Historic Grayson Stadium - Savannah, Georgia

Are you a baseball fan who enjoys watching the game in a nostalgic setting?

Any discussion of Savannah, Georgia history would be incomplete without mentioning America's oldest working minor league ballpark, Historic Grayson Stadium. Originally the stadium was named Municipal Stadium.It was built in 1926 at the corner of Bee Road and Victory Drive, a beautiful lane bordered by oak trees that form a tunnel over the street, set just outside the historic district of this beautiful city. Large weeping trees that drape the Historic Grayson Stadium's old brick facade, make for a very picturesque and nostalgic setting.

This legandary sports stadium, serves as a time machine to Savannah’s baseball past. Baseball legends such as Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle and Jackie Robinson have graced the field. Mickey Mantle played an exhibition game at Grayson Stadium and hit two home runs. Jackie Robinson stole home in an exhibition game. But the ballpark's history has greater significance than the brief appearances of great players on its grounds. In addition to being baseball’s home in Savannah, it has also hosted events ranging from concerts - to the Thanksgiving Day Football Classic between Savannah High School and Benedictine Military Academy from 1927-1959.

In 1936, as Savannah began to put the Great Depression behind it, baseball again returned to the city. This same year saw 99,000 fans flock to the historic stadium to watch the Savannah Indians play the first post depression era season.

On August 11, 1940, a hurricane ripped through the city of Savannah causing major damage to the coastal city. Winds in excess of 73 miles per hour left only two sections of bleachers standing, and the need to rebuild Municipal Stadium became an urgent issue for the city. Fortunately, Spanish-American War veteran General William L. Grayson was on the front lines of the rebuilding process. With his help, the bill to rebuild the stadium passed, and monies were allocated to repair the stadium. Half of the funds allocated to repair the facility came from the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

With the stadium almost completed, construction was suspended due to the country’s entry into World War II. William Grayson, unfortunately, did not live to see the finished ballpark. However, the City Council still unanimously voted to name the park after the former general, in 1941. The second area of baseball at this historic stadium would begin in 1946 and last through 1962.

Baseball was the talk of the town in 1947, as 192,275 fans came through the turnstiles at Grayson Stadium to watch the home team. When Al (Izzy) Israel and Junior Reedy started on Opening Day, April 14, 1953, the Savannah Indians were to become the first team in the South Atlantic League to break the color barrier. Less than a month later, 15,363 fans packed the house on Merchants Appreciation Night to set the largest single-game crowd in Savannah history.

In 1973, came another milestone in Grayson history when the younger brother of Hall of Famer Hank Aaron, Tommie Aaron, became the first black manager in the Deep South and the first black manager of a Class AA club.

The conclusion of the 1962 season brought the second era of Savannah baseball at Grayson Stadium to an end, due to increasing racial tensions over seating areas. Baseball did not return to Savannah, Georgia until 1968.

To celebrate Grayson Stadium's 50th birthday - in 1991, the South Atlantic League All-Star game was held at the historic site. In 1996, the Los Angeles Dodgers decided to place their Class A affiliate at Grayson Stadium and the team name was officially changed to the Sand Gnats, a peculior name that has stuck into the twenty-first centrury, even through various affiliation changes over recent years.

On May 19, 2005, Thom Loverro wrote in The Washington Times, 'In an era in which dozens of old, quaint minor league ballparks around the country have been replaced by facilities with skyboxes and first-class amenities, Grayson Stadium survives as a relic. And, in Savannah, relics not only survive, they are embraced.'

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