2.6 MILLION MAKEOVER REVIVES HISTORIC NEGRO LEAGUE STADIUM IN HAMTRAMCK

After sitting unused for years, Hamtramck Stadium came back to life in 2022, thanks to a $2.6 million renovation of the 1930s-era Negro League ballpark.

Now known as Norman “Turkey” Stearnes Field, it's one of the last remaining Negro League stadiums in the country.

"We are dedicated to keeping Turkey Stearnes Field and Hamtramck Stadium a premier destination with a great all-around experience,” said Thomas Habitz, in an interview with Hour Detroit.

Baseball historian Gary Gillette stepped in to save the field when it faced demolition in 2008. His persistence paid off: the stadium was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2012. Two years later, the state of Michigan installed a historic marker at the site.

Ron Teasley, now 98, is one of just two living former Negro League players.

“We always thought we were major,” Teasley said. “We played so many games against [the white major leaguers], and we were friends with a lot of them, too.”

Restoration efforts are ongoing. By summer 2025, new ticket booths, player locker rooms, and restrooms will be added. In the fall, crews plan to install lights, a new scoreboard, and make additional improvements to the field.

Kids now take the field during the annual Juneteenth games. Among the crowd is Joyce Stearnes Thompson, watching from the same ballpark where her father once played.

“I hope it makes a difference going forward—and inspires children, especially African American youth, to play baseball,” she said.

Funding for the project came from groups including the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation and Wayne County Parks. A local parks organization now manages the stadium's day-to-day operations.

In 2024, Major League Baseball formally added Negro League statistics to its official record books. The update placed Detroit Stars legend Norman Stearnes among the top 10 hitters in several categories.

Today, visiting teams do more than just play. They hear stories of the Negro Leagues while standing on the same dirt where legends once ran the bases. For every player who steps up to bat, the field offers more than just a game—it offers a lesson in history.