Stepping Back in Time

Main entrance portal to Henley Field, Aug-2002.

A good view of the seating bowl.

The inner fence makes the dimensions somewhat reasonable.

• Location: Florida Avenue north of Memorial Boulevard, Lakeland, Fla.
• Opened: 1923
• Home team: Lakeland Highlanders, Florida State League (1923-24, 1925-26); Lakeland Pilots (1946-50, 1952), Patriots (1951), Florida International League; Lakeland Pilots (1953-55), Indians (1960), Giants (1962), Tigers (1963-64, 2002), Florida State League; spring training, Detroit Tigers (1934-42, 1946-65)
• Capacity: 1,000

Rating: 3 baseballs

With Marchant in need of renovations, the Tigers utilized good old Henley Field for the Florida State League season in 2002, and I’m glad they did. Henley Field is one of those old gems that would otherwise be nearly forgotten.

Like many parks in the 1920s, Henley has a main entrance portal flanked by ticket booths. The original clubhouses are still under the grandstand, though the clubs use separate trailers today. Concessions are now sold from a separate building behind third base.

The seating has been replaced here over the years. As of 2002, fans sat on aluminum benches. As at Quakertown, Pa., the official scorer and his staff don’t have a separate press box; instead they work from tables placed in the grandstand behind the plate.

The park has been lovingly maintained over the years, with both Florida Southern University and the Dreadnaughts of Lakeland High School utilizing the facility. The Dreadnaughts’ home football field is adjacent.