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Take a last look inside LaGrave Field before the historic baseball stadium is demolished

amanda mccoy
·1 min read

Inside Look stories give Star-Telegram subscribers exclusive sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes reporting. Story suggestion? Editors@star-telegram.com.

After years of uncertainty, the fate of LaGrave Field in Fort Worth is sealed.

The abandoned baseball stadium will be demolished at some point soon to make way for Panther Island development.

The Fort Worth Cats started playing at the original LaGrave Field in 1926, first as an independent team and eventually as a part of the Brooklyn Dodgers farm system. Baseball legends like Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson and Lou Gehrig all took their turns gracing the base paths during the Cats’ nearly 40-year stint in Fort Worth.

LaGrave Field on Friday, June 21, 2024, in Fort Worth. The field has been vandalized over the years since being abandoned in 2014.
LaGrave Field on Friday, June 21, 2024, in Fort Worth. The field has been vandalized over the years since being abandoned in 2014.

The existing ballpark was built in 2002 by Fort Worth businessman Carl Bell. It reincarnated the Fort Worth Cats as part of a Texas independent baseball league.

The Cats played there until 2014. It has remained abandoned for the last 10 years.

The Tarrant Regional Water District took ownership of the field in July 2018 and there were hopes of restoring the field. Those hopes ended when the water district’s board voted 5-0 in mid-June to tear down the 4,100-seat stadium.

Here’s an inside look at how LaGrave Field looks today.

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LaGrave Field on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in Fort Worth. The Tarrant Regional Water District board voted 5-0 to tear down the stadium a consultant’s recommendation.
LaGrave Field on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in Fort Worth. The Tarrant Regional Water District board voted 5-0 to tear down the stadium a consultant’s recommendation.
The scoreboard at LaGrave Field on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in Fort Worth. The current ball field was built in 2001 by Fort Worth businessman Carl Bell and home the Fort Worth Cats, who were part of a now disbanded independent baseball league in Texas.
The scoreboard at LaGrave Field on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in Fort Worth. The current ball field was built in 2001 by Fort Worth businessman Carl Bell and home the Fort Worth Cats, who were part of a now disbanded independent baseball league in Texas.
A dugout at LaGrave Field on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in Fort Worth. The field has been vandalized over the years since being abandoned in 2014. The Tarrant Regional Water District board voted 5-0 to demolish the stadium, but said the dugouts should be preserved.
A dugout at LaGrave Field on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in Fort Worth. The field has been vandalized over the years since being abandoned in 2014. The Tarrant Regional Water District board voted 5-0 to demolish the stadium, but said the dugouts should be preserved.
A dugout storage unit at LaGrave Field on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in Fort Worth.
A dugout storage unit at LaGrave Field on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in Fort Worth.
Graffiti marks seats at LaGrave Field on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in Fort Worth. The Water District took ownership of the field in 2019 and has spent upwards of $200,000 annually to maintain and secure LaGrave.
Graffiti marks seats at LaGrave Field on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in Fort Worth. The Water District took ownership of the field in 2019 and has spent upwards of $200,000 annually to maintain and secure LaGrave.
LaGrave Field in Fort Worth on Friday, June 21, 2024.
LaGrave Field in Fort Worth on Friday, June 21, 2024.