Diving Into Bucknell's Ballpark History
Bucknell's appearance in Holy Cross' EBW Classic continues a long and unique history at the ballpark
Recently, Holy Cross announced that the rumbling Bison of Bucknell would be their opponent in the second edition of the EBW Classic at Polar Park, the home of the Worcester Red Sox.
Like Holy Cross and Colgate, their EBW Classic opponent last year, Bucknell has an extensive history of football at the ballpark, beginning with a 50-0 win over Gettysburg at Harrisburg’s Sixth Street Grounds in 1895 and ending with a 13-7 win over Carnegie Tech in 1957.
Bison Roaming in Pirates’ Waters
Unsurprisingly, Bucknell was a common face at Pittsburgh’s ballparks, both Exposition Park and Forbes Field, playing a total of 12 games starting with an 1899 game against the Duquesne Athletic Club.
The Bison’s most notable games came against Pittsburgh and Duquesne. In six games against the Panthers at Forbes Field and Exposition Park, the Bison won twice in 1912 and 1913. In the 1912 game, two quick forward passes in the final five minutes set up the only score in Bucknell’s 6-0 win. The following year, a 45-yard touchdown pass and a 20-yard field goal were all the points Bucknell needed for a 9-0 win.
Over a decade later, Bucknell played at Forbes Field in consecutive years against Duquesne in games with huge bowl implications. In 1933, a Duquesne pick-six by end Gerald Baker gave the Dukes a 6-0 win on the way to a 10-1 season and berth to the Festival of Palms Bowl (a predecessor to the Orange Bowl) against Miami.
The next year, Duquesne won 12-0 despite only completing 3 out of 16 passes. Another Duquesne pick-six put the game out of reach late in the fourth quarter. However, it was Bucknell who spent the postseason in Miami earning a spot in the Orange Bowl.
First In War, First In Peace, Last in Pigskin in DC
Bucknell played in Griffith Stadium more times than any other ballpark, playing in the home of the Senators a whopping twelve times facing George Washington and Georgetown. In addition to this, they played in Griffith Stadium’s predecessor, American League Park two other times.
Notable games include a pair of Thanksgiving Day games at American League Park in 1908 and 1909 against George Washington. After playing to a 5-5 tie in 1908, the Bison survived with a 12-6 win after the Colonials missed two fourth quarter field goals.
One of the more intriguing games at Griffith Stadium for Bucknell was a 3-2 victory over Georgetown in 1925 played in a downpour with a 30-yard field goal supplying the winning points for the Bison.
Bison in the Big Apple Ballparks
Along with their appearances in Pittsburgh and Washington’s iconic ballparks, the Bison had climatic battles in Yankee Stadium and the Polo Grounds. Before Fordham and Bucknell were Patriot League foes, the two played highly-anticipated games at the Polo Grounds. From 1929-1932, Bucknell amassed a 24-9-4 record, while Fordham went 27-4-4 and the two met each season in one of the Northeast’s most anticipated games.
The Rams got the best of the Bison in the first two matchups. In 1929, the 6-0-2 Rams took on 7-1 Bucknell in front of 35,000 as Fordham prevailed 14-0 despite the efforts of future Pro and College Football Hall of Famer Clarke Hinkle of Bucknell. The following year, the Rams shut out the Bison 12-0 on the strength of 248 rush yards.
In 1931, the Bison finally got their break coming back from a 13-0 deficit to win 14-13. The Bison completed six passes for 172 yards, a stellar stat line for the time, with Hinkle catching a 45-yard pass and rushing for a two-yard touchdown. The game capped Bucknell’s first undefeated season ever.
In 1932, Fordham returned to its winning ways with a dominant 30-0 win with their offense rushing for 196 yards and completing 13-19 passes for 192 yards and their defense holding Bucknell to only 76 yards.
Bucknell twice played in “The House That Ruth Built” against NYU in 1935 and 1947. The Violets outgained Bucknell 352-42 in a 14-0 win in the first game and won again in 1947 by a score of 19-6 in a #MACtion-esque Tuesday night game.
Other Ballparks
Bucknell played Western Maryland at Memorial Stadium, the future home of the Baltimore Orioles for a pair of games in 1935 and 1940. Both games were defensive struggles with Bucknell winning 3-0 in 1935 and the other game ending in a 0-0 tie.
In the 1935 game, a shanked Western Maryland punt that went out of bounds at the Western Maryland 14 set up a 10-yard field goal, which was the only score. This bailed out a Bucknell offense that only completed one of their 13 passes.
Philadelphia’s Shibe Park also hosted a pair of Bucknell games as the Bison visited the home of the Athletics to play Villanova in 1937 and 1944. Villanova won the 1937 game 21-0 in a game that featured 27 punts. Bucknell got revenge seven years later, rushing for 282 yards in a 27-6 win.
In addition to the well-known major league parks, Bucknell also played in various minor league ballparks. In the 1890s, Bucknell played at the Sunbury Base Ball Park, Sixth Street Grounds in Harrisburg, and the Reading Baseball Grounds. In 1906, they ventured southward to play Virginia at Richmond’s Broad Street Park where JF Clarke ripped off returns of 70 and 80 yards on the way to a 12-5 win over the Cavaliers.
Arguably the most unique ballpark Bucknell played in was Island Park in Harrisburg where they played Gettysburg every year from 1912 to 1921 along with Villanova in 1905. Island Park sat on Harrisburg Island on the Susquehanna River similar to how FNB Field does today.
Also, the Bison have a connection to Babe Ruth as they played at the site of his furthest home run. In 1926, Bucknell played Villanova at Wilkes-Barre’s Artillery Park, where Babe Ruth reportedly hit a 600-foot home run. Finally, the Bison played Buffalo four times at Civic/War Memorial Stadium and Delaware twice at Wilmington Park.
This year, today’s Bison hope to follow in the footsteps of greats like Clarke Hinkle and Cristy Mathewson in their long-awaited return to the ballpark. If one uses their imagination, it may just feel like they’re watching the 1934 Orange Bowl team again.