Third Base Building at Doubleday Field
Now Officially “Fowler Pavilion”
At the July 25th Village Board meeting, the Trustees unanimously approved the naming of the new third base building at Doubleday Field, the “Fowler Pavilion” in honor of 2022 HoF Inductee Bud Fowler.
The motion was made by Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh, on the recommendation of the Doubleday Field Committee, at which Friends of Doubleday President and former Village Mayor, Jeff Katz had made the initial suggestion.
Mayor Tillapaugh noted that she felt that Dave Winfield’s speech for Bud Fowler’s induction at Sunday’s HoF Ceremony, was excellent and highlighted not only Fowler’s local connection but also his importance in the history of Baseball.
Fowler played on integrated leagues in the 19th century, decades before Jackie Robinson officially broke the Major League Baseball color barrier.
Born John Jackson in 1858 Fort Plain, N.Y., Fowler’s family moved to Cooperstown when he was just a few years
old. As a young man, he adopted the name Bud Fowler and was forced to live a nomadic life playing for short periods of time on numerous White baseball teams where he faced racism and discrimination. Ultimately forced out of the game, Fowler became a founder of the Page Fence Giants and a major proponent of Black baseball leagues.
In 2013 the Village of Cooperstown named a lane adjacent to Doubleday Field, Fowler Way in recognition of Fowler’s Cooperstown connection and his importance in the history of baseball.
The Village of Cooperstown began its $6.5 million renovation of historic Doubleday Field in 2019. The final phase of the project includes the nearly complete third base building.The installation of the bleachers, which are back ordered until early 2023, will complete the renovations made feasible with grant support from Empire State Development and from a State and Municipal (SAM) Facilities grant.
