Lawrence-Dumont Stadium
Encyclopedia
Lawrence-Dumont Stadium is a stadium
in Wichita, Kansas
. It is primarily used for baseball
, and is the home field of the Wichita Wingnuts
independent
baseball team. It was built in 1934, underwent renovations in 2001 which brought improvements to the stadium sound system, new infield turf, a new outfield fence with tables behind it, and fresh paint to the seating area. The stadium was again renovated in 2011. It holds 6,400 fans and was one of the few stadiums in the world that features a natural grass outfield with an astroturf infield. This would change during the April 2011 renovation when the entire field (including the grass outfield) would be replaced with ATG Sports Industries, Inc. RamTurf. Other changes included all new lights, exterior cosmetic improvements,new infield turf, dugout expansion, and improvements to the concourse areas.
It was home to the Wichita Wranglers
minor league
baseball team. The Wranglers left Wichita at the end of the 2007 season and moved to Springdale, Arkansas
, where the team was renamed the Northwest Arkansas Naturals
. The Wichita Wingnuts
now play at Lawrence-Dumont.
Lawrence-Dumont Stadium is also home to the annual National Baseball Congress
World Series, the annual North American championship of the NBC, an organization of 15 amateur and semi-professional baseball leagues operating in the United States and Canada. It has been played in Wichita at L-D Stadium annually since 1935. In 1949, the ballpark was the last to host the College World Series
before Omaha, Nebraska
became its permanent address the following year
.
The stadium is named for Charles S. Lawrence, Wichita mayor from 1933 to 1934 who died on September 20, 1934 after convincing the city to move the park within the city limits. The construction of the stadium was a WPA project; Works Progress Administration which employed workers during the depths of the Great Depression.(Blue laws
earlier prohibited baseball within the city and games were played on Ackerman Island
in the middle of the Arkansas River
. That stadium burned in 1934. Ray "Hap" Dumont had promised to hold semi-pro games in the new ball park (which was built with WPA
help. He paid Satchel Paige
$1,000 to bring the Bismarck Churchills
to the stadium to play in the first NBC Championship.
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
in Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
. It is primarily used for baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, and is the home field of the Wichita Wingnuts
Wichita Wingnuts
The Wichita Wingnuts are a professional baseball team based in Wichita, Kansas, in the United States. The Wingnuts are a member of the Central Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball.An expansion franchise in the...
independent
Independent baseball
Independent baseball leagues are professional baseball organizations located in the United States and Canada. They are not operated in conjunction with either a Major League Baseball team or an affiliated minor league team. Being independent allows teams to be located close to major-league teams...
baseball team. It was built in 1934, underwent renovations in 2001 which brought improvements to the stadium sound system, new infield turf, a new outfield fence with tables behind it, and fresh paint to the seating area. The stadium was again renovated in 2011. It holds 6,400 fans and was one of the few stadiums in the world that features a natural grass outfield with an astroturf infield. This would change during the April 2011 renovation when the entire field (including the grass outfield) would be replaced with ATG Sports Industries, Inc. RamTurf. Other changes included all new lights, exterior cosmetic improvements,new infield turf, dugout expansion, and improvements to the concourse areas.
It was home to the Wichita Wranglers
Wichita Wranglers
The Wichita Wranglers were a minor league baseball team based in Wichita, Kansas. The team, which played in the Texas League, was the Double-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals major-league club from 1995 to 2007, and of the San Diego Padres from 1987 to 1994. The Wranglers played in...
minor league
Minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
baseball team. The Wranglers left Wichita at the end of the 2007 season and moved to Springdale, Arkansas
Springdale, Arkansas
As of the census of 2010, there were 69,797 people, 22,805 households, and 16,640 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 64.7% White, 0.82% Black or African American, 1.8% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 5.7% Pacific Islander, 22% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more...
, where the team was renamed the Northwest Arkansas Naturals
Northwest Arkansas Naturals
The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are a Minor League Baseball team based in Springdale, Arkansas. The team is member of the Texas League, and serves as the Double-A affiliate to the Kansas City Royals. They relocated to Springdale from Wichita, Kansas in 2008. They were previously known as the...
. The Wichita Wingnuts
Wichita Wingnuts
The Wichita Wingnuts are a professional baseball team based in Wichita, Kansas, in the United States. The Wingnuts are a member of the Central Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball.An expansion franchise in the...
now play at Lawrence-Dumont.
Lawrence-Dumont Stadium is also home to the annual National Baseball Congress
National Baseball Congress
The National Baseball Congress of Wichita, Kansas is an organization of 15 amateur and semi-professional baseball leagues operating in the United States and Canada...
World Series, the annual North American championship of the NBC, an organization of 15 amateur and semi-professional baseball leagues operating in the United States and Canada. It has been played in Wichita at L-D Stadium annually since 1935. In 1949, the ballpark was the last to host the College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
before Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
became its permanent address the following year
1950 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Philadelphia Phillies *All-Star Game, July 11 at Comiskey Park: National League, 4-3 -Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Carta Vieja *College World Series: Texas...
.
The stadium is named for Charles S. Lawrence, Wichita mayor from 1933 to 1934 who died on September 20, 1934 after convincing the city to move the park within the city limits. The construction of the stadium was a WPA project; Works Progress Administration which employed workers during the depths of the Great Depression.(Blue laws
Blue Laws
The Blue Laws of the Colony of Connecticut, as distinct from the generic term "blue law" that refers to any laws regulating activities on Sunday, were the initial statutes set up by the Gov. Theophilus Eaton with the assistance of the Rev. John Cotton in 1655 for the Colony of New Haven, now part...
earlier prohibited baseball within the city and games were played on Ackerman Island
Ackerman Island
Ackerman Island was a sandbar located in the Arkansas River near Wichita, Kansas.The sandbar started to form in the 1870s, supposedly due to a drop in the river level. Joseph Ackerman, a local businessman, acquired the island in 1890...
in the middle of the Arkansas River
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...
. That stadium burned in 1934. Ray "Hap" Dumont had promised to hold semi-pro games in the new ball park (which was built with WPA
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
help. He paid Satchel Paige
Satchel Paige
Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige was an American baseball player whose pitching in the Negro leagues and in Major League Baseball made him a legend in his own lifetime...
$1,000 to bring the Bismarck Churchills
Bismarck Churchills
The Bismarck Churchills were an integrated semi-professional baseball team based in Bismarck, North Dakota in the 1930s. Led by Satchel Paige, Moose Johnson, and Double Duty Radcliffe, the club won the 1935 national semi-pro baseball tournament in Wichita, Kansas.The Churchills played...
to the stadium to play in the first NBC Championship.