Across Indiana
Bush Stadium
Clip | 6m 41sVideo has Closed Captions
The story of the original home of the Indianapolis Indians, Bush Stadium.
Before the Indianapolis Indians made their home at Victory Field in July of ‘96, they played at Bush Stadium. Join Across Indiana producer Todd Gould as he tells the origins of the baseball team’s first park in this classic episode from 1995.
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Across Indiana is a local public television program presented by WFYI
Across Indiana
Bush Stadium
Clip | 6m 41sVideo has Closed Captions
Before the Indianapolis Indians made their home at Victory Field in July of ‘96, they played at Bush Stadium. Join Across Indiana producer Todd Gould as he tells the origins of the baseball team’s first park in this classic episode from 1995.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship(whimsical brass music) - [Bill] When you walk in, you get that feeling that you're in a place that there's been a game that's been played here for forever, it seems.
And you've got the smell of hot dogs and beer in the air, and the conversation of people that have had box seats for 50 years, and that kind of a flavor, that represents the game.
You know, that's as much as the game as what's going on on the field - [Narrator] Home.
Since the beginning of baseball, the word has been the focal point of the game.
The prime objective, to be safe at home.
And for more than six decades, the game and its heritage have found their own home in the Hoosier heartland.
It is the home of the Indianapolis Indians, Bush Stadium.
The stadium was the vision of Indianapolis businessman, Jim Perry.
- Jim Perry wanted to go ahead and build a new stadium and have it closer to downtown.
Unfortunately, he died in an aircraft accident, plane accident, but his brother Norm, took the reins of the team and decided to go ahead with that.
And back at that time, they called it Perry Stadium, to name it after his brother, actually, that had died.
Kind of an honor toward that.
- [Narrator] Perry Stadium opened on September 5th, 1931.
Many dignitaries attended the park's inaugural game, including the commissioner of Major League Baseball, Indiana native Kenesaw Mountain Landis.
The brick walls surrounding the outfield sported a thick covering of ivy which, as legend has it, later inspired the management of Wrigley Field in Chicago to do the same.
Lights encircled the playing field as night baseball came to Indianapolis three years before it came to the majors.
- It was built during the depression, and there was an awful lot of people out of work.
And in fact, we had a lot of people working out here that just wanted to work, and they wanted something to do, and Norm would give him a nominal fee, and then later on, I think he made a big contribution to some of the labor unions.
- [Narrator] Norm Beplay has worked at the ballpark since 1931.
Norm Perry hired Beplay as one of the stadium's lighting directors.
If a light went out during a game, Beplay would shimmy up the light pole and change the bulb.
In more than 60 years at the park, Beplay has seen it all, like the many times young lovers came a courtin' at the park, - Oh, they'd get in the corners of left field and hold hands and mooch, and it was quite a, seemed to just watch 'em on account they didn't think anybody else was there.
And everybody in the ball park was watching them.
(uplifting fife music) - The Children's Knothole Band performed behind home plate and provided a festive atmosphere to spectators during the 1930s and 40s.
(uplifting marching band music) (swanky jazz music) One of the most memorable moments in the park's history came in 1933.
As part of a special promotion, the Indians paid tribute to Frank Sigafoos, the team's outstanding second baseman.
- They had free admission for that game, and they came up with over 22,000 people showed up, and Bush Stadium couldn't handle but 12,500, So they let the people out in the field, and they sat along the sides of the field, and then along the outside of the walls.
And they were about six, seven deep.
- [Narrator] The most noted ball player in the region was the Indian speedy shortstop Owen J. Bush, - On the ball field he was a fireball, but then otherwise, when he's off the ball field, just a great baseball man, and loved the game and played everything to win.
- [Narrator] Bush played in the big leagues for the Detroit Tigers and often batted before the legendary Ty Cobb.
He later went on to manage his old club, the Indians, until 1941, when he partnered with businessman Frank McKinney and bought the team and the stadium.
- They decided that they would go ahead and somehow rename the stadium.
They didn't wanna keep it as Perry Stadium.
And they decided to come up with a contest in '42 and actually let the fans try to rename the stadium.
And somebody came up with the name Victory Field.
And they decided that, since we were in the midst of a war, that would be a good name for the field.
So they renamed it Victory Field.
Owen knew everything there was about baseball.
He had his own seat here in the stadium that he used to sit in all the time.
And he was always very friendly to the fans and would be out watching the games.
He was a more personable owner than a lot of people.
- [Narrator] In 1968, the city renamed the park after Indiana's, Mr.
Baseball, Owen J. Bush.
Even the greatest ball players must eventually surrender to the forces of time and retire.
So too must the greatest ballparks.
Time and the elements have taken their toll on the old stadium.
On deck is a new park, now under construction in downtown Indianapolis.
Soon the sun will set on Bush Stadium, and the crack of a bat and the smell of popcorn will fade forever.
All that will remain will be our vivid memories of the game and a place where we could celebrate coming home.
- [Bill] The park is part of the people.
That is, it's something that they grew up with.
They've been here, they've lived here.
It's just part of their heritage.
(gentle piano music) - [Narrator 2] For more Across Indiana stories go to wfyi.org/acrossindiana.
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