Fort Bragg Field

From BR Bullpen

Fort Bragg Field was a temporary ballpark erected on the grounds of the Fort Bragg, NC United States Army base. It played host to a major league game between the Miami Marlins and the Atlanta Braves, who were the home team, on July 3, 2016, known as the "Fort Bragg Game". The Marlins won the game, 5-2, before a crowd of 12,500 composed entirely of service members and their family. Temporary stands were put up to accommodate the crowd and were dismantled after the game, but the field itself remained as part of the base's sports and recreation facilities.

The game was conceived to pay tribute to members of the United States armed services and their families. It was the first major league game ever played in the state of North Carolina.

The field was built on a former golf course that had fallen into disuse. Its dimensions were 331 feet down the foul lines, 387 feet in the power alleys and 405 feet to dead center. J.T. Realmuto hit the only home run ever at the park, leading off the 9th inning for the Marlins.

Further Reading[edit]

  • Lindsay Berra: "And Bragg is still there: Field has key legacy", mlb.com, July 3, 2016. [1]
  • Joe Mock: "Marlins top Braves in unique Fort Bragg Game", USA Today Sports, July 4, 2016. [2]
  • John Schlegel: "Stars and Spikes: July 3 game at Fort Bragg! Game will celebrate nation's military; new facility will remain as legacy", mlb.com, March 9, 2016. [3]