Bailey–Brayton Field

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Bailey-Brayton Field
Former names Buck Bailey Field
(1980–1999)
Location Washington State University
Pullman, Washington, U.S.
Coordinates 46°44′6″N 117°9′19″W / 46.73500°N 117.15528°W / 46.73500; -117.15528Coordinates: 46°44′6″N 117°9′19″W / 46.73500°N 117.15528°W / 46.73500; -117.15528
Opened 1980
Owner Washington State University
Operator Washington State University
Surface FieldTurf - (2004–present)
Grass - (1980–2003)
Capacity 3,500
Field dimensions Left Field: 330 ft (101 m)
L. Center: 375 ft (114 m)
Center: 400 ft (122 m) [1]
R. Center: 385 ft (117 m)
Right Field: 335 ft (102 m)
Tenants
Washington State Cougars - (NCAA)
1980 – present

Bailey–Brayton Field is a college baseball stadium in Pullman, Washington, U.S., on the campus of Washington State University. It is the home field of the Washington State Cougars of the Pacific-12 Conference, and is located on the east side of the WSU campus, just southeast of the Beasley Coliseum.

The stadium's seating capacity is 3,500 and opened for baseball in 1980 as Buck Bailey Field, in honor of the head coach at WSU from 1927 to 1961 (except during World War II, and the name was carried over from the previous venue, named for him in 1950.[2] Born and raised in Texas, Arthur Buckner "Buck" Bailey (1896–1964) and his wife Frances were killed in an automobile collision in New Mexico in October 1964.[3][4]

Lights were added in 1984,[5][6] as it became the first NCAA ballpark in the Northwest to install them.[7] The field was renamed in January 2000 to honor longtime Cougar baseball coach Chuck "Bobo" Brayton, who coached the Cougars from 1961 to 1994.[8]

In the fall of 2003,[9] the natural grass surface was removed and replaced with FieldTurf, and WSU became the first Division I program to install FieldTurf in its home ballpark.[10][11] The only portion of the field that remained dirt was the pitcher's mound and home plate area.[12][13] The basepaths and the "skin" portion of the infield are FieldTurf, colored reddish brown, while the outfield is green FieldTurf. The home plate area was converted to FieldTurf in 2007, leaving only the pitcher's mound with dirt.[1] In fall 2013, the dirt pitcher's mound was replaced with a FieldTurf mound and the infield FieldTurf was replaced.

The previous WSU baseball field was located at the site of the Mooberry Track, the current venue for track & field. When Martin Stadium was renovated following the 1978 football season, its running track was removed to add seating nearer the lowered playing field.

When Sick's Stadium in Seattle was demolished in 1979, its bleachers, fencing, and foul poles were moved to Pullman to construct the new Buck Bailey Field.[14][15] The bleachers didn't fit and were later sold.[8] Most of the other items from Sick's were bought for $60,000 in 1978 by Harry Ornest, the owner of the new Vancouver Canadians for use at Nat Bailey Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia.[16]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Baseball media guide". Washington State Cougars Athletics. 2010. p. 4. 
  2. ↑ Missildine, Harry (April 17, 1981). "Buck Bailey - great man, coach, tradition". Spokesman-Review. p. 23. 
  3. ↑ "Buck Bailey, wife die in smash". Spokane Daily Chronicle. October 28, 1964. p. 1. 
  4. ↑ Missildine, Harry (October 29, 1964). "Buck died, at 68, a 'young' man". Spokesman-Review. p. 12. 
  5. ↑ Devlin, Vince (May 12, 1984). "Doubleheader sweep brightens Cougars' night". Spokane Chronicle. p. 13. 
  6. ↑ Meehan, Jim (March 23, 1989). "Preserving Cougar baseball history". Idahonian (Moscow, ID). p. 1C. 
  7. ↑ Blanchette, John (May 9, 1984). "The last man out please turn off the lights". Spokesman-Review. p. 21. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Blanchette, John (January 23, 2000). "All the right tools". Spokesman-Review. p. C1. 
  9. ↑ "WSU installs new turf on baseball field". Spokesman-Review. October 28, 2003. p. C7. 
  10. ↑ "Cougars plan new baseball turf". Lewiston Tribune. October 28, 2003. p. 2B. 
  11. ↑ Krump, Jason (October 27, 2003). "Bailey-Brayton Stadium FieldTurf Installation Underway". Washington State University Athletics. Retrieved June 26, 2013. 
  12. ↑ "Washington State Cougars & FieldTurf". Spokane, WA: You Tube. KXLY-TV. April 19, 2004. Retrieved June 26, 2013. 
  13. ↑ "Northwest Colleges: WSU rallies to bury Huskies". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. March 19, 2004. Retrieved June 26, 2013. 
  14. ↑ Lowry, Philip (2006). Green Cathedrals. Walker & Company. p. 217. ISBN 978-0-8027-1608-8. 
  15. ↑ Goodwin, Dale (April 22, 1979). "Bobo: From 'hitcher' to legend". Spokesman-Review. p. C6. 
  16. ↑ "Good ol' Sicks' for sale – works". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. May 23, 1978. p. 18. 

External links

Baseball parks of the Pacific-12 Conference
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