IN
EVERY ISSUE
An Old Fashioned 4th of July
Nothing evokes Norman Rockwell Americana like
baseball, especially staged in authentic turn-of-the-century
trappings. Bisbee’s historic Warren Ballpark
turned 100 years old at the end of June, and
Bisbee has a belated birthday bash in store for
the vintage ballpark this 4th of July.
Some contend that it’s the oldest baseball venue
remaining in continuous use. What we know for
sure is the ballpark was built in 1909 to anchor
the masterplanned bedroom community of Warren,
a Bisbee satellite linked to the mines
by the Warren-Bisbee Railway. Fast forward a
few ball games later and a stormier drama unfolded
within its theater in 1917 when 1,300 hundred
striking mine workers were abducted and held
in the stadium before they were illegally deported
during heated 
labor disputes.
Infamy aside, these days most people major on
nostalgia over notoriety, as evidenced by the rise
of the Arizona Vintage Base Ball League, where
everything from the rules of the game to a courtly
code of conduct pre-date even the seasoned digs.
July 3-5 –Warren Ballpark Centennial Celebration
Featuring the Bisbee Copper Kings Baseball Tournament
(not a vintage league)
520.732.7325; bisbeecopperkings.com
Photos: ©digitalballpark.com/Eric&WendyPastore
