The Eugene Emeralds, short-season class A affiliate of the Cubs, had not played a game in historic Civic Stadium since 2009, but when it burned to the ground last month, the team took it to heart. The ballpark, which was built in 1938 and served as home to the Ems from 1969 to 2009, was completely destroyed by a massive fire June 29.
Four boys ages 10–12 have been charged with arson after authorities said they were playing with fire in the abandoned press box.
The stadium, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008, had been empty since the Ems left, but plans for renovating it were afoot. The Eugene School District, Civic Stadium’s original and longtime owner, sold it in April to the Eugene Civic Alliance, which planned to rehabilitate the stadium as a sports complex for children.
On August 16, the Ems will pay tribute to their former home with jerseys designed by their in-house designer Danny Cowley. The specialty uniforms will be donated to the team by Wilson.
According to the team, the uniforms highlight some of Civic Stadium’s unique design elements:
The uniforms feature Civic Stadium’s iconic roofline, as seen from right field, on the front and the clock atop the stadium’s manual scoreboard on the back. The scoreboard in right field is the only thing to survive the fire, which spread quickly through the old wooden stadium.
The team will sell the uniforms on the day of the game, with proceeds benefiting the Eugene Civic Alliance, which still plans to build a “vibrant center for youth fitness and community health” on the site.
