Why Butler BlueSox are ‘taking this year off’ as Pullman Park faces renovations, other changes
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A view of Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park in Butler from home base is seen on Monday, April 7, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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A view of Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park in Butler from the pitcher's mound is seen on Monday, April 7, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Wear and tear is seen on the baseball field at Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park in Butler on Monday, April 7, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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A view of Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park in Butler from the second base is seen on Monday, April 7, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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A view of Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park in Butler from home base is seen on Monday, April 7, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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A view of Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park in Butler from home base is seen on Monday, April 7, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Wear and tear is seen at Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park on Monday, April 7, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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A view of Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park in Butler from the third base is seen on Monday, April 7, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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The entrance to Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park in Butler is seen on Monday, April 7, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Graffiti is seen on the fencing around Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park in Butler on Monday, April 7, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park is seen through a tear in the back wall fencing on Monday, April 7, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Wear and tear is seen on the scoreboard at Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park in Butler on Monday, April 7, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Wear and tear is seen on stadium seating at Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park in Butler on Monday, April 7, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Wear and tear is seen on stadium seating at Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park in Butler on Monday, April 7, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Wear and tear is seen on the scoreboard at Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park in Butler on Monday, April 7, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Wear and tear is seen on the scoreboard at Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park in Butler on Monday, April 7, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Wear and tear is seen on the U.S. flag at Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park in Butler on Monday, April 7, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
The Butler BlueSox will not field a team this upcoming season. The North American Baseball Alliance will continue without them.
The City of Butler Parks, Recreation Grounds, and Facilities Authority, which owns the BlueSox, decided in February the community staple is taking a hiatus amid a possible management change and renovation plans at Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park, board member John Morgan told the Butler Eagle last week.
Former BlueSox general manager Dan Helgert said Friday he, coach Mike McNabb and several former BlueSox players formed the Allegheny A’s, a new team in the baseball alliance that will play at Highlands High School. The A’s will be a permanent team in the league, Helgert said.
The BlueSox have played at Pullman since around 2009, Morgan said. The City of Butler is exploring park leadership changes that could include Butler Area School District taking over management of the facility.
“We’re kind of taking this year off from the BlueSox just because there are some intended repairs that are going to happen that the BlueSox may get in the way of,” Morgan said. “We kind of want to stay at a lower capacity this year so we can potentially do some of those repairs.”
“It definitely will impact our league. You know, we’ll be OK, we'll survive, but they were a name that people recognized, that kids recognized,” said Shawn Manning, baseball alliance commissioner.
According to Manning, the Butler Iron Bucks will still play at Pullman Park this summer. The Pittsburgh Redbirds, 3B Barons and Trafford Crazy Trains will also play their home games there.
Manning founded the Iron Bucks, but this year he's taken on a “league administration role … kind of stepping away from the team side of things” to deal with the maintenance, organization and scheduling of the league.
The stadium authority does plan on the BlueSox making a return, but Morgan said, “the problem is, nothing’s ever final. You’ve got to work out the logistics of things. We’d love to ultimately have them in a higher-level league, and that’s kind of been the goal since the old BlueSox dissolved.”
That league, Morgan clarified, will not be the Prospect League, which the BlueSox played in from 2009-18, but a “similarly competitive league.” The BlueSox went 11-15 last season.
“It impacted our league, for sure, but we have decided to just kind of move forward with our eight-team league, and when and if they're ready to jump back in, we'll by all means welcome them back,” Manning said.
Since the BlueSox backed into the shadows, “there’s been all kinds of shuffling (in the NABA),” Manning said. The East Butler Bulldogs also are no longer in the league.
Manning doesn’t expect the league’s attendance numbers to be similar to recent years with the loss of the BlueSox. Morgan said Pullman Park won’t charge entry fees this season because there won’t be concessions.
“Our league, we want to be a part of the community,” Manning said. “We want the Little Leaguers to come out to the game, we want them to watch the game at the next level. It's super inexpensive, and it's a great time. … Free baseball all summer long. Tell them to pack their picnic baskets.”
The baseball alliance consists of two divisions, the Tri-State Collegiate League and Rust Belt Collegiate Baseball League. Other teams this season include: Allegheny A’s, Altoona Cumming Motors, Creekside Crocodiles and Kiski Valley Vikings.
The league’s season begins May 31.
Editor’s note: This story was updated 7 p.m. Friday, April 25, 2025, to add several players, the general manager and coach have formed a new team in the NABA.
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