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370:, an amateur league formed in 1919. Wednesday night all-star games drew thousands and required construction of temporary bleachers in the outfield. The Sunset League was named because games began at 5:30 p.m. and ended at dusk, prior to the addition of lights at the park. It is the oldest continuous amateur baseball league in the country. With black players such as
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The
Newport Gulls also have necessitated the expansion of concession equipment, in addition to the renovation of a team office, storage rooms, souvenir stand, ticket booth, scoreboard, and public address system, much of which has been covered by the ongoing restoration project led by the city's Parks
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and the formation of the
Friends of Cardines Field Foundation. In recent years, the grandstands, concession operation, and bathrooms have been renovated as part of the project, along with the addition of a state-of-the-art field lighting system. The winter of 2005 - 2006 saw the entire outfield and
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Future projects at
Cardines include: concluding outfield fence replacement via a state grant, widening and lengthening of the hockey-style side-by-side dugouts, the additions of a locker room and an umpire's room, and further restoration of bleachers, framework, trim, and other facets. The removal
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Professor
Jeffery Staats. The most recent improvements have been to upgrade the stadium's broadcasting abilities, with the addition of high speed Internet and phone lines, camera positions, and a control room below the pressbox for use by the Tigers TV Crew, the volunteer production crew who work
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prompted the drainage of the basin area, permitting baseball to be played. A local historical debate continues as to whether baseball was played prior to 1900, making
Cardines one of the oldest existing ballparks in the country, or if play didn't begin until 1908, the earliest documented proof of
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and has been called "a small urban gem of a ballpark". The field serves as a buffer between the residential and commercial sections of an older part of
Newport. The oddly shaped outfield fence and dimensions are created by the close proximity of residential housing, while the spectator side of the
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following the devastating hurricane of 1938. The distinctive curving grandstand section behind home plate was built in 1939. Over the coming decades, the park continued to grow through construction projects to increase capacity, eventually creating the patchwork, overlapping stadium seen today.
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The park today has changed drastically in upkeep and appearance from that of the recent past. As early as a decade ago, some in the city of
Newport had proposed for a then dilapidated Cardines Field to be demolished in order to expand parking in the cramped downtown area, a mere block in each
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infield replaced among other improvements, including the addition of a fully functional drainage system and new outfield fence, all at the cost of an additional half million dollars.
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still plays a full schedule throughout the summer, though the park's lighting system now permits games to go well beyond dusk. The field is home to baseball games for
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of a large, rundown private warehouse which makes up the right field foul line has been discussed for some time, though no official plans have been announced.
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once played at
Cardines. The original backstop dates back to as early as 1908, when the city organized its first six-team league at the park.
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direction from the waterfront to the West, commercial and tourist center to the South, and world-famous historical district to the East.
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The Basin Field ballpark was later renamed for
Bernardo Cardines, a Newport baseball player who was Newport's first citizen to die in
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338:(WPA) in 1936-1937. The plaque at the entrance that reads "1937" refers to this date. The current grandstand was built by the
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Walkthrough of the history and images of
Cardines Field, taken after 2001, prior to most major renovations having taken place.
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In 1936, the city of Newport took over ownership. Stone and concrete bleachers were built along the third-base line by the
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While most teams playing at Cardines average attendance in the dozens or, at most, a few hundred per game, the
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joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. The league continues today as key chapter of Cardines' history.
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Renovation work began in 2000 with funds from a matching $ 500,000 grant from the state
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as a drainage and supply basin for steam engines. Complaints from neighbors about the
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Cardines Field is a smaller cousin of other notable ballparks of that era, such as
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Old Colony Division of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Line
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Cardines undergoing pregame preparation on a Gulls game night.
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Newport Gulls playing the Bristol Blues during a NECBL game.
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and Recreation Department, the Gulls former ownership, and
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Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy
588:. National Trust for Historic Preservation. 12 March 2004
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652:— New England Collegiate Baseball League Official Site.
