Photographs courtesy of
Halls Nostalgia
Conrad Park was located near the Stetson University campus, in the right field corner of what is now Melching Field. The ballpark has gone through several transitions (you will see the changes from the earlier black and white photos compared to the more recent color photos), and has served professional baseball since 1936, as well as Stetson University. The first team to make Conrad Park their official home was the DeLand Reds of the "new" Florida State League. The FSL had been in operation from 1919 until 1928 but then shut down for a period of 8 years. When it resurfaced, it began it's life as a Class D League. This version of the FSL is indeed the same as the Single-A Florida State League we know of today. It was 1936, and the inaugural teams of this "new version" of the former league included the Daytona Beach Islanders (City Island Park II aka Jackie Robinson Ballpark), the Palatka Azaleas (Azalea Bowl), Sanford Lookouts (Sanford Athletic Field), Gainesville G-Men (Harris Field) and the St. Augustine Saints (Lewis Park) * Gord Brown, SABR... and of course... the DeLand Reds who were tabbed as members of the Cincinnati Reds organization. Only Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona still exists today.