Butler Wants To Be A Player
By Guy Junker

Joe DiMaggio played there. So did George Selkirk. Whitey Ford pitched there. So did Joe Page.

I'm not talking about Yankee Stadium in the Bronx but Pullman Park in Butler. It drips of baseball history, from the time it served as the minor league home for teams from several major league organizations, including the Yankees. That was from 1935 to 1951. Perhaps those days aren't gone forever.

Instead of nostalgia, Pullman will be dripping with fresh paint as the Butler community hopes to attract a minor league team by summer 2005.

Art Cordwell is the Executive Director of the Community Development Corporation of Butler, and he says a formal presentation is expected to be made to the Frontier League in February or March. The Washington Wild Things have been highly successful in that same league the last two years; in fact, they were the league's Organization of the Year in 2002. Minor league baseball has also been successful in Erie and Altoona. Progressive thinkers in Butler figure, especially with their minor league history, why not us?

Since a Pirates' farm team left Butler in the early 50's, the Pullman Park Board of Trust has maintained the field. Even now, the dilapidated but grand old place hosts 200 games annually.But minor league baseball is a huge step up. Seating capacity at the 70-year-old ballpark will increase to over 4,000. There will be a new concession area and private boxes, a new press box and new locker rooms.

Wild Things President and Managing Partner, John Swiatek, thinks the Pittsburgh area can handle two teams. "When we did our original economic impact study, this area was compared to St. Louis, which has two Frontier League teams."

Both Frontier League teams in that area averaged good numbers for the lowest rung in the minors. In fact, Swiatek says, if the situation were right, he'd invest in another team himself. But he's not sure the Butler situation is right. Frontier League Commissioner Bill Lee agrees.

"We've looked at Butler. But it's not like building a new McDonalds. There is more to worry about than just the over-saturation of the area. You have to worry about access and egress and how much media coverage you can expect," Lee says.

Both men think Greensburg and Westmoreland County might be a better location for Frontier League expansion.

One reason the Wild Things have succeeded is the easy commute to Falconi Field on I-79. That field was also built on an old police shooting range with plenty of parking space.

That's a problem in Butler, where several businesses will have to relocate to provide enough parking near Pullman Park. While they have agreed to do so, it won't happen in time for baseball in 2005.

The Butler group thinks offsite parking with a shuttle service could solve those woes for the first year. Their ownership group, still being kept a secret, is willing to look to other leagues and teams if something can't be worked out with the Frontier League.

"What's the worst case scenario?" Cordwell asks. "We don't get a team but we get a great facility that can attract concerts and other events, as well as still be used for local baseball."

While Pullman Park is the priority right now, it's only part of Butler's West End Redevelopment project. The 50-acre sight is roughly one quarter of the town. The vision is for a total recreational facility. A small convention center and an indoor rink for hockey and soccer along with a sports hall of fame, as well as hiking trails and townhouses, are all part of the dream.

Money is an issue. Cordwell says a bond issue has had a fairly positive reception locally. Some state money has already been issued and a $150,000 grant from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has been used for electrical work.

The centerfield fence, 470 feet from home plate, has to be moved in along with some lights. There are miles to go, but they are pointed in the right direction and moving rapidly.

I played several collegiate baseball games in Pullman Park nearly 30 years ago.I remember how fun it was to take a step back in time. The old grandstands and advertising on the outfield fence made for an atmosphere different than anywhere else we played. Even then you could feel history oozing from the place. In a day and time when it's easier and more economical to tear down and build from scratch than it is to renovate, it's nice to know that there is a chance that some Pullman Park history has yet to be written.

Guy Junker covers sports business for Pittsburgh Sports Report.