Covington Blue Sox

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The Covington Blue Sox were a Federal League baseball team from Covington, Kentucky, in 1913. They were also called the Covington Colonels or Covington Federals in newspapers. The team played at Federal Park (also called Riverbreeze Park), a 6,000-seat ballpark designed by local architect Bernard Wisenall.

Baseball has a long history in Covington, dating back to the 1870s, with amateur teams like the Star club. The city hosted a notable 1875 game at Star Baseball Park between the Philadelphia Athletics and the Hartford Dark Blues. In the early 1910s Covington hoped to join a smaller league, but the Cincinnati Reds blocked that move. After other cities dropped out, Covington was awarded a Federal League franchise. The city raised about $13,500 to fund the team, including money for the ballpark.

The opening of Federal Park came with fanfare. The season began with a road trip on May 3 that included a 6–6 tie against Cleveland. Covington’s first home game on May 9 sold out, and the city’s mayor declared a half-holiday to celebrate. The ceremony featured a parade, bands, decorations, and the mayor tossing out the ceremonial first pitch. A messenger pigeon even carried news of the opener to other Federal League cities and to President Woodrow Wilson. Pitcher Walt Justis earned a 4–0 victory over the St. Louis Terriers.

However, Covington was a small town of about 55,000 and could not support the team. Attendance fell quickly, averaging around 650 fans per game after the first nine home games and totaling about 8,000 for nineteen home games. By June 21, the last home game had been played, and on June 23 it was announced the Blue Sox would move. On June 26 the team moved to Kansas City and became the Kansas City Packers.

The Federal League continued for a short time, declaring itself a major league in 1914, but folded after the 1915 season. Federal Park hosted other events, including boxing and auto polo, before it was torn down in 1919 to build a tobacco warehouse, which was later replaced by the Kenton County Circuit Courthouse. Covington has not hosted another professional team since. The Blue Sox’ logo showed a line drawing of a batter with the blue initials “BS.”