Renovated ballfield in St. Bernard named after MLB legend

CINCINNATI (April 30, 2019) — Today the Cincinnati Reds and Major League Baseball announced that a baseball field being renovated in St. Bernard will be renamed “Frank Robinson Field.”

“We are pleased to join the Reds in celebration of the 150th Anniversary in naming this field in honor of Frank Robinson,” said Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. “Frank was passionate about creating opportunities for the next generation to play baseball and softball. He helped complete the process for the Reds to open their beautiful Youth Academy, and this new field is the next step in elite-level development and education.”

The announcement was made as part of a groundbreaking ceremony at the field, which is located at Ross Park. The renovation is one of two “Legacy Projects” to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of Professional Baseball in 2019.

 “Bestowing the honor of being a Reds 150th Anniversary Legacy Project to Ross Park signifies the importance we place on youth baseball,” said Reds CEO Bob Castellini. “We thank the Robinson Family for the privilege of naming it ‘Frank Robinson Field’ which further magnifies our shared commitment with the Commissioner and Major League Baseball to keep youth baseball and softball thriving.” 

Robinson, who passed away in February at the age of 83, was one of the most legendary players in baseball history. The Hall of Famer spent the first 10 of his 21 Major League seasons in Cincinnati, winning National League Rookie of the Year honors in 1956 and the NL Most Valuable Player Award in 1961 while leading the Reds to the World Series. He was a seven-time All-Star with the Reds and ranks second in franchise history with 324 home runs and fourth in both runs (1,043) and RBIs (1,009).

Robinson was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982 and his number 20 has been retired by three different MLB teams – the Reds, Orioles and Indians.

Officials from the Reds, P&G, the Cincinnati Zoo, Pepper Construction, Kroger, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and multiple project partners participated in a shovel ceremony, prior to the St. Bernard-Elmwood Place vs. Roger Bacon baseball game.

The field project is part of the annual “Reds and P&G Community Makeover” and will include a completely renovated baseball field with new synthetic infield that will be the home to both St. Bernard-Elmwood Place and Roger Bacon High School teams. Other highlights will include a new plaza area, renovated concession stand, signage and “Palace of the Fans” façade. 

Work on the project will begin soon and will culminate on August 1 when more than 400 volunteers from P&G and project partners and the community will join Reds Community Fund staff and board members for the day-long volunteer project.

P&G and the Reds Community Fund have partnered for the Community Makeover since 2010 with the Cincinnati Zoo joining the partnership in 2013 bringing a wealth of experience in horticulture, sustainable design and maintenance to the projects. Cincinnati Children’s became a part of the collaboration in 2013 and Kroger increased its participation in 2017 to become a title partner.

Pepper Construction joined the Makeover team in 2018 to offer their construction management expertise by coordinating both the volunteer and construction schedules.

Additional partners include MSA Design, Motz Group, Duke Energy, Cincinnati Toolbank and OneSource.