History of Newman Park
Founded in 1926, Newman Park has been a staple of Catawba College for decades. Students and community members alike have enjoyed countless hours watching the Catawba Baseball Team rack up victories.
Catawba has posted an 834-405 record at home, a winning percentage of 67.3%! The Catawba College Baseball Team is known for its success throughout the region, the state, and national levels. In 2015, Catawba was part of the National Finals, finishing as national runner-up, equaling the school record with 47 wins. Again, in 2019, Catawba claimed a regional title and advanced to the National Finals, equaling the school record of 47 wins. Newman Park has also been the host for the South Atlantic Conference Tournament on seven occasions.
Throughout the years, many legendary coaches have led the Catawba Indians (and many American Legion teams) to victory on this field, including Gordon Kirkland, Marshall Murphy, Ray Oxendine, Earl Ruth, Steve Shaughnessy, Harvey Stratton, Jim Dehart, and Dick Williams.
Highlights
Highlights
- Founded in 1926
- Sports an at-home record of 834-405
- Produced 43 professional players
- 30+ winning seasons
- Nine 40-win seasons since 2004
Newman Park Timeline
Mike London, The Salisbury Post
Newman Park is a unique place, a local treasure in Salisbury known for the green grandstand, the railed bleachers and the box seats behind the netting.
It once was a place umpires dreaded to come to, but fans have mellowed somewhat over the years. Maybe the meanest ones just died off.
Newman Park is known for the flagpole in dead center. It’s known for the scoreboard in left-center.
It’s known as one of the most hitter-friendly parks around, 326 feet to the foul lines, 359 to center and just 343 to the power alleys.
That unusually cozy center field area makes for exciting American Legion baseball, but college pitchers don’t have the luxury of making any mistakes. Except on the coldest, dampest, windiest days, any well-hit flyball is leaving the park.
People argue about how many people can sit and watch a game there. Some say 2,500. Some say 3,000. It’s probably been close to 3,000 if all the lawn-chair space is used.
This is a timeline of some of the major events that helped create the mystique and the history of Newman Park, a place that has been home to thousands of pro, college, American Legion and high school games over the years. These are just some of the highlights. There have been way too many to attempt to list them all.
1889
Harold Hastings (HH) Newman is born on Nov. 17.
1900s
Newman is a native of Woodstock, Va. He played baseball at Randolph-Macon and was a catcher and team captain. He also played baseball at Johns Hopkins. After receiving medical training at Johns Hopkins, he had a choice of career paths, pursuing a baseball offer from the Baltimore’s pro team or starting his career as a physician. He chose medicine.
1914
Dr. Newman relocates from Baltimore to Salisbury, NC, to assist doctors Dr. John Whitfield and Dr. JE Stokes at the hospital. Newman arrives in Salisbury on June 2, 1914, along with his wife Eleanor a talented vocalist and musician.
1915
Dr. Newman coaches the first high school football game played in Rowan County, coaching Salisbury against Greensboro at the Salisbury Fairgrounds.
1921
Dr. Newman is named president of the North Carolina Poultry Association.
1922
Dr. Newman attends the Mayo Clinic for a month and switches from the practice of general medicine to specializing in surgery.
1926
Catawba College relocates from Newton, NC, to Salisbury. Newman coaches the 1926 Catawba baseball team, with the assistance of Dr. James Ramsey.
1926
Newman also serves as team doctor for Catawba, free of charge. He serves in that role until 1947 when he is succeeded by his son, HH Newman Jr., a doctor who has been known as “Judge” since childhood.
1932
Dr. Newman organizes and energizes the Salisbury community, obtains donations of lumber and helps start the construction of a baseball stadium around Catawba’s existing field. He is credited with leading the effort to get the stadium built at 498 Summit Ave. Today, it’s one of the oldest baseball parks still in use. Greensboro’s Memorial Stadium, completed in 1926, is recognized as the state’s oldest.
