Greenville in Hunt County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Site of Phillips Field/Majors Stadium
Photographed by Larry D. Moore, June 17, 2018
1. Site of Phillips Field/Majors Stadium Marker
Inscription.
Site of Phillips Field/Majors Stadium In 1929, Eula Lasater Phillips donated $3,500 to the Greenville Athletic Council to build an athletic field at this site in memory of her late husband, Frank Phillips. The first athletic event in Phillips Field was a football game between the Greenville High School Lions and the Leopards of Dallas Oak Cliff on Oct. 4, 1929. In 1930, the land transferred to the city, with management by the school district. Here, celebrated Coach Henry Frnka led the school football team to an undefeated season and the state championship in 1933. , , In 1946, the field was realigned to become the home of a minor league baseball team, the Majors, named for Truett Majors, the first Greenville resident killed in World War II. More than 160,000 people attended Majors games in 1946, and Greenville fielded a number of competitive teams in the late 1940s. In 1947, the football stands were razed and replaced with a baseball stadium. On April 10, 1949, the Majors hosted an exhibition game against the New York Yankees, defeating them 4-3. Among those who participated for the Yankees that day were Casey Stengel, manager, and Joe DiMaggio in center field. Another baseball great who played here was Monty Stratton, a Greenville native, who pitched a game for the Majors in 1950. , , Attendance at Majors' games declined by 1950, and the team folded before the following season. Reorganized minor league teams, also named the majors, played here in 1953 and 1957. Youth and amateur leagues used the field until the property sold in 1964 and the stadium was demolished. Today, the stadium's arched entryway, built by the Works Progress Administration in 1940, serves as a reminder of the countless athletes and fans who gathered here in the spirit of competition.
Site of Phillips Field/Majors Stadium In 1929, Eula Lasater Phillips donated $3,500 to the Greenville Athletic Council to build an athletic field at this site in memory of her late husband, Frank Phillips. The first athletic event in Phillips Field was a football game between the Greenville High School Lions and the Leopards of Dallas Oak Cliff on Oct. 4, 1929. In 1930, the land transferred to the city, with management by the school district. Here, celebrated Coach Henry Frnka led the school football team to an undefeated season and the state championship in 1933.
In 1946, the field was realigned to become the home of a minor league baseball team, the Majors, named for Truett Majors, the first Greenville resident killed in World War II. More than 160,000 people attended Majors games in 1946, and Greenville fielded a number of competitive teams in the late 1940s. In 1947, the football stands were razed and replaced with a baseball stadium. On April 10, 1949, the Majors hosted an exhibition game against the New York Yankees, defeating them 4-3. Among those who participated for the Yankees that day were Casey Stengel, manager, and Joe DiMaggio in center field. Another baseball great who played here was Monty Stratton, a Greenville native, who pitched a game for the Majors in 1950.
Attendance at Majors' games declined
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by 1950, and the team folded before the following season. Reorganized minor league teams, also named the majors, played here in 1953 and 1957. Youth and amateur leagues used the field until the property sold in 1964 and the stadium was demolished. Today, the stadium's arched entryway, built by the Works Progress Administration in 1940, serves as a reminder of the countless athletes and fans who gathered here in the spirit of competition.
Erected 2003 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 13142.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Sports. A significant historical date for this entry is April 10, 1949.
Location. 33° 8.466′ N, 96° 6.132′ W. Marker is in Greenville, Texas, in Hunt County. It is at the intersection of Houston Street and Blades Street, on the right when traveling north on Houston Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Greenville TX 75401, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Prairies & Lakes Region and in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American South. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Republic of Texas, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 5, 2018. It was originally submitted on July 4, 2018, by Larry D. Moore of Del Valle, Texas. This page has been viewed 1,999 times since then and 101 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on July 4, 2018, by Larry D. Moore of Del Valle, Texas. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
