Clint Lightner Field

Walking into Clint Lightner Field, Jul-2021.

The main seating, originally built in 1936.

The seating bowl is protected by netting.

Chronological Tour: Stop 417

• Location: 2nd and Maple streets, Garden City, Kan.. (map it using Google Maps)
• Opened: 1920 as Frederick Finnup Park (stadium built 1936, expanded 1956; renovated 2013)
• Additional names: Clint Lightner Field (1952)
• Home team: Garden City Wind, Pecos League (2015-present)
• Capacity: 1,000

Finnup Park, which also encompasses several other recreational facilities as well as a zoo, was established in 1919 through a donation of land to the city by George Finnup, who requested that his late father’s name appear on the plot. A WPA project added the first permanent seating, which was later expanded in a 1956 project that also included the replacement of stadium lights. The field had been dedicated to former city electric utility superintendent Clint Lightner following his unexpected death in 1951. Further improvements, including an artificial turf infield (the outfield remains grass), made the park appealing to the independent Pecos League, which placed a team here for 2015. The local high school and American Legion team also utilize the facility.

The park, which has seen numerous renovations, now features artificial turf in the infield (except for the mound) and grass in the outfield. This configuration has become more common in recent years. In one of the renovations, the field orientation was shifted slightly, so that the batter now faces south-southwest. To compensate, an additional bleacher section, which is not covered unlike the other sections, was added along the third-base line. Something similar once occurred at World War Memorial Stadium in Greensboro, N.C.

Concessions are somewhat limited, as might be expected, but they are very reasonably priced. I got a good-sized hot dog for $3, and the pop bottle for $2 was 24 ounces rather than the 20 ounces or even a half-liter that I’ve seen in some other parks for perhaps a greater price.

There is a community college in town, but they have their own baseball stadium.