1977-1981: The current Danville Dans were not the first collegiate team to call the Stadium home. The Danville Roosters played in the Central Illinois Collegiate League from 1977-81.
July 1-12, 1991: Filming of“ The Babe,” a movie about the larger-than-life Babe Ruth, takes place at the Stadium. Danville Stadium is transformed to look like Fenway Park in Boston and Forbes Field in Pittsburgh.
1988: The Danville Dans begin play in the Central Illinois Collegiate League. Now entering their 37th season, they are part of the Prospect League.
1989: The Dans win their first of nine post-season championships, in addition to four other regular-season championships over their 37 year history.
July 9, 2011: In celebrating the 65th anniversary of Danville Stadium, the press box was named in honor of Fowler Connell and Bob Kay. Connell, retired sports editor of Commercial-News and then broadcaster with WDAN, had covered games at the Stadium since the early 1950’ s. As a child, Kay was a batboy retrieving baseballs off the Stadium roof. He was a long-time baseball coach for Danville High School, and then served on the WDAN broadcast team.
When the Brooklyn Dodgers Came to Danville
In 1947, history was being made with Jackie Robinson joining the Brooklyn Dodgers team. He played his first game on April 15 that season.
Just two months later, on June 20, Robinson, Pee Wee Reese, Duke Snider, Gil Hodges and the rest of the Dodgers traveled to Danville on their way from Chicago to Cincinnati to play an exhibition team against their farm club.
After arriving by train, both Dodgers teams were treated to lunch at the Harrison Park Clubhouse hosted by the Danville Bat and Ball Club.
A crowd of nearly 6,100 fans were packed into Danville Stadium for the 8:00 pm exhibition. Extra bleachers were brought in from Danville High School and placed along the foul lines.
Because the team had lost games due to rainouts and make-ups coming up, Danville manager Paul Chervinko decided to start 17-year-old Vern Frantz against the Bums from Brooklyn rather than using Carl Erskine or his other top hurlers. Eddie Stankey hit a liner home run over the Penry Furniture sing in left field, while Duke Snider blasted“ a high arching drive that landed some 550 feet from home plate, leaving the premises over the Connor’ s Drive-In sign.” The senior Dodgers defeated their juniors 14-7.
Seven beat writers from New York newspapers joined the team in Danville, with sports editor Bob Poisall and sports writer Bill Leighty covering the excitement for the Commercial-News. Max Schaeffer broadcast the game on WDAN“ for the benefit of those who didn’ t want to battle the crowd.”
2026 DANVILLE DANS Official Program 17