Joe Martin Field



Home-plate entrance to Joe Martin Field, Aug-2013.

The compact, partially covered main seating bowl, flanked by bleachers.

Action during a West Coast League game, Jul-2024.

Quick Facts:
Civic Field was built in 1964 to replace another field in town that suffered a fire in 1962. The facility was suitable to attract a Northwest League team. The expansion Mariners took up residence in Seattle, 90 miles to the south, for the 1977 season and made this one of their farm clubs for 18 years. Ken Griffey Jr., among many others, made Joe Martin Field his first professional home.

Following the 1996 season, Bellingham was abandoned by the pros; the existing club moved to Oregon. However, in 1999, the summer college league Bellingham Bells took residence, and they have played at the field since. The facility also sees use for high school baseball.

The central grandstand is small, but flanked by a reasonable supply of bleachers. The field is a little bit short, only 370 feet to dead center, which perhaps makes it a bit more suited to a college wood-bat league than to professional baseball. Artificial turf was installed as the playing surface in the latter part of the decade of the 2010s. The field faces southwest, rather than the customary northeast.


The field with a natural surface, 2013.
Game Date League Level Result
103 Sat 13-Jul-2024 West Coast College Summer Nanaimo 6, BELLINGHAM 4
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This page updated 13-Jul-2024