Watch the History of Alton Sportsman's Park Come Alive in Vintage Voices

Watch Now "Vintage Voices 2024"

ALTON - During this year’s Vintage Voices performances, three men told the story of Alton Sportsman’s Park.

With Jeff Pruett performing as Archibald Daniels, Jim Lieber as A.J. “Doc” Bushong, and Sean B.T. Williams as Bill Gatewood, the three actors shared the story of their characters’ lives and baseball careers.

Daniels was a businessman in Alton and an umpire for games between “the Fats and the Leans.” The main nine players on the Fats team weighed a combined total of nearly 2,300 pounds. These games were played at Alton Sportsman’s Park.

“Alton, just like St. Louis, had its very own Sportsman’s Park,” said Pruett as Daniels. He explained that the stadium was located near Alton Glass, then relocated to where Alton Plaza is now. Baseball was played at Alton Sportsman’s Park until 1921.

A.J. “Doc” Bushong was a dentist and the catcher for the St. Louis Browns. He played a game against an Alton team at Sportsman’s Park in August 1886, two months before the Browns won the World Series.

“Baseball is a game that’s evolved over time,” noted Lieber as Bushong. He also described Bushong as “one of the finest catchers of the 19th century.”

Bill Gatewood was “proclaimed a tremendous pitcher in the early years of Black baseball.” He was the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter in the Negro National League. He pitched for the St. Louis Giants, who played in Sportsman’s Park against the Cuban Stars in 1916.

“Pitching was in my blood,” explained Williams as Gatewood. “Baseball and I were tethered energies destined to make each other shine.”

For the full Vintage Voices performance, including more history on Alton Sportsman’s Park, check out this video on RiverBender.com.

More like this: