to 1990. This is one of the longest unbroken runs of spring training (with the exception of WWII).

Tinker Field was home to professional baseball from 1923 through 2000. It is currently used by two local high schools and hosts special events.

Does the name Tinker sound familiar to you?

It might be because of a short poem that is likely the second most famous baseball poem (after "Casey At The Bat," of course). The poem was penned in 1910 by Franklin P. Adams, a New York sports reporter who probably wrote it as filler for his column.

Baseball's Sad Lexicon

These are the saddest of possible words,

Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance.

Trio of Bear Cubs and fleeter than birds,

Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance.

Ruthlessly pricking our gonfalon bubble,

making a Giant hit into a double,

Words that are weighty with nothing but trouble.

Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance.

TOP LEFT: Tinker Field with the Citrus Bowl looming over the outfield, 2003.

BOTTOM LEFT: Tinker Field's grandstand, 2003.

ORLANDO HISTORY BIT: The National Pastime and Orlando

1919	The Orlando Gulls join the Florida State League. They will be part of the league until 1924 and then from 1926-28, 1937-41, 1946-61 and 1963-72. The Florida State League originally had teams in Bartow, Bradenton, Lakeland, Orlando, Sanford and Tampa.
1921	*Joe Tinker retires and moves to Florida. Works in real estate and purchases the Orlando Gulls.*
1923	Tinker Field is built. The Cincinnati Reds become the first major league team to use Tinker Field for Spring Training. They continue to use the facilities until the 1931 season.
1934	*The Brooklyn Dodgers* begin two years of Spring Training at Tinker Field (1934 & 1935).**
1936	*The Washington Nationals* move their Spring Training program to Tinker Field.**
1942	*Orlando's Minor League Team* joins the East Coast League for one year in the midst of World War II.**
1943	The Washington Nationals suspend Spring Training in Florida until the 1946 season. In the interim they train in College Park, Maryland as a wartime economy measure.
1946	*The Washington Nationals* move Spring Training back to Orlando.**
1955	*Clark C. Griffith dies and leaves majority ownership of the Nationals* to his children.**
1957	The Washington Nationals change their name to the Washington Senators but continue their Spring Training in Orlando. The name Nationals is today almost forgotten partially because the team was commonly known as the Senators even during their years as Nationals.
1961	The Senators make Minneapolis, Minnesota their home and change their name to the Minnesota Twins. They continue to train in Orlando.
1968	A monument to Clark Griffith in erected inside the main gate. He is remembered for bringing his Washington Nationals (and Senators) to Orlando for Spring Training in 1936.
1973	*The Orlando Twins* become part of the Southern League, a AA farm team league.**
1981	The Orlando Twins win the Southern League Championship with a record of 79 and 63. Orlando Twins' Tim Laudner became the Southern Leagues MVP.
1989	Orlando Twins' Scott Leius took the Southern League Batting Championship with an average of .303. That same year Twins pitcher Pete Delkus led the league with an ERA of 1.87.
1990	*The Minnesota Twins* end their Spring training relationship with Orlando. They move their facilities to Fort Meyers, Florida. The Orlando Twins become the Orlando Sun Rays.**
1991	*The Orlando Sun Rays* win the Southern League Championship. Twins pitcher Pat Mahomes led the Southern League with an ERA of 1.78.**
1993	*The Orlando Sun Rays* become a farm team of the Chicago Cubs and change their name to Orlando Cubs.** Tinker Field becomes the home base and training facility for the Silver Bullets, a barnstorming baseball team comprised of women players. Retired pitcher Phil Niekro leads the team.
1997	*The Orlando Cubs* change their name to the Orlando Rays.**
1998	*The Orlando Rays* become a farm team of the Seattle Mariners.**
1999	*The Orlando Rays* become a farm team of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The Orlando Rays win the Southern League Championship.**
2000	The Orlando Rays move to a new ball park at Walt Disney World's Wide World of Sports. Orlando is left without professional baseball near downtown for the first time in eighty years.