‘UnPHILtered’: Major League Baseball considering game in Evansville

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Major League Baseball is considering playing a game at Bosse Field in Evansville.

Originally built in 1915, Bosse Field is the third oldest baseball park in the United States behind only Wrigley Field in Chicago and Fenway Park in Boston.

Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke told News 8’s Phil Sanchez on Friday night’s “UnPHILtered” that MLB executives have been to the city twice and there is hope that the league will play a game within the next two years.

“We’d hoped to be on the 2023 schedule but because of a lot of scheduling conflicts within Major League Baseball that was not able to happen, but we certainly hope it will in 2024,” Winnecke said. “Although there’s not a specific date and they’re not 100% confirmed, they have a really good understanding of how a special event this could be and we’re really excited about continuing our discussions with them.”

MLB is considering the Evansville game based off the success it had in 2021 from its “Field of Dreams” game in Dyersville, Iowa, where the movie was filmed. The MLB is set to play another game there this season on Aug. 11. Bosse Field has a similar baseball movie legacy. It is where the movie “A League of Their Own” was filmed.

Several renovations are needed before the MLB will play a game at Bosse Field. Winnecke said the more than 4,700 permanent seats in the stadium — some dating back to the 1950s — would need to be replaced. The dugouts would also need to be moved back to meet MLB safety standards. 

The Republican mayor is anticipating the projects can be completed without the need for public funding. He told News 8 that since the ballpark is technically owned by the Evansville-Vanderburgh County School Corp., funding for the projects is expected to come from the private sector.\

Evansville city government will have another meeting with the MLB in September to discuss next steps.