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Daniel S. Frawley Stadium

Judy Johnson Field
Former names	Legends Stadium (1993)
Location	801 Shipyard Drive Wilmington, Delaware 19801
Coordinates	39°43′56″N 75°33′52″W / 39.73222°N 75.56444°W / 39.73222; -75.56444
Public transit	DART First State bus: 25
Owner	Delaware Stadium Corporation
Operator	Delaware Stadium Corporation
Capacity	5,911 (1993–2000) 6,532 (2001–2015) 6,404 (2016–present)
Field size	Right Field – 325 feet Center Field – 400 feet Left Field – 325 feet
Surface	Grass
Construction
Broke ground	November 1, 1992
Opened	April 16, 1993
Expanded	2001
Construction cost	$6,100,000 ($12.9 million in 2023 dollars)
Architect	The Design Exchange, Wilmington, DE
Project manager	Opening Day Partners
General contractor	Minker Construction Company
Tenants
Wilmington Blue Rocks (CL/High-A East/SAL) 1993–present AEC Tournament 1995, 1997–2001 Delaware Stars (MFB) 1998

Daniel S. Frawley Stadium is a stadium in Wilmington, Delaware. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the Wilmington Blue Rocks minor league baseball team. The park was originally known as Legends Stadium when it was built in 1993. It was renamed in 1994 for Wilmington mayor Daniel S. Frawley, who had pushed for a return of the Blue Rocks. The field is named separately for Judy Johnson, a local Negro league baseball star.

History

The stadium was designed by architect Trish England, head of Design Exchange, who had previously designed dozens of commercial buildings in Delaware. Construction began on November 1, 1992, and was headed by contractor Matthew Minker, a part owner of the team. The 20-acre (81,000 m) stadium site was once part of a Christina River shipbuilding operation. In 1986, the 86-acre (350,000 m) Dravo Shipyard, with several buildings, was bought by Verino Pettinaro, a local contractor, for a little more than $1 million. Pettinaro sold 6 acres (24,000 m) for the stadium to the Delaware Stadium Corporation for $300,000. The Delaware Stadium Corporation, a city and state entity, has owned the stadium since its construction.

Amenities

The stadium seats 6,404 people. The Blue Rocks have a picnic area in the stadium named the Blue Moose Grill and a gift shop, The Quarry. A formerly abandoned building across the street has been renovated to be similar to Camden Yards. The facility is administered by the Delaware Stadium Corporation.

Other uses

In 1995 and from 1997 to 2001, stadium hosted the America East Conference baseball tournament. The hosting Delaware Blue Hens won the tournament in each year except for 1997.

In 1998, the stadium hosted the Delaware Stars, a team in the single-season Maryland Fall Baseball league.

The Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame has exhibit space through an entrance on the outside of the stadium. The stadium has also held many concerts, including Wilco, the Beach Boys, the Steve Miller Band, and recently the Round the Bases Tour, which featured Counting Crows, Live, and Collective Soul. Starting in 2008, the Delaware Indo-American festival was held at the site.

References

1. "Expansion Plans". Delaware Stadium Corporation. 2000. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
2. 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
3. Milford, Maureen (March 14, 1993). "Northeast Notebook: Wilmington, Del.; A 'Colosseum' For Baseball". The New York Times. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
4. "A-Z Guide". Minor League Baseball. February 7, 2009. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
5. "Baseball Record Book" (PDF). America East Conference. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 27, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
6. Salisbury, Jim (August 25, 1998). "Green To Replace Grace In The Rotation". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2016. The Phillies will send five minor-league players to the Delaware Stars of the Maryland Fall League... The Delaware team will play its home games at Frawley Stadium in Wilmington.

Further reading

• Berkery, Joe (April 5, 1993). "Field of Dreams a Nostalgic Ballpark and New Team for Wilmington". Philadelphia Daily News. p. B14. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
• Reichard, Kevin (July 7, 2015). "Upgrade plan for Frawley Stadium announced". Ballpark Digest. Retrieved November 28, 2015.

External links

• Official Team website
• Delaware Stadium Corporation website
• Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame website
• Ballparkreviews.com entry

• Baseball venues in Delaware
• Buildings and structures in Wilmington, Delaware
• Wilmington Riverfront
• Tourist attractions in Wilmington, Delaware
• Sports venues completed in 1993
• 1993 establishments in Delaware
• Sports venues in the Delaware Valley
• South Atlantic League ballparks