Kelly Automotive Park

Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park (formerly Kelly Automotive Park) is a baseball stadium located in Butler, Pennsylvania. Constructed in 1934, and rebuilt in 2008, the ballpark hosted minor league teams that were affiliated with the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Today, the ballpark hosts the baseball teams of Karns City High School, Knoch High School, Moniteau High School, as well as Butler High School. The stadium's last tenant was the Butler BlueSox of the Prospect League.

Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park
Former namesPullman Park (1934–2013)
LocationButler, Pennsylvania
OwnerRedevelopment Authority of the City of Butler
OperatorKelly Automotive Park Stadium Authority
Capacity1,400
Field sizeLeft Field – 347 feet (106 m)
Left-Center – 385 feet (117 m)
Deep Left-Center Field – 425 feet (130 m)
Center Field – 424 feet (129 m)
Right-Center – 352 feet (107 m)
Right Field – 325 feet (99 m)
SurfaceNatural and artificial turf
Construction
Opened1934
Closed2005–2007 (rebuilding)
Reopened2008
Construction cost$5,000,000 (2008 rebuilding)
ArchitectLigo Architects (2008 rebuilding)
Tenants
Butler BlueSox (PL) (2009–2018)
Butler High School (WPIAL)
Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic High School (WPIAL)
Karns City High School (KSAC)
Knoch High School (WPIAL)
Moniteau High School (KSAC)
Butler Indians (PSA) (1935)
Butler Yankees (MAL) (1936–1946)
Butler Tigers (MAL) (1949–1951)

History
Pullman Park in 2006

1934–2004

Kelly Automotive Park opened as Pullman Park in 1934. It hosted minor league baseball from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. Notable players such as Lou Gehrig, Joe Dimaggio, and Whitey Ford played at the stadium while the Yankees farm team (Butler Yankees) was in Butler. Joe Namath, Terry Hanratty, and Rich Saul also played at Pullman during their high school years. The ballpark itself was named after the Pullman-Standard Company's railroad car manufacturing facility which sat adjacent to the ballpark from 1902-2005.[1]

2005–2008 Renovation
Pullman Park in March 2008

The ballpark closed after the 2004 baseball season, and sat vacant for two years while necessary funds were raised to rebuild it. Construction began in the fall of 2007, and work was completed in June 2008.[2]

The New Pullman Park

On July 2, 2008, Pullman Park hosted a boxing match, televised on ESPN2. Butler native, Brian Minto knocked out John Poore 2:23 in the first round of the main fight. The match was the first major event to be hosted at the ballpark after the restoration and the first nationally televised event in Butler.

The following summer saw Pullman Park get its first major full-time baseball tenant in almost 60 years, the Prospect League's Butler BlueSox. The BlueSox went 28(W)-26(L) during their inaugural season at the ballpark. To date, the BlueSox have played eight full seasons at the stadium. Pullman hosted the USCAA's Small College World Series on May 6–9, 2013, and the Prospect League All-Star Game on July 17, 2013.

Kelly Automotive Park renaming

In January 2014 the naming rights of Pullman Park were sold to Kelly Automotive,[3] a local car dealership owned by U.S. Rep Mike Kelly.

References
  • An Historical Gazetteer of Butler County, Pennsylvania, Mechling Bookbindery., 2006, ISBN 978-0-9760563-9-3.

Notes
  1. An Historical Gazetteer of Butler County, Pennsylvania, pp. 263.
  2. , Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2006-08-21. Accessed 2008-03-03.
  3. , Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 2013-12-21. Accessed 2014-01-14.

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