1934–2004 Pullman Park opened for the 1934 season. It hosted minor league baseball from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. Notable players such as
Lou Gehrig,
Joe Dimaggio, and
Whitey Ford played at the stadium while the Yankees farm team (
Butler Yankees) was in Butler.
Joe Namath,
Terry Hanratty, and
Rich Saul also played at Pullman during their high school years. The ballpark itself was named after the
Pullman-Standard Company's railroad car manufacturing facility which sat adjacent to the ballpark from 1902-2005.
2005–2008 Renovation The ballpark closed after the 2004 baseball season, and sat vacant for two years while necessary funds were raised to rebuild it. Construction began in the fall of 2007, and work was completed in June 2008.
The New Pullman Park On July 2, 2008, Pullman Park hosted a
boxing match, televised on
ESPN2. Butler native,
Brian Minto knocked out John Poore 2:23 in the first round of the main fight. The match was the first major event to be hosted at the ballpark after the restoration and the first nationally televised event in Butler. The following summer saw Pullman Park get its first major full-time baseball tenant in almost 60 years, the
Prospect League's
Butler BlueSox. The BlueSox went 28(W)-26(L) during their inaugural season at the ballpark. To date, the BlueSox have played eight full seasons at the stadium. Pullman hosted the
USCAA's Small College World Series on May 6–9, 2013, and the Prospect League All-Star Game on July 17, 2013.
Naming Rights In 2014, it was decided to help off set costs, stadium naming rights would be sold. In January 2014 the naming rights of Historic Pullman Park were sold to Kelly Automotive, a local car dealership owned by U.S. Rep
Mike Kelly. Kelly Automotive Park was the first naming rights to be sold for a 5 year contract. In January 2019, new naming rights were obtained by a local businessman Shaun Krill of
Krill Recycling, naming the park Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park after his late wife, Michelle Krill. == References ==