Emil Bossard Annex Fields—Origin of Name

The Emil Bossard Annex Fields is also called the Reid Park Annex. Bossard was a longtime groundskeeper for the Cleveland Indians baseball team in Ohio and worked with the local groundskeeper to prepare for their spring training games in Tucson. After Bossard retired as groundskeeper for the Cleveland Indians in 1961 he came to Tucson and lent his services to Hi Corbett field and the Annex.

Born on May 20, 1891, in Luthern, Switzerland, Bossard became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1908. He was fortunate to survive the Pioneer Hotel fire on December 20, 1970. Bossard passed away on May 6, 1980. He was posthumously inducted into the Major League Baseball Groundskeeper Hall of Fame on Jan. 8, 2012.

Source:

“What’s in a name? It might surprise you, the nomenclature of sports facilities.” Arizona Daily Star. August 21, 1991.

Leighton, David "Street Smarts: Road, field named for legendary groundskeeper, opens a new window." Arizona Daily Star. September 22, 2014.


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