Ban Johnson Park

Ban Johnson Park
Whittington Park, McKee Park
	Ban Johnson HOF plaque
Former names	Whittington Park (1894–1920, 1924-1935); McKee Park (1921-23)
Location	870 Whittington Ave; Hot Springs, Arkansas; United States
Coordinates	34°0.952′N 93°04.458′W
Owner	Weyerhauser Company (current)
Capacity	1,400 (1913); 2,000 (1939)
Field size	260 RF; 400 CF; 340 LF
Surface	Grass
Construction
Broke ground	1894
Opened	1894
Renovated	1910, 1930, 1936, 1938
Expanded	1910, 1930, 1938
Closed	1947
Demolished	c. 1947
Tenants
	Spring training; Cleveland Spiders (1896,1898–1899); Chicago Cubs (1896); St. Louis Cardinals (NL) (1900); Pittsburgh Pirates (NL) (1896, 1901–1916, 1926); Detroit Tigers (1908); New York Yankees (1908); Brooklyn Dodgers (1910-12, 1917–1918); Boston Red Sox (1920–1923); Minor League Baseball; Hot Springs Vapors (1906); Hot Springs Vaporites (1908-09); Hot Springs Bathers (1894, 1897-98, 1938-41); Negro leagues; Hot Springs Arlingtons (1896-1903); Hot Spring Blues (1904); Baseball Schools; Ray Doan Baseball School (1933–1938); George Barr Umpire School (1935–1947); Rogers Hornsby Baseball College (1939-1947)

Ban Johnson Park was a baseball stadium located in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It was also known as Whittington Park and McKee Park. The ballpark was located within today's Whittington Park Historic District and directly across from the still active Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo.

Originally known as Whittington Park, the ballpark was the Spring training site for numerous Major League Baseball teams, hosting spring training games and served as home for Hot Springs minor league teams. Over 130 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame inductees played at Whittington Park. In 1918, Babe Ruth, then a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, hit a 573-foot home run at the park. The park was also home to the ever first Umpire School. In 1935, Whittington Park, was renamed after Hall of Fame baseball pioneer Ban Johnson, founder of the American League.

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