1934
The grandstand area is constructed at Newman Park. A.L. Jarrell and Sons of Spencer build it with tubular steel trusses. The same company builds Catawba’s football stadium and the baseball grandstands for App State and East Carolina. The Jarrells also build Thomasville’s Finch Field (1937) and Lexington’s Holt-Moffitt Field (1938).
1934
Dr. Newman organizes the original semi-pro Carolina League.
1935
Catawba’s ballpark is named for Dr. Newman.
1935
Gordon Kirkland starts his tenure as Catawba baseball coach and coaches championship teams in 1936, 1937, 1938, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947 and 1948.
1936
Coach Kirkland pilots the first Salisbury American Legion team ever to play at Newman Park, starting a long summer of tradition. Interest in baseball is high in Salisbury after Gastonia won the World Series in 1935. Many Salisburians drove to Gastonia to watch the games there, and there’s a feeling that a local team would prosper.
1937
Dr. Newman is named chief of staff at Rowan Memorial Hospital.
1937
The Salisbury Bees of the Carolina League play their games at Newman Park (1937-38).
1938
Dr. Newman is named vice president of the Class D North Carolina State League.
1939
The Salisbury Giants play North Carolina State League games at Newman Park (1939-42). The 1942 roster includes three players who make it to the major leagues.
1941
Coach Kirkland coaches a stout Catawba team at Newman Park that includes right fielder Joe Ferebee.
1942
World War II brings a halt to American Legion baseball in the summers of 1942-43, the only summers the park doesn’t provide a home for Legion baseball prior to 2020.
1944
American Legion baseball returns to Newman Park.
1945
There were no minor league games at Newman Park in 1943-44, but the North Carolina State League was back in business in 1945. Salisbury minor league baseball at Newman Park had an affiliation with the struggling Pittsburgh Pirates from 1945-52.
1948
Dr. Newman Sr. is elected president of the Rowan County unit of the American Cancer Society.
1950
Coach Joe Ferebee begins his first tenure as head coach of the Salisbury Legion team.
1951
Scary flamethrower Rocket Ron Necciai, whose fastballs break the ribs of hitters, pitches for the Salisbury Pirates at Newman Park, mostly without distinction. A year later, he strikes out 27 batters in a nine-inning game in the Appalachian League.
1951
Dr. Newman Sr. dies from a heart attack at 62.
1953
The Salisbury ROCOTS (ROwan COunty’s Team of Salisbury) competed in the Tar Heele League at Newman Park in 1953 and were affiliated with the Boston Red Sox. Eli Grba, a member of the ROCOTs, pitched for the 1960 New York Yankees and threw the first pitch for the Los Angeles Angels when they were an American League expansion franchise in 1961.
1954
Coach Ferebee’s Salisbury Legion team wins the Area III championship for the first time.
1955
Coach Ferebee’s Salisbury Legion team changes baseball forever in Rowan County with area, sectional and regional championships and a trip to the World Series in Minnesota. Tiny southpaw Tom Eaton pitches almost every game and becomes a legendary figure. Baseball becomes a very big deal in Salisbury.
1956
Coach Ferebee is hired as Pfeiffer baseball coach and leaves the Salisbury program.
1960
Salisbury had a minor league baseball void from 1954-59, but the Salisbury Braves, an independent team made up of players with local ties, played in the Western Carolina League in 1960 and won the championship. That team includes pitcher Lawson Garrison, who integrates professional baseball as far as the minor league teams representing Salisbury.
1961
The Salisbury Braves were a Class D affiliate of the National League’s new Houston franchise and played in the Western Carolina League. Salisbury’s Aaron Pointer, a Black player from San Francisco, batted .402 that season. That’s the last time a player batted .400 in a full-season minor league in the U.S.
Pointer, who was 19 when he played for Salisbury in 1961, had 14 triples and scored an incredible 117 runs in 93 games. He played briefly in the majors and became a college and NFL official.
