Historic Grayson Stadium serves as a time machine to Savannah’s baseball past and will usher in a new era of baseball in the city’s future. Baseball legends such as Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle and Jackie Robinson have graced the field at the corner of Bee Rd. and Victory Dr. Current stars such as Texas Rangers third baseman Hank Blalock and Cleveland Indians first sacker Travis Hafner both got their start on the field at Grayson.

Not only has the stadium served as baseball’s home in Savannah, but it has also hosted events ranging from concerts to the Thanksgiving Day Football Classic between Savannah High School and Benedictine Military Academy from 1927-1959.

Originally built in 1926, Municipal Stadium, as it was formerly known, marked the return of baseball to Savannah after a 10-year hiatus in the form of the Savannah Indians. Two years later, the Indians were forced to close operations a month before the end of the season while the country struggled in the midst of the Great Depression, and the Indians would not return until 1936.

When baseball returned to the Coastal Empire in 1936, 99,000 fans flocked to Municipal Stadium to watch the Savannah Indians that season. The Indians won their fourth league championship in 1937 and went on to post three consecutive 80+ win seasons from 1938-40. On Aug. 11, 1940, a hurricane ripped through the city of Savannah causing over $850,000 in damage to the coastal city. Winds in excess of 73 miles per hour left only two sections of bleachers standing, and the need to rebuild Municipal Stadium arose.

On the front lines of the rebuilding process was Spanish-American War veteran General William L. Grayson. With his help, the bill to rebuild the stadium passed through City Council and $150,000 was allocated to repair the stadium. Half of the funds allocated to repair the facility would come from the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

Construction took place throughout the 1941 season with the team still playing at the stadium during the rebuilding process. With the stadium almost completed, construction was suspended due to the country’s entry into World War II. The roof was eventually completed, but the brickwork on the third base side remains unfinished. William Grayson, unfortunately, would not live to see the finished ballpark, but the City Council unanimously voted to name the park after the former general.

The Indians played in their newly constructed home until 1943, when the South Atlantic League suspended operations for the duration of World War II. A second era of baseball at Grayson Stadium would begin in 1946 and last through 1962.

In this 17-year period, many milestones would occur at the home of Savannah baseball. Baseball was the talk of the town in 1947 as 192,275 fans, the third largest single-season total on record, came through the turnstiles at Grayson Stadium to watch the home team. The Indians were the first team in the South Atlantic League to break the color barrier, when Al (Izzy) Israel and Junior Reedy started on Opening Day in 1953. Less than a month later, 15,363 fans packed the house on Merchants Appreciation Night to set the largest single-game crowd in Savannah history.

After being known as the Savannah Indians for nearly 50 years, the Indians became an affiliate of the Philadelphia Athletics in 1954. The affiliation wouldn’t last long as the Savannah club changed its loyalties four times in the next eight seasons. The Athletics, Reds, Pirates, and White Sox would all field affiliates in Savannah at one time or another from 1954-1962.

The conclusion of the 1962 season brought the second era of Savannah baseball at Grayson Stadium to a close when the Savannah White Sox were forced to vacate the stadium and relocate to Lynchburg, Va., due to increasing racial tensions over seating areas at the stadium. Baseball would not return to Savannah until 1968.

The five-year stint without baseball was the last time the city of Savannah would go without a baseball team at Grayson Stadium and the third era of baseball in Savannah, which began in 1968, started much like the second ended.

Savannah went through two affiliates in three years beginning in 1968 with the Washington Senators. After the Indians decided to move their franchise due to low attendance in 1970, the Atlanta Braves would step in and tenure the longest team since the Indians of the early 1900s.

With the Braves came another milestone in Grayson history. Tommie Aaron, the younger brother of Hall of Famer Hank Aaron, became the first black manager in the Deep South and the first black manager of a Class AA club in 1973.

The 1980s marked the end of the relationship between the Braves and Savannah, but it would usher in a new 12-year relationship with the St. Louis Cardinals, beginning in 1984. During the 12-year stint, Grayson Stadium turned 50 in 1991. To celebrate, the South Atlantic League All-Star game was held at the historic site.

In 1995, Grayson Stadium took on some of its current form when the current press box, along with a new computerized sound system, enlarged restrooms and a stadium club were installed prior to the season. The 95’ season would be the last for Savannah as an affiliate for the St. Louis Cardinals.

The next year brought a new affiliate as well as a new team name for Savannah baseball. The Los Angeles Dodgers decided to place their Class A affiliate at Grayson Stadium and the team name was officially changed to the Sand Gnats. The first year under the Sand Gnats name brought instant success with future starts like Adrian Beltre and Eric Gagne leading the ‘96 squad to a South Atlantic League title. By the time Grayson Stadium was ready for its 60th birthday party, yet another team had taken residence in its locker rooms.

A Texas Rangers affiliate roamed the field at Grayson Stadium from 1998-2002 with future major league stars like Hank Blalock and Travis Hafner. In 2003 the Montreal Expos stationed a Class A affiliate at Grayson, which would later become the affiliate for the Washington Nationals.

A new era of baseball at Historic Grayson Stadium will begin in 2007 with the first of a series of upgrades to combine Grayson’s historic past with modern technology. A new scoreboard featuring a nearly 300 square foot video board will replace the current scoreboard in centerfield. Along with the ability to have instant replays and in-game highlights, the scoreboard will feature a speedometer and a temperature gauge. The line score portion of the new scoreboard will be built at field level in centerfield and be kept manually throughout the game.

Other improvements slated to be completed prior to the start of the 2007 season include the demolition of the left field bleachers, which have been condemned by the city for years, new field lights and a new sound system.

Phase two of the Grayson restoration project is scheduled to begin after the 2007 season and include a new right-field grill, a grass terrace behind the left field wall, the addition of luxury suites, a new field surface and upgrades to the kid’s area down the left field line.