We are happy to announce a new addition to the museum – two vintage seats (circa 1920s) from Merchants Park, Denver.
The seats are on display in the ‘Denver Room’.
Merchants Park, once located at Broadway and I-25, is an important chapter in Denver’s baseball history. The park was completed in 1922 and was home to the original Denver Bears, the city’s first professional baseball team.
In addition to the Bears, many legendary players made appearances here. In an era before today’s lucrative contracts, the end of the regular baseball season led to barnstorming teams who were anchored by some of the legends of the game. This allowed Major League players and others a chance to make extra money, with the winning team getting the majority of the ticket sales. White and black players came to Merchants Field in an era of segregation with Babe Ruth and James “Cool Papa” Bell both appearing on teams that featured the best players in baseball. Rogers Hornsby, Buck Leonard, Johnny Mize, Satchel Paige, Lou Gehrig, Josh Gibson, Grover Cleveland Alexander, Oscar Charleston, and Bob Feller all played at Merchants Park.
