Bowen Field: Bluefield, Virginia
Bowen Field served as the home of the Bluefield Orioles of the Appalachian League and was the site of Cal Ripken Jr.'s professional debut following his selection by the Baltimore Orioles in the second round of the 1978 Major League Baseball Draft. Located in Bluefield, Virginia, the historic facility opened in 1939 as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project and remains one of the oldest active ballparks in professional baseball.
Ripken spent the entire 1978 season with Bluefield, appearing in 63 games while batting .264. He tied for the Appalachian League lead in double plays by a shortstop with 31 and began the transition from Aberdeen High School standout to professional prospect. During the summer of 1978, Bowen Field hosted the earliest chapter of a career that would eventually lead to more than 3,000 hits, two American League MVP Awards, and induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
The original wooden grandstand at Bowen Field was destroyed by fire in 1973, but the facility was rebuilt and reopened two years later. Unlike many minor league ballparks from Ripken's era, Bowen Field survived and continues to host baseball nearly nine decades after it first opened.
As of 2026, Bowen Field remains in active use as the home of the Bluefield Ridge Runners of the Appalachian League and Bluefield University baseball. Of all the ballparks associated with Ripken's professional career, Bowen Field remains the closest to what he experienced during his first summer in professional baseball.
Ripken in the Minors would like to thank John Walter for generously sharing photographs of Bowen Field. His efforts to document historic baseball venues have helped preserve the history of one of the most important ballparks in Cal Ripken Jr.'s professional career.
