With Civic Stadium wiped out by a June 29 fire, the Eugene Emeralds (short season A; Northwest League) are honoring the memory of their former ballpark with a special commemorative jersey for their August 16 game.
The Emeralds played 40 seasons at Civic Stadium, built with WPA funds as a football stadium and opening in 1938 before being converted to baseball in 1969 to serve as the home of the Philadelphia Phillies‘ Triple-A team in the Pacific Coast League. The 6,800-seat wooden structure burned to the ground after youngsters accidentally started a fire in the press box.
To mark the importance of the ballpark in team history, the Emeralds will sport commemorative jerseys for the Aug. 18 game against the Everett AquaSox. The uniforms feature Civic Stadium’s iconic roofline, as seen from right field, on the front and the clock atop the stadium’s manual scoreboard on the back. The scoreboard in right field is the only thing to survive the fire, which spread quickly through the old wooden stadium.
The uniforms were designed by Emeralds graphic designer Danny Cowley and donated to the team by Wilson.
Fans will be able to bid on the one-of-a-kind uniforms during the game, with proceeds benefitting the Eugene Civic Alliance. The nonprofit Eugene Civic Alliance purchased Civic Stadium and the surrounding property from the Eugene School District in April 2015. You can read more about the group at www.eugenecivicalliance.org.
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