DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker at this site has to say — and friends, this one's worth slowing down for. Somewhere in Greenville, Hunt County, there's an arched entryway still standing. Brick and mortar, built by the Works Progress Administration in 1940.
The stadium around it is long gone — demolished after the property sold in 1964 — but that arch refuses to fall. And if you know what happened on the other side of it, you understand why. It all starts with a woman named Eula Lasater Phillips.
In 1929, she reached into her own pocket and pulled out thirty-five hundred dollars — no small thing in 1929 — and donated it to the Greenville Athletic Council to build an athletic field at this very site. She did it in memory of her late husband, Frank Phillips. So before a single cleat ever touched the grass, this place was already carrying someone's name and someone's grief.
The field opened in a hurry. On October 4th, 1929, Phillips Field hosted its very first athletic event — a football game between the Greenville High School Lions and the Leopards of Dallas Oak Cliff. The ink was barely dry on the deed.
By 1930, the land had transferred to the city, with the school district taking on management. And then came Coach Henry Frnka. Now, the marker doesn't waste words on him, but it doesn't need to.
In 1933, Frnka led the Greenville High School football team to an undefeated season. Undefeated. And not just undefeated — state champions.
Right here on this field. Then the world changed, and so did the field. In 1946, the layout was realigned to become home to a minor league baseball team.
They called themselves the Majors. Named for Truett Majors — the first Greenville resident killed in World War II. That name wasn't chosen lightly.
Every time the crowd cheered, they were cheering something heavier than a box score. And cheer they did. More than a hundred and sixty thousand people attended Majors games in 1946 alone.
In 1947, the old football stands were razed and replaced with a proper baseball stadium. Greenville was fielding competitive teams through the late 1940s, and the town was showing up. Then came April 10th, 1949.
Hold that date in your mind. The Majors — a minor league club in Greenville, Texas — hosted an exhibition game against the New York Yankees. Casey Stengel was managing the Yankees that day.
Joe DiMaggio was in center field. And when the final out was made, the scoreboard read Majors 4, Yankees 3. Greenville beat the New York Yankees.
On this ground. Right here. If that's not a tall tale, it's only because it actually happened.
One more name deserves saying: Monty Stratton, a Greenville native and a baseball great, pitched a game for the Majors here in 1950. He came home to this field. Attendance declined by 1950, and the team folded before the following season.
But the Majors weren't quite finished — reorganized minor league teams, also called the Majors, played here again in 1953 and in 1957. Youth and amateur leagues kept the grass worn down after that, until 1964, when the property sold and the stadium came down. All of it gone — except that arch.
The Works Progress Administration built it in 1940, and it's still standing today, a reminder of the countless athletes and fans who gathered here in the spirit of competition. Some monuments are made of marble. This one's made of a baseball score and a widow's donation and a name given to honor the first man from this town who didn't come home from the war.
That arch has seen all of it. And it's still here to prove it happened.
What the marker says
In 1929, Eula Lasater Phillips donated $3,500 to the Greenville Athletic Council to build an athletic field at this site in memory of her late husband, Frank Phillips. The first athletic event in Phillips Field was a football game between the Greenville High School Lions and the Leopards of Dallas Oak Cliff on Oct. 4, 1929. In 1930, the land transferred to the city, with management by the school district. Here, celebrated Coach Henry Frnka led the school football team to an undefeated season and the state championship in 1933. In 1946, the field was realigned to become the home of a minor league baseball team, the Majors, named for Truett Majors, the first Greenville resident killed in World War II. More than 160,000 people attended Majors games in 1946, and Greenville fielded a number of competitive teams in the late 1940s. In 1947, the football stands were razed and replaced with a baseball stadium. On April 10, 1949, the Majors hosted an exhibition game against the New York Yankees, defeating them 4-3. Among those who participated for the Yankees that day were Casey Stengel, manager, and Joe DiMaggio in center field. Another baseball great who played here was Monty Stratton, a Greenville native, who pitched a game for the Majors in 1950. Attendance at Majors games declined by 1950, and the team folded before the following season. Reorganized minor league teams, also named the Majors, played here in 1953 and 1957. Youth and amateur leagues used the field until the property sold in 1964 and the stadium was demolished. Today, the stadium's arched entryway, built by the Works Progress Administration in 1940, serves as a reminder of the countless athletes and fans who gathered here in the spirit of competition. (2003)