1. Fogel Field as it sits today, looking from the outfield toward homeplate.

Fogel Field

History:

Fogel Field, also known as Fordyce Field, McKee Field and Holder Field over the years, hosted numerous Major League teams for spring training between 1912-1942

The field was located directly behind the Arkansas Alligator Farm on Whittington Avenue in Hot Springs, AR, right across the street from the Whittington Park baseball field, which was also used for Major League Spring Training.

Fogel Field was primarily considered a practice field for Whittington Park. Fogel Field had little in the way of stands or bleachers.

2. The 1912 Philadelphia Phillies at Fogel Field.

Originally built in 1912, the field was named after Horace Fogel, president of the Philadelphia Phillies at the time. Fogel built the field because of the overflow of professional baseball players in the city that were all trying to practice on only 2 fields. At the time the field was built, the Brooklyn Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Red Sox and more than one minor league team were all practicing in Hot Springs at just Whittington Park and Majestic Park.

Fogel Field continued to be used for spring training until 1942. During that time, the field saw the likes of dozens of Hall of Fame players, including Babe Ruth, Grover Cleveland Alexander, Honus Wagner, Cy Young, Dizzy Dean, John McGraw and many more.

In 1933, the first annual Ray Doan Baseball School was held in Hot Springs, and Fogel field was among the fields used. The baseball school continued ran until 1939, when the great Rogers Hornsby took the school and ran until the 1950s.

Later, the Hot Springs Bathers, a class C minor league team that was located in Hot Springs, used the field for practice. The Bathers played their home games across the street at Whittington Park from 1938-1941.

3. Fogel Field, now an overflow parking lot.

Fogel Field still exists today pretty much the same way it did as when it was used for spring training, though no baseball field is currently at the location. Since then, the field has been used for amateur baseball, softball and football. Today, the Arkansas Alligator Farm owns the property and uses it for overflow parking.

For more and larger photos of this ballpark, see the Fogel Field Gallery.