DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about Katy Park, out there in McLennan County. Now, at the turn of the twentieth century, baseball fever had a firm grip on the City of Waco. Not a mild case, mind you — the full-blown kind, the kind where city leaders start eyeing farmland and making plans.
And the piece of land they settled on was farming lot number thirteen. Not glamorous. Not famous.
Just a nondescript patch owned by a local businessman named Alfred Abeel. Abeel, for what it's worth, also owned something called Cottonland Castle — an architecturally notable home that suggests the man had a taste for the dramatic. But lot thirteen, sitting on the corner of Eighth Street and Webster Avenue, right near the MKT rail line, that's where history was going to happen.
They called it Katy Park, and the man they brought in to design it was Henry Fabian — a former baseball player turned entrepreneur. Fabian had arrived in Waco in 1904 to manage and co-own his first baseball team, the Waco Tigers. Right out of the gate, Fabian and the Tigers found themselves tangled in something bigger than box scores.
In the early years, they were instrumental in overturning legislation that had outlawed Sunday baseball. Let that sit with you a moment — these men didn't just play the game, they fought for the right to play it on a Sunday. The Tigers, though, struggled with profitability.
There were stretches where Katy Park sat without a home team at all — a ballpark waiting for a purpose. Then in 1925, the Galveston Cubs were acquired and became the Waco Cubs. Things started looking up.
And then came 1929. The New York Yankees rolled into Waco for an exhibition game. Babe Ruth stepped to the plate at Katy Park — and when he hit a line drive over the right field fence, the ball struck a boy in the crowd.
Now here's the part that lands differently than you might expect. Ruth didn't tip his cap and walk away. He waded into the crowd to check on the boy, and he gave him an autographed baseball.
That's the story the marker tells, and it's worth tellin' right. The Cubs left town in 1930. Three years later, Waco received another team — the Pirates.
But let's not skip over what else was happening at Katy Park, because the full story demands it. Baseball was still a segregated sport, and Katy Park hosted both white and black teams. The very first night game played there came in May of 1930 — a game between the Negro League's Kansas City Monarchs and the Waco Black Cardinals.
And in 1946 and 1950 respectively, Jesse Owens and Joe Lewis held events at that park. This was a place that carried the weight of an entire era's contradictions — and its possibilities. In 1953, a powerful tornado came through and completely destroyed the ballpark.
It was later rebuilt. The Pirates stayed on until 1955. And then, in June of 1965, the last baseball games ever played at Katy Park took place — part of a statewide tournament of African American teams.
That was the final chapter on the field. Katy Park was eventually torn down. Lot number thirteen, the nondescript piece of land on the corner of Eighth and Webster, went quiet.
But the marker standing there today makes sure that what happened on that ground — the fights for Sunday ball, the night games, the Yankees, the tornado, the tournaments — none of it gets forgotten. Some places earn their legacy the hard way. Katy Park earned every bit of it.
What the marker says
At the turn of the 20th century, baseball fever captivated the City of Waco, and leaders set their sights on providing a ballpark for a potential hometown team. They chose farming lot #13 a non-descript piece of land owned by local businessman Alfred Abeel (1836-1922) on the corner of Eighth Street and Webster Avenue, near the MKT rail line. Abeel also owned the architecturally notable home known as Cottonland Castle. Katy Park was designed by Henry Fabian (1865-1940), a former baseball player and entrepreneur. Fabian had arrived in Waco in 1904 to manage and co-own his first baseball team, the Waco Tigers. In the early years, the Tigers and Fabian were instrumental in overturning legislation outlawing Sunday baseball. The Tigers struggled with profitability, and Katy Park sometimes went without a home team. In 1925, the Galveston Cubs were acquired and became the Waco Cubs. The Cubs hosted the New York Yankees in a 1929 exhibition game. When Babe Ruth hit a line drive over the right field fence, the ball struck a boy. Ruth waded into the crowd to check on the boy and gave him an autographed baseball. The Cubs left town in 1930, and three years later, Waco received another team, the Pirates. Katy Park hosted both white and black teams, as baseball was still a segregated sport. The first night game was played in May 1930 between the Negro League's Kansas City Monarchs and the Waco Black Cardinals. In 1946 and 1950 respectively, Jesse Owens and Joe Lewis held events at Katy Park. The ballpark was completely destroyed in a powerful 1953 tornado but was later rebuilt. The Pirates remained until 1955. The last baseball games, part of a statewide tournament of African American teams, were held at Katy Park in June 1965. Katy Park Was eventually torn down, but the site remains an important part of the city's sports and cultural legacy. (2022)