The first baseball game on the site of present day Wahconah Park is said to have taken place in August 1892, when a semi-pro team in Pittsfield defeated a team from Albany in a rain-shortened game. The first professional team played there in 1913-14, and the field took on roughly its present-day shape sometime around 1919, when the land was deeded to the city.

The park is unusual in that the batter faces west, meaning that late in the day they are looking directly into the setting sun. This worked when games were played in the early afternoon, but as games began to be played later, “sun delays” were common — until trees grew in that blocked the sun. The park is also known for its artificial owls that hang in the rafters, intended to keep birds from nesting in the rafters above fans.

The Massachusetts Historical Commission recently found the park eligible for listing on the Register of Historic Places at the state and local level. An application is pending for designation on the National Register of Historic Places. A decision could come as early as 2005.

Home to Many Teams YEARS TEAM LEAGUE YEARS TEAM LEAGUE 1892 The Pittsfield Team   1965-69 Pittsfield Red Sox Eastern 1894 The Pittsfield Team NY-State 1970-71 Pittsfield Senators Eastern 1901 The Pittsfield Team   1972-75 Pittsfield Rangers Eastern 1913-14 Pittsfield Electrics Eastern Assoc. 1976 Berkshire Brewers Eastern 1919-30 Pittsfield Hillies Eastern 1985-88 Pittsfield Cubs Eastern 1941-42 Pittsfield Electrics Can-Am 1989-00 Pittsfield Mets NY-Penn 1946-48 Pittsfield Electrics Can-Am 2001 Pittsfield Astros NY-Penn 1949-51 Pittsfield Electrics Can-Am 2002-03 Berkshire Black Bears Northeast Host to Great Players Wahconah Park has seen a Who's Who list of ballplayers appear within its confines. Here are just a few among the hundreds, including local stars (L) and Hall of Famers (HOF): 1920 Ed "Big Red" Walsh (HOF) 1946 Al Rosen   Sparkey Lyle   Fred Lynn   Chief Bender (HOF) 1949 Sweetwater Clifton 1967 Robin Roberts (HOF) 1974 Willie Randolf 1921 Herb Pennock (HOF) 1950s Satchel Paige (HOF)   Bobby Bonds 1980s Turk Wendell (L)   Hugh Duffy (HOF)   Art Ditmar (L) 1968 Jim Palmer (HOF) 1986 Greg Maddox 1922 Jim Thorpe 1960s Tommy Grieve (L)   Joe Morgan (HOF)   Rafael Palmiero 1924 Lou Gehrig (HOF) 1965 Carl Hubbel (HOF)   Thurman Munson 1987 Mark Grace 1925 Casey Stengle   Earl Weaver 1969 Carlton Fisk (HOF)   John Smoltz 1940s Gene Hermanski (L)   Lou Piniella   Bill "Spaceman" Lee 1988 Curt Schilling   Dale Long (L)   George Scott 1970s Jeff Reardon (L)   Ken Griffey, Jr.   Earl Turner (L)   Mark Belanger (L) 1971 Mike Schmidt (HOF) 1989 Tim Wakefield   Vic Raschi 1966 Ted Williams (HOF) 1972 Jim Bouton 1992 Jerry Koosman   Pete Gray   Bobby Doerr 1973 Jim Rice 1997 A.J. Burnett