Miles Field (Oregon)
{{Short description|Former baseball park in Medford, Oregon}}
{{distinguish|text=Miles Field (Virginia Tech), a former collegiate sports venue}}
{{Infobox venue
| stadium_name = Miles Field
| nickname =
| image =
| caption =
| fullname =
| location = 1801 S. Pacific Hwy, Medford, Oregon, US
| coordinates = {{coord|42.310|-122.857|type:event|display=inline, title}}
| broke_ground =
| built =
| opened = 1948
| renovated =
| expanded =
| closed =
| demolished = 2004
| owner =
| operator =
| surface = Natural grass
| construction_cost =
| architect =
| structural engineer =
| services engineer =
| general_contractor=
| project_manager =
| main_contractors =
| former_names = Jackson County
Baseball Park
(1948–1969)
| tenants = Medford Nuggets (FWL) (1948–1949)
Medford Rogues (FWL) (1950–1951)
Medford Giants (NWL) (1967–1968)
Rogue Valley Dodgers (NWL) (1969)
Medford Dodgers (NWL) (1970–1971)
Medford A's (NWL) (1979–1987)
Southern Oregon A's (NWL) (1988–1995)
So. Oregon Timberjacks (NWL) (1996–1999)
| seating_capacity = 4,500 (1971); 3,300 (1988); 2,900 (1995)
| dimensions = Left Field: {{Convert|334|ft|abbr=on}}
Center Field: {{Convert|384|ft|0|abbr=on}}
Right Field: {{Convert|344|ft|0|abbr=on}}
}}
{{Location map
|USA
|relief = 1
|label = Medford
|lat = 42.310
|long = -122.857
|caption = Location in the United States
|marksize = 5
|float =
|background =
|width = 230
}}
{{Location map
|USA Oregon
|relief = 1
|label = Medford
|lat = 42.310
|long = -122.857
|caption = Location in Oregon
|marksize = 5
|float =
|background =
|width = 180
}}
Miles Field was a baseball park in Medford, Oregon, It hosted high school, American Legion, and minor league teams from 1948 to 2004.
The professional teams that played at this facility included the Medford Nuggets/Rogues of the Far West League in 1948–1951 and three Northwest League teams, the Medford Giants in 1967 and 1968, the Rogue Valley/Medford Dodgers from 1969 to 1971, and the Medford/Southern Oregon A's – Southern Oregon Timberjacks franchise from 1979 through 1999.
History
In 1951, local auto dealer Claude "Shorty" Miles worked behind the scenes to help get a new baseball park built in Medford because of his unbridled passion for the sport. A suspicious fire destroyed the structure in early July,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=hCsgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6vADAAAAIBAJ&pg=5049%2C6743501|newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |location=Oregon |title=Larks, Medford clubs assured of quiet Fourth |date=July 4, 1951 |page=1}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=aTBQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=uAsEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6671%2C6778881 |newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |location=Oregon |title=Medford ball park burns after game |date=July 4, 1951 |page=9}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=StpXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MfYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2802%2C675209 |newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=Washington |agency=United Press |title=Medford ball park destroyed by fire |date=July 4, 1951 |page=17 }}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ajBQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=uAsEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6290%2C6883215 |newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |title=Larks back home; Friday big night |last=Love |first=Bill |date=July 5, 1951 |page=12 }}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OvYZAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vgsEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6853%2C131246 |newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |location=Oregon |title=Rogues readying new ballpark |date=July 7, 1951 |page=8}} but it was quickly rebuilt. Originally known as Jackson County Baseball Park, it was rededicated as "Miles Field" in June 1969, eight months after his death.{{cite news |url=http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMJX05_Miles_Field_Medford_Oregon |publisher=Waymarking |title=Miles Field |location=Medford, Oregon |access-date=October 31, 2015}}{{cite news |url=http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070715/LIFE/707150330 |title=Snapshot: Miles Field |newspaper=Medford Mail Tribune |location=Oregon |last=Miller |first=Bill |date=July 15, 2007 |access-date=October 31, 2015}}
It was known as "Jackson & Perkins Gardens at Miles Field" during the mid to late 1990s, because of the ballpark's relationship with Bear Creek Corporation, now the Harry & David Corporation.