1962
For the first time, the American Legion baseball team at Newman Park competes as a united “Rowan County” under coach Jack Turney.
1963
Salisbury minor league baseball enjoys its most successful run at Newman Park as the Salisbury Dodgers in 1963-64. The Dodgers had a sturdy farm system, and Salisbury finished second in the Western Carolinas League playoffs in 1963 and won the championship in 1964.
The 1963 Salisbury pitching staff included Jack Billingham, who would win 145 MLB games.
The 1964 Salisbury pitching staff included future L.A. Dodger John Purdin, who pitched a perfect game for Salisbury that season against Lexington.
Salisbury faced Rock Hill Cardinals pitcher Steve Carlton that season as well as Greenville Braves slugger Cito Gaston.
1965
Salisbury’s minor league affiliation was back with Houston in 1965. Houston had changed its mascot from Colt .45s to Astros after the opening of its new domed stadium.
Salisbury had a great hitter at Newman Park that season — Bob “Bull’ Watson, who was a National League All-Star twice in the 1970s.
The Western Carolinas League was exciting in 1965, as Gastonia had Al Oliver, Lexington had Bobby Bonds, and Rock Hill was managed by Sparky Anderson.
1966
Danny Walton, who had a decent major league career, played for the Salisbury Astros at Newman Park that season and hit 20 homers as an 18-year-old.
Walton hit 17 homers for the Milwaukee Brewers four years later.
Fred Stanley played shortstop for Salisbury in 1966 as an 18-year-old. He played in the big leagues for 14 seasons.
The Greenville Mets had the WCL’s best prospect that season — Nolan Ryan.
1967
Coach Ferebee returns for his second stint with the Rowan County Legion program at Newman Park and will compile an amazing record.
1968
Rowan County Legion is state runner-up. For four straight seasons, Rowan will play in the state finals.
1968
After having no pro baseball at Newman Park in 1967, Salisbury made a comeback and was affiliated with the Washington Senators in 1968. Unfortunately, the Salisbury Senators were 34-87 and had the distinction of being one of the worst teams in minor league history. In the six-team Western Carolinas League, they finished 20 games out of fifth place. The team’s best player was Tom Grieve, who had a nine-season career in MLB. The league’s best prospect proved to be Greenwood Braves outfielder Dusty Baker.
That would be Newman Park’s last fling with professional baseball.
1969
Rowan County Legion wind the state championship against Wilmington, with Marty Brennaman making the most famous broadcast in Newman Park’s history on Randy Benson’s series-deciding walk-off home run.
1970
Rowan County Legion is state runner-up.
1971
Rowan County wins the state championship.
1973
Rowan County Legion wins the Area III championship.
1979
Rowan County Legion is state runner-up.
1980
Rowan County Legion is state runner-up.
1984
Rowan County Legion wins the state championship. There are some renovations to Newman Park that year.
1985
Rowan County Legion wins Area III, the last major championship for Coach Ferebee.
1989
The final season for Coach Ferebee at the helm of the Rowan Legion team. He is credited with 673 coaching victories for Salisbury and Rowan County Legion teams.
1990
Coach Jim DeHart takes the reins of Rowan County Legion.
1992
Coach Dick Williams pilots Catawba baseball to a record of 38-7 and a 21-0 conference record.
1993
Rowan County Legion wins the state championship, maintaining a remarkable streak of a state title in every decade. Rowan County wins a program record 47 games that still stands.
1995
Newman Park is also the home for high school baseball in the 1990s. Salisbury High played many home games there before it got an on-campus facility. Newman Park also hosts the Cliff Peeler Baseball Classic.
1996
Former Catawba third baseman Jim Gantt is named as Catawba’s head baseball coach. He’ll become a legend at Newman Park, not only as a teacher and motivator, but as a groundskeeper.