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236:and West Marlborough Street. Originally called
219:stadium located at 20 America’s Cup Avenue in
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586:Preservation Online: Story of the Week (2004)
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223:. It is believed to be one of the oldest
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422:. In the January 18, 2004 edition of
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456:Department of Environmental Management
420:New England Collegiate Baseball League
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16:Baseball stadium in Rhode Island, US
1038:1908 establishments in Rhode Island
354:. Many of these players, including
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470:with the Gulls to produce games.
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412:Naval Academy Preparatory School
136:Right Centerfield Corner: 340 ft
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1043:Sports venues completed in 1908
1008:Baseball venues in Rhode Island
603:— Aerial view of Cardines Field
646:— Newport Gulls Official Site.
560:Newport Gulls 2013 Media Guide
500:Newport Gulls 2016 Media Guide
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368:George Donnelly Sunset League
336:Works Progress Administration
566:: Newport Gulls. p. 64.
897:Montpelier Recreation Field
752:William Watts Sherman House
506:: Newport Gulls. p. 7.
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789:Story in the Public Square
366:participated in Newport's
134:Centerfield Indent: 315 ft
1018:Landmarks in Rhode Island
889:Maxfield Sports Complex (
658:Newport Gulls Broadcasts.
516:Jeffery Staats quoted in
467:Roger Williams University
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52:20 America's Cup Avenue,
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130:Left Centerfield: 365 ft
1028:Salve Regina University
712:Salve Regina University
408:Salve Regina University
91:41.491006°N 71.316861°W
676:Cardines Field in 2001
670:Cardines Field in 2007
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306:New York Black Yankees
298:Baltimore Elite Giants
773:Salve Regina Seahawks
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352:Naval Station Newport
284:Built for unofficial
232:park is contained by
221:Newport, Rhode Island
96:41.491006; -71.316861
957:Old Mountain Field (
234:America's Cup Avenue
674:Charlie's Ballparks
622:Rhode Island portal
302:Boston Royal Giants
138:Right Field: 285 ft
132:Centerfield: 395 ft
110:City of Newport, RI
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396:Rogers High School
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986:Martha's Vineyard
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582:"Field of Dreams"
430:Newport Gulls era
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128:Leftfield: 315 ft
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984:The Shark Tank (
965:Paul Walsh Field
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400:Babe Ruth League
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850:Alumni Field
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590:. Retrieved
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398:, Newport's
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360:Phil Rizzuto
348:World War II
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317:Ebbets Field
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294:Negro league
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197:Salve Regina
166:Broke ground
161:Construction
58:Rhode Island
41:Former names
975:Rogers Park
969:New Bedford
959:Ocean State
948:Muzzy Field
874:North Adams
737:Ochre Court
564:Newport, RI
504:Newport, RI
450:Renovations
376:Luke Easter
321:Fenway Park
262:World War I
238:Basin Field
94: /
69:Coordinates
44:Basin Field
1002:Categories
720:Facilities
575:References
372:Larry Doby
364:Bob Feller
356:Yogi Berra
250:mosquitoes
177:1938, 2000
153:Scoreboard
125:Field size
82:71°19′01″W
79:41°29′28″N
832:Ballparks
766:Athletics
601:Wikimapia
528:Wikimapia
242:railroads
225:ballparks
174:Renovated
830:Current
656:Teamline
414:and the
304:and the
217:baseball
200:Seahawks
156:Electric
116:Capacity
49:Location
979:Danbury
952:Bristol
932:Newport
901:Vermont
864:Sanford
834:of the
782:Related
592:21 July
418:of the
346:During
280:History
272:of the
255:stadium
227:in the
182:Tenants
145:Surface
54:Newport
942:Mystic
884:Valley
406:team,
362:, and
854:Keene
650:NECBL
482:Notes
215:is a
192:NECBL
148:Grass
120:3,000
107:Owner
594:2010
390:The
374:and
323:and
248:and
169:1908
340:WPA
204:CCC
62:USA
1004::
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