At the south end of the city, Miles Field was a block north of Garfield Street, between Highway 99 and Interstate 5. The elevation of the natural grass playing field was approximately {{convert|1400|ft}} above sea level and aligned east-northeast (home plate to center field), the recommended {{nowrap|orientation.{{cite web |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/objectives_1.jsp |publisher=Major League Baseball |title=Playing Field Orientation – Rule 1.04 |access-date=November 30, 2015}}}}
Demise of the stadium
After 21 seasons at the venue, the Timberjacks left Medford in October 1999 for British Columbia and became the Vancouver Canadians,{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=nlVWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wOsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2940%2C8017484|title=Timberjacks will make move to Vancouver, B.C.|date=October 27, 1999|agency=Associated Press|location=Oregon|page=6F|newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard}} leaving the city without a pro baseball franchise. The field continued with use by high school and American Legion teams, and despite efforts to both raise funds to remodel the stadium and to bring in a new team to play there. It was torn down in 2004 to make way for a controversial new Walmart Super Center that was delayed and eventually opened in 2012.{{cite news|url=http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080719/NEWS/807190306 |title=Medford site plan panel approves Wal-Mart store again |newspaper=Medford Mail Tribune|location=Oregon|last=Achen |first=Paris |date=July 19, 2008 |access-date=October 31, 2015}}
In 2006, Harry & David Field was constructed just down the street from the old Miles Field site. Under an agreement between the venue and the city of Medford, that field was built to accommodate youth, high school, and American Legion baseball, but not a professional team.{{cite news |url=http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040704/SPORTS/307049984&cid=sitesearch |newspaper=Medford Mail Tribune |location=Oregon |title=Baseball Notes |date=July 4, 2004|access-date=October 31, 2015}}
The Miles Field site remained empty and unoccupied due to the legal battle over the site which involved the Medford City Council, Walmart, and the Medford Citizens for Responsible Development. In 2009, the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals ruled to block the project temporarily on June 4 until a traffic study was prepared. The city council appealed that ruling soon after.{{cite news |url=http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090604/NEWS/906040326 |title=LUBA stalls south Medford WalMart| newspaper=Medford Mail Tribune |location=Oregon |last=Mann |first=Damian |date=June 4, 2009 |access-date=October 31, 2015}}{{cite news |url=http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090605/NEWS/906050329 |title=Medford delays challenge to WalMart ruling |newspaper=Medford Mail Tribune|last=Kettler|first=Bill|location=Oregon |date=June 5, 2009|access-date=October 31, 2015}}
However, despite the MCRD's best efforts to block construction, the Oregon Supreme Court ruled in favor of Walmart in 2010 on November 18, and the new Supercenter got the go-ahead to be built. The court overturned a decision by the state's Land Use Board of Appeals to do a traffic {{nowrap|study.{{cite news |url=http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101118/NEWS07/11180334 |title=Supreme Court ruling favors Walmart in Medford |newspaper=Medford Mail Tribune |location=Oregon |date=November 18, 2010|access-date=October 31, 2015}}{{cite news |url=http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101119/NEWS/11190328 |title=Supreme Court ruling favors Walmart Supercenter] |newspaper=Medford Mail Tribune |location=Oregon |date=November 19, 2010|access-date=October 31, 2015}}}} Construction started on the new Walmart in early 2012 and was completed that summer. A plaque commemorating Miles and the field are in a small courtyard just outside the {{nowrap|store entrance.}}
See also
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- [http://www.thebaseballcube.com/teams/team_10392.shtml Southern Oregon Timberjacks year-by-year records, statistics and rosters at The Baseball Cube]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20061020092135/http://home.wi.rr.com/ballpark/as_northwest.html Northwest League Team History (1990–1997)]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20061020092220/http://home.wi.rr.com/ballpark/as_northwest2.html Northwest League Team History (1998–2005)]
- [http://mysite.verizon.net/charliesballparks/stadiums/miles.htm Miles Field pictures at Charlie's Ball Parks website]
- [http://archive.mailtribune.com/archive/99/oct99/102799s1.htm Timberjacks go north; owner courts replacement] Medford Mail Tribune (October 27, 1999)
Category:Sports venues in Medford, Oregon
Category:1951 establishments in Oregon
Category:Defunct baseball venues in the United States
Category:Defunct minor league baseball venues
Category:Baseball venues in Oregon
Category:2004 disestablishments in Oregon
Category:Demolished sports venues in Oregon