1996
Rowan Legion doesn’t win the state championship, but it hosts the Southeast Regional at Newman Park and wins the regional. That means a trip to the World Series in Oregon, the first World Series adventure for the local program since 1955. There are improvements at Newman Park that are made in order to serve as regional host, including a new press box and concession stand.
There had been two earlier press boxes, one at field level (with no view of right field) and one high atop the grandstand area.
1998
Rowan County Legion wins Area III.
2000
The last season for Coach DeHart with Rowan Legion. Rowan is the Area III champion. It also the first year of the double-elimination, single-site state tournament bringing together every Area champion and runner-up. The first one is in Caldwell County. Rowan finished second.
2001
Catawba baseball leads Division II in home attendance.
2001
A new covered batting cage is added down the right-field line at Newman Park. The slope along the right field foul area is removed and a wall is erected.
2001
Jim Gantt takes the reins of Rowan County Legion and is now the head coach of both programs that call Newman Park home.
2002
Rowan County Legion wins the state tournament that it hosts at Newman Park.
2002
Rowan Legion loses an elimination game in the Southeast Regional in Shelby and finishes with a 43-2 record. While it didn’t reach the World Series, most still consider it the best team in program history.
2003
The slope in left field is removed at Newman Park.
2004
A new 18-foot high outfield wall is erected at Newman Park. It makes it tougher to hit homers, especially in American Legion play.
2006
Catawba’s David Thomas scores 84 runs, the school record for a single season. Tim Smith sets a Catawba record for wins in a season with 13. Jimbo Davis gets the last of his school career record 235 RBIs for Catawba. Catawba breaks the school-record with 47 wins.
2008
Catawba’s David Thomas establishes a school record for career hits with 344. His No. 7 jersey is honored on the right-field wall.
2008
Jerry Sands, a future MLB player, hits the last of his 61 home runs for Catawba, a school career record.
2009
Rowan County Legion wins a number of championships, including area, state and region. Rowan heads to its third World Series, this one in Fargo, N.D.
2010
Catawba’s Craige Lyerly gets a base hit 39 straight games in a streak he started in 2009. He breaks a school record that had stood since 1956.
2010
Rowan Legion player Patrick Snider dies of cancer. His memory is honored with his No. 7 on the right-field wall at Newman Park.
2012
Catawba coach Jim Gantt is named North Carolina Amateur Coach of the Year after leading the Indians to the Division II National Championship Tournament in Cary.
2013
Nick Lomascolo finishes his career with a Catawba record for wins — 36.
2015
Rowan County Legion wins the state championship, after hosting the state tourney at Newman Park.
2015
Catawba’s Will Albertson drives in 91 runs and hits 26 homers, both school records for a season.
2015
Catawba’s Jim Gantt coaches his second team to the D-II National Championship Tournament in Car,y and the Indians finish runner-up. Catawba ties the school record with 47 wins.
2016
Rowan County Legion wins the state championship played at Wingate, the first time Rowan ever has won back-to-back state championships. Rowan County also wins the regional in Asheboro. Rowan makes a trip to the World Series in Shelby and is runner-up. Rowan loses the title game in extra innings.
2017
Rowan County plays in the state tournament, and coach Gantt gets his 500th win as Rowan Legion head coach.
2018
Rowan County Legion wins Area III.
2018
Catawba’s Chance Bowden sets the school record for doubles in a career with 84.
2019
Catawba wins 47 games, tying the school record. The Indians make it to the D-II National Championship Tournament in Cary for the third time under Gantt’s leadership.
2020
Catawba is ranked second nationally in Division II when the pandemic brings a halt to the college baseball season. Catawba was 19-3. Gant has 853 career wins as Catawba head coach. His teams have won 23 championships and he’s been named SAC Coach of the Year 11 times.
2020
Legion baseball is canceled by the national committee because of concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, but there is still summer baseball at Newman Park. Coach Gantt helps organize a league and coaches a winning season in NC3 baseball.
