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A new WL club, called the Omaha Robin Hoods (named for a sponsor's beer brand), began the next season. The club played well, but disaster struck in the early morning hours of August 14, when the ballpark was destroyed by fire. There were immediate calls for building a new, modern facility, but that
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In its early years, the club was generally strong and drew well at the box office. Under Rourke they won
Western League championships in 1904, 1907 and 1917. Finally achieving some prosperity, they were able to rebuild and expand the ballpark in time for the 1911 season. Rourke sold the club after
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Both the team and the ballpark underwent various name changes during their existence. The team began as the
Omahogs, a traditional 19th Century name. Over time they were redubbed the Indians, the Rangers, the Rourkes, the Buffaloes, the Crickets and finally the
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City directories gave its address as 2519 South 15th Street (west, third base); the other boundaries were Vinton Street (south, first base); buildings and
Castelar Street (north, left field); and buildings and South 13th Street (east, right field).
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The Great
Depression set in during the 1930s, and the Omaha club struggled to stay solvent. A move to night baseball in 1930 helped for a while. But as early as the next season, there was talk of playing some games in nearby
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The Omaha club was owned and managed by Billy "Pa" Rourke (1864–1932), whose leadership led to relative prosperity and allowed Omaha to keep its team for most of the next 37 seasons.
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It was the first professional Omaha ballpark built in the general area of South Omaha. Its predecessors had all been built in the general area of North Omaha.
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from 1900 through 1936. It was destroyed by fire, and eleven years passed before Omaha acquired a professional ball club again.
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Ballparks of North
America: A Comprehensive Historical Reference to Baseball Grounds, Yards, and Stadiums, 1845 to Present
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104:. During the 1935 season, the club abandoned Omaha and moved to Council Bluffs, but disbanded not long after.
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After several false starts in the 19th
Century, a new Omaha club was established in the newly revived
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in 1900, with a new ballpark on the northeast corner of Vinton Street and 15th Street.
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would take a dozen years to come to fruition. In the meantime, the club moved to
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1917, which went on to win another WL pennant in 1924 under new ownership.
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was one of the most common names for the professional baseball park in
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was built about a half mile south of the Vinton Street ballpark.
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Sanborn map showing part of the 15th Street ballpark as of 1901
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Sanborn map showing most of the 15th Street ballpark as of 1901
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The ballpark site is now a residential area. As it happens,
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184:A 1964 thesis on Omaha baseball history
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116:joined the Western League in 1947.
281:1936 disestablishments in Nebraska
136:– various years – via Ancestry.com
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271:Sports venues demolished in 1936
261:Sports venues in Omaha, Nebraska
276:1900 establishments in Nebraska
266:Sports venues completed in 1900
144:. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland.
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199:Some pictures of Rourke Park
256:Baseball venues in Nebraska
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91:Vinton Street Park in 1911
35:Vinton Street Park in 1901
64:The ballpark, ostensibly
140:Benson, Michael (1989).
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232:41.23556°N 95.93528°W
194:Early Omaha ballparks
110:Rock Island, Illinois
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76:. It was also called
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102:Council Bluffs, Iowa
237:41.23556; -95.93528
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78:Western League Park
68:, was often called
66:Omaha Baseball Park
189:Nebraska ballparks
121:Rosenblatt Stadium
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70:Vinton Street Park
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17:Vinton Street Park
151:978-0-89950-367-7
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82:League Park
250:Categories
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220:41°14′08″N
127:References
160:19630055
80:or just
59:Packers
27:History
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132:Omaha
156:OCLC
146:ISBN
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