Braves Field

The historic home of the Boston Braves, now part of Boston University's Nickerson Field.

Braves Field was a baseball park located in Boston, Massachusetts. Today the site is home to Nickerson Field on the campus of Boston University. The stadium was home of the Boston Braves of the National League from 1915 to 1952, prior to the Braves' move to Milwaukee in 1953. The stadium hosted Braves home games during the 1948 World Series. The Boston Red Sox used Braves Field for Sunday home games from 1929 to 1931 due to blue laws that prohibited Sunday baseball at Fenway Park. Braves Field was the site of Babe Ruth's final season, playing for the Braves in 1935. On May 1, 1920, Braves Field hosted the longest major league baseball game in history: 26 innings, which eventually ended in a 1–1 tie.

Quick Facts

Nickname

"The Wigwam"; "The Bee Hive" (1936–1941)

Location

Commonwealth Avenue
and Babcock Street
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.

Groundbreaking

March 20, 1915

Opened

August 18, 1915; 1915

Closed

September 21, 1952

Renovated

1955 (reconfigured; into Nickerson Field)

Surface

Natural grass

Architect

Osborn Engineering

Lore & Background

Braves Field was also home to multiple professional football teams between 1929 and 1948, including the first home of the National Football League (NFL) franchise that became the Washington Commanders. The pro football Braves played at the ballpark in their inaugural season of 1932, then were at Fenway Park for four seasons as the Boston Redskins before the move south in 1937 to Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C. After the stadium was purchased, Boston University leased it to the new American Football League's Boston Patriots for the 1960–1962 seasons, before the team relocated to Fenway Park.

Reader's Guide

Located on Commonwealth Avenue at Babcock Street, the baseball field was aligned northeast, much as Fenway Park has been since it opened in April 1912. Most of the stadium was demolished in 1955, but significant portions of the original structure still stand and make up part of the Nickerson Field sports complex on the campus of Boston University.

Did You Know?

Braves Field was nicknamed The Wigwam by fans.
The stadium hosted the longest major league baseball game in history on May 1, 1920: a 26-inning tie between the Brooklyn Robins and Boston Braves that ended 1–1.

Architectural Design and Construction

Built by owner James Gaffney on the former Allston Golf Club site one mile west of Fenway Park, it was aligned northeast. The design featured a large rectangular plot with stands almost entirely in foul territory, leaving little beyond the fence. A stiff breeze from the Charles River further hindered home runs. Ty Cobb commented that nobody would ever hit a ball out of the park. The stadium had a capacity of 40,000 and included a trolley system.

Professional Football Legacy

Between 1929 and 1948, the stadium hosted multiple professional football teams, including the first home of the NFL franchise that became the Washington Commanders. The Boston Bulldogs played there in 1926 as part of the first American Football League, followed by the Boston Shamrocks in 1936 and 1937 during the second AFL. In 1932, it became home to the NFL's Boston Braves expansion franchise owned by George Preston Marshall; after a 4–4–2 season, they moved to Fenway Park as the Redskins before relocating to Washington in 1937.

Transformation and Enduring Legacy

After purchasing the Braves from Bob Quinn in 1945, owner Lou Perini moved the team to Milwaukee prior to the 1953 season due to low attendance. Boston University purchased the site on July 30, 1953, renaming it Boston University Field. The old ballpark was used until 1955, when remodeling began. By 1968, all but the right-field pavilion were replaced or incorporated into new structures like the Case Physical Education Center and dormitories.