Ninth Street Park (pre-1923)

Ninth Street Park

Location	1611 9th Street Bradenton, FL 34205  United States
Coordinates	27°29′9″N 82°34′13″W / 27.48583°N 82.57028°W
Owner	City of Bradenton
Operator	City of Bradenton
Surface	Grass
Construction
Demolished	1923
Tenants
Bradenton Growers (FSL) (1919-22)

Ninth Street Park was a baseball, located in Bradenton, Florida, located on the spot where McKechnie Field stands today. The park was the home field of the Class-D Bradenton Growers of the Florida State League from 1919-1922.^[1]

In 1923, the St. Louis Cardinals were to travel to Bradenton for spring training. They soon discovered that the second base position, at Ninth Street Park, was 14 inches lower than home plate, and the outfield was even two feet lower than second base. In a joint venture between the Cardinals and the city, the ball field, which would later become McKechnie Field, was constructed with a grandstand and bleachers for $2,000.^[2]

References

1. Mannix, Vin (April 8, 2010). "Bradentown Growers were Marauders' forerunners". Bradenton Herald. Retrieved January 30, 2012.
2. Favorite, Merab-Michal (February 2, 2012). "City to Consider Plans for McKechnie Field Renovation at Next Meeting". The Bradenton Times. Retrieved February 3, 2012.