ATHLETICS
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ADDITIONAL LINKSKirsch-Rooney Stadium Construction & Dedication Ceremony
Major League Baseball Comes to Kirsch-Rooney General Facts and Kirsch-Rooney Stadium's complete schedule
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 Since its dedication in 1957, Kirsch-Rooney Stadium has come to serve as a landmark to baseball in the Crescent City. Originally built to serve the rapidly growing Lakeview neighborhood’s recreational needs, the stadium’s baseball diamond would go onto to host generations of New Orleanians, both players and spectators alike.
Shortly after Kirsch-Rooney Stadium was built at a cost of seventy thousand dollars, in a letter dated June 14th, 1956, councilman James Fitzmorris, Jr. explains that the city council unanimously approved an “ordinance requesting that the new Delgado Baseball Stadium be changed to the Kirsch-Rooney Baseball Stadium, in memory of Cyril Kirsch and another of our very fine Lakeview boys, Robert Rooney. The two boys, “Cy” and “Bob” as they were known to family and friends were two graduates of JesuitHighSchool who lettered together on the Blue Jays’ offensive line on the varsity football team. Although they graduated two years apart, they went on to continue their football careers at the collegiate level. Kirsch traveled to AuburnUniversity, while Rooney was accepted to the University of West Point. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 both men entered military service for the U.S. army. Four years later in March 1945, as the war was reaching its end, Robert Rooney, a recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross, had just completed his last mission on his final tour of duty, when his plane collided with that of another flight leader, killing both instantly. One month later, Cyril Kirsch was shot and killed by an enemy sniper while on a mission in Okinawa, Japan. Both Kirsch and Rooney were awarded the Medal of Honor after their deaths.
Kirsch-Rooney Stadium quickly became a busy place, filled year round with baseball games and even some occasional football games, which were played across the outfield. The diamond has even hosted two Major League Baseball exhibition series, one between the Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds on April 6-7, 1967 and another between the Atlanta Braves and Baltimore Orioles on April 1, 1974. In the first series between the Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds, future managers Dusty Baker and Dave Johnson each hit homers out of the park. Pete Rose also played in the series for the Reds. In the Braves/Orioles game, Hank Aaron hit a homer over the left field wall and received a standing ovation. Aaron’s home run would come only three days prior to his tying Babe Ruth’s lifetime homerun record at 714 home runs at the Braves’ home opener against the Cincinnati Reds.
In March, 1959 while in New Orleans for a public appearance for the New Orleans Pelicans, Joe DiMaggio visited Kirsch-Rooney while the Pelican's were taking batting practice. After removing his suit jacket, DiMaggio stepped up to the plate and hit a home run (see photo on left side of the webpage). It turned out that 1959 would be the Pelicans' final season.
Other Baseball Greats who have graced the diamond at Kirsch-Rooney are Tony Perez, Jim Palmer, Brooks Robinson, Don Baylor, Rusty Staub, and Will Clark.
For the past three decades, the Stadium has been home to Delgado Community College’s nationally ranked baseball program. It also serves as the home of the majority of New Orleans’ top high school and prep baseball teams. During the summer months, Kirsch-Rooney is home to the New Orleans Boosters’ summer program and league as well as First District American Legion Baseball. Today, the Stadium hosts nearly 350 games during its regular season, which spans from Fall to Summer.
Kirsch-Rooney has hosted several championship events including the 1974 NCAA Division II World Series, the 1984 American Legion World Series games, two Southwestern Athletic Conference Championships, multiple American Legion Southeast Regional playoffs, and the 2002 and 2004 American Legion State Tournaments.
In 2003, Kirsch-Rooney Stadium’s diamond was named for long-time Delgado coach, Louis “Rags” Scheuermann, who served as supervisor of the stadium for forty years in addition to coaching the Dolphins.
In August 2005 Kirsch-Rooney and its surrounding neighborhood were submerged by five to six feet of water for two weeks after Hurricane Katrina caused a breech in the nearby 17th Street Canal. The Stadium lost its field lights, outfield fence, scoreboard, batting cages, parts of its roof, and the entire lower level of the grandstand. Extreme efforts were made by DelgadoCommunity College and Kirsch-Rooney reopened on February 12, 2006 to the surprise of many. Kirsch-Rooney became the first completely flooded stadium in the New Orleans Metropolitan area to make a full recovery from the storm, becoming a beacon of hope during a period of despair. Some adjustments had to be made, however, including the loss of the field lights , which prompted the first all day game season in the Stadium’s history.
As part of its commitment to the city of New Orleans, DelgadoCommunityCollege has provided the upkeep of the field and grandstand for many years through an agreement with the New Orleans Recreation Department. In April 2008, Delgado and N.O.R.D. renewed their pact through a cooperative endeavor agreement, which granted DelgadoCommunityCollege “operational control” of the facility.
Prior to last season, a new state of the art scoreboard and message center was installed in rightfield. Upgrades to the grandstand included a new paint job and a replaced roof. This season, the restoration process continues with lower level improvements including new restrooms, an umpire/training room, as well as replacing termite damaged ceilings. Multiple improvements are planned for the coming off-season, the most anticipated being the installation of a new field lighting system, allowing night baseball games to return to Kirsch-Rooney for the first time since Hurricane Katrina in August 2005.
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