Photo citation: St. Paul Pioneer Press. Downtown Ball Park, St. Paul. 1903. Minnesota Historical Society
The Downtown Baseball Park, also known as the Pillbox due to its small size, was a historic baseball venue located at 12th and Robert in St. Paul. In use from 1903 to 1910, it served as the home field for the St. Paul Saints, a minor league team, and frequently hosted the all-Black St. Paul Gophers (also called the St. Paul Colored Gophers). At the time, professional baseball remained segregated, with organized leagues excluding Black players until the 1940s. However, independent Black teams, like the Gophers, played against both amateur and professional white teams, sometimes integrating outside talent for special matchups.
In its later years, the Pillbox was a key home for the Colored Gophers, who notably faced the Saints in 1907. Star pitcher and future Negro National League founder Andrew "Rube" Foster played with the Gophers, even throwing a no-hitter in 1908. The team continued playing at the Pillbox until the park was abandoned in 1910, leading to the team’s decline. Beyond baseball, the Pillbox hosted events such as speed skating in winter and professional wrestling in summer. Today, the site is occupied by a laboratory building for the Minnesota Departments of Health and Agriculture, located near Spaghetti Junction.
On December 18, 2024, CAAPB staff received an application from Stew Thornley, of the Halsey Hall Chapter of the Society for American Baseball Research, to add a commemorative plaque noting the site of the Downtown Base Ball Park on 12th and Robert Street in St. Paul. CAAPB staff reviewed the application per Minnesota Rules 2400.2703, Subpart 3, Item A, and deemed it to be incomplete. The applicant was advised of the determination via memo on December 30, 2024, including information on what was missing in the application. The applicant resubmitted the request on January 2, 2025, and after a second review CAAPB staff found it to be complete on January 15, 2025.
As per the rules, following the completeness check, CAAPB staff reviewed the addition request to ascertain whether it meets all of the conditions in M.R.2400.2703, Subpart 2, and a written report of the staff’s findings can be found below.
Tina Chimuzu
Planning Fellow
Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board
Tina.Chimuzu@state.mn.us
651-757-1508
