North Capitol in Nashville in Davidson County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

Sulphur Dell

Baseball

Photographed By Darren Jefferson Clay, May 22, 2021

1. Sulphur Dell Marker

Inscription.

Sulphur Dell. Baseball.

The saw and hammer get busy reclaiming the arid waste of Sulpher Spring, which classic spot, with a new est of stands, will be known as Sulpher Spring Dell, and not the Sulpher Spring Bottom, as of yore. , , Grantland Rice, Nashville Tenneseean, 1908

, In 1901, the Southern Association replaced the defunct Southern League as the region's professional minor league baseball organization. Teams from Shreveport, Birmingham, Chattanooga, Little Rock, Memphis, Selma, New Orleans, and Nashville comprised the new league. Selma relocated to Atlanta in 1902. Knoxville, Mobile, and Shreveport rotated in and out ofo the association until the league closed down in 1962., In Nashville, Sulpher Dell served as the home of local professional baseball for the Southern Association's 60-year history. the field itself was unusual by any baseball standard. Prone to flooding from the Cumberland River during the spring, the turf took on the appearance of a "drained out washtub" most of the season. Smoke from burning trash at the nearby city dump and the pungent smells from a meat packing plant gave the air a distinct odor. Fans, however, attended games by the thousands every spring and summer. Major League teams often played exhibitions at Sulpher Dell on their return north from spring training in Florida, including the New York Yankees, the Brooklyn Dodgers, and the Chicago Cubs. The first night game at Sulpher Dell was held on May 18, 1931. An estimated 7,000 fans filled the stsands., "Suffer Hell" , The outfield was terraced with an incline that sloped to the wall. Right field, in particular, was unconventional. Opposing players often had difficulty judging the inclined effect when pursuing both graound and fly balls. To add to the misery, overflow crowds sat along the slope, making hits to the outfield even more challenging., Known for having one of the shortest porches in professional baseball, the distance from home plate to the wall in right field at Sulphur Dell was just 262 feet. After 1931, a 30-foot tall screen was placed atop the wooden outfield fence from the right field line to center. In all, players came to know Nashville's ballpark as "Suffer Hell."

The saw and hammer get busy reclaiming the arid waste of Sulpher Spring, which classic spot, with a new est of stands, will be known as Sulpher Spring Dell, and not the Sulpher Spring Bottom, as of yore.
— Grantland Rice, Nashville Tenneseean, 1908

In 1901, the Southern Association replaced the defunct Southern League as the region's professional minor league baseball organization. Teams from Shreveport, Birmingham, Chattanooga, Little Rock, Memphis, Selma, New Orleans, and Nashville comprised the new league. Selma relocated to Atlanta in 1902. Knoxville, Mobile, and Shreveport rotated in and out ofo the association until the league closed down in 1962.

In Nashville, Sulpher Dell served as the home of local professional baseball for the Southern Association's 60-year history. the field itself was unusual by any baseball standard. Prone to flooding from the Cumberland River during the spring, the turf took on the appearance of a "drained out washtub" most of the season. Smoke from burning trash at the nearby city dump and the pungent smells from a meat packing plant gave the air a distinct odor. Fans, however, attended games by the thousands every spring and summer. Major League teams often played exhibitions at Sulpher Dell on their return north from spring training in Florida,

Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

Click or scan to see
this page online

including the New York Yankees, the Brooklyn Dodgers, and the Chicago Cubs. The first night game at Sulpher Dell was held on May 18, 1931. An estimated 7,000 fans filled the stsands.

"Suffer Hell"
The outfield was terraced with an incline that sloped to the wall. Right field, in particular, was unconventional. Opposing players often had difficulty judging the inclined effect when pursuing both graound and fly balls. To add to the misery, overflow crowds sat along the slope, making hits to the outfield even more challenging.

Known for having one of the shortest porches in professional baseball, the distance from home plate to the wall in right field at Sulphur Dell was just 262 feet. After 1931, a 30-foot tall screen was placed atop the wooden outfield fence from the right field line to center. In all, players came to know Nashville's ballpark as "Suffer Hell."

Erected 2021.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Sports. A significant historical year for this entry is 1901.

Location. 36° 10.288′ N, 86° 47.083′ W. Marker is in Nashville, Tennessee, in Davidson County. It is in North Capitol. Marker can be reached from 5th Avenue North, 0.2 miles north of Harrison Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 815 5th Ave N, Nashville TN 37219, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At

Photographed By Darren Jefferson Clay, May 22, 2021

2. Sulphur Dell Marker

The marker is the third from the left in this view of multiple markers at the site.

least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Athletic Park (here, next to this marker); The Sportswriters (here, next to this marker); The Grandstands (here, next to this marker); The Negro Leagues (here, next to this marker); Origins of Baseball in Nashville (here, next to this marker); The Nashville Vols (here, next to this marker); Baseball Returns (a few steps from this marker); End of an Era (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Nashville.

Sulphur Dell Sign image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Darren Jefferson Clay, May 22, 2021

3. Sulphur Dell Sign

View from inside Sulpher Dell image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Darren Jefferson Clay, May 22, 2021

4. View from inside Sulpher Dell

Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 13, 2021, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 233 times since then and 35 times this year. Last updated on June 14, 2021, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. Photos: 1. submitted on June 13, 2021, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 14, 2021, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.