Goodall Park in Sanford has remained a fan favorite for more than a century. FILE PHOTO
SANFORD — With each passing year, the storied legend of Goodall Park continues to grow. For more than a century, the ballpark has been at the forefront of baseball in Maine and remains a fan favorite and a treasure passed down through the generations.
Goodall Park was constructed in 1914 by Goodall mill workers by leveling an embankment near Roberts Street and filling what was then known as “Frog Hollow.” Clay dug from the banks of the Mousam River was used for the infield. A wooden grandstand with seating for 784 was added in 1925.
Then in 1949, Goodall Park’s home plate was moved back 30 feet toward the field’s grandstand, creating more of a challenge for hitters to reach the left-center field fence. When the Goodall Mills closed, the town of Sanford assumed ownership of the park in 1955.
From Babe Ruth to George Sisler to Dustin Pedroia, some of baseball’s all-time greats have showcased their skills on the diamond at Goodall Park and that tradition is now in the hands of the Sanford Mainers, a collegiate summer baseball team and a member of the New England Collegiate Baseball League,
Back on May 29, 1915, Goodall Park opened with a contest between the Sanford Professionals and the Lewiston Pilgrims as a crowd of 1,300 boisterous fans looked on.
But the first fall following the end of World War I is often remembered for one of the most historic games ever played at Goodall Park. On that day, Babe Ruth suited up for the Boston Red Sox for the last time before being sold to the New York Yankees.
It was an exhibition matchup between Sanford Professionals and the Red Sox and Ruth did not disappoint the fans, swatting a three-run homer to lead Boston to a come-from-behind 4-3 victory.
Desperate for cash, Boston owner Harry Frazee sold Ruth’s contract to New York for $25,000 several months later and it launched a long run of championship seasons for the Yankees in the 1920s and 1930s.
As the decades passed, Goodall Park remained the centerpiece for fans of baseball in the Pine Tree State. Teams representing the famous House of David, some Negro League squads and other exhibition teams made up Major League players took the field at Goodall Park.
In 1950, a semi-pro team from Sanford competed for one season in the six-team Down East League. Sanford struggled throughout the schedule and ended the year 16 games out of first place with a record of 10-23.
Set by an arsonist, a devastating fire swept through Goodall Park’s grandstand in 1997 and following a citywide debate about the park’s future, Goodall Park was rebuilt at a cost of more than $1 million and reopened on July 16, 1999.
The refurbished park has a 950 chairback seats in the grandstand area behind home plate and a section of metal bleacher seats extending down the first base line.
The Sanford Mainers arrived in town in 2002 and have been a summertime staple for fans ever since and a top-notch venue for catching glimpses of future MLB stars like Jason Motte, Andy Sonnanstine, Kevin Slowey, Pedroia, Aaron Hill, Huston Street or Rickie Weeks.
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