SCHool Magazine Features

In the early 1900s, names like Daniel Boone and West Philadelphia High haunted the dirt at Jefferson and Pollock fields. But those grounds eventually gave way to the gaps of history. According to SCH’s in-house historian, Paul Hines, only one patch of grass in Philadelphia has remained a constant stage for high school ball: Corning Pearson ’30 Field. At SCH Academy, and previously Chestnut Hill Academy (CHA), the game hasn’t just been played for over a century—it’s never stopped.

A Transformation of Turf

The transition from horse show to home plate began in 1898. CHA had just settled into the Wissahickon Inn, but with no dedicated field, CHA’s first athletic director, Ed Durfee, had to get creative. He set his sights on the Inn’s West Field—a space better known for hooves than homers.

According to A History of Chestnut Hill Academy by Clark Groome ’60, the transformation was a “rapid” evolution. The same ground that served as the ring for the Philadelphia Horse Show (later the Devon Horse Show) was suddenly graded for play and encircled by a track. It was an unconventional start, with stables sitting right along the basepaths, but it worked. Since that 1898 pivot, the field has served as the bedrock of CHA varsity baseball, becoming the city’s most enduring diamond.

The First Pitch

The Quarter Century Review of CHA 1895 to 1920 notes that the school “organized athletics at the beginning of the 20th century.” In 1900, said Hines, a regular baseball team with a captain, manager/coach, and the team played scheduled games.

Though the original scorebooks have been lost to time, the roster of that inaugural 1900 squad remains:

Captain: D. T. Carter Coach: E. C. Durfee
Starting Lineup: E. Sheppard (C), D. T. Carter (P), C. Sheppard
(1B), R. O. Sheridan (2B), J.M. Stewart (SS), J. L. Patterson (3B), E.
W. Clark, 3rd (LF), E. Myers (CF), and A. H. Scott (RF)

By 1903, the baseball program even had an early version of an indoor facility. The old carriage house and stables were renovated into a recreation  building (aka The Rec), allowing the team to play indoor baseball when weather prevented outdoor play.

A Century of Excellence

The field has witnessed eras of dominance and periods of silence. The 1920 team went undefeated, though it lacked a championship trophy because the school did not belong to a league. That changed in 1926 when the school joined the Inter-Ac League, sparking a golden era with championships in 1926, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1933, and 1936.

The diamond went quiet in the fall of 1942, as the school closed its Upper School due to a drop in enrollment and a lack of teachers, who were in the Second World War. However, the community used the field continuously, the program was restored in 1956, and the winning tradition followed, with league titles spanning from 1966 to the most recent victory in 2023.

The Legacy of Corning Pearson '30 Field

In 2011, Corning Pearson '30 Field was named after a CHA ball player who went on to play for Princeton and whose son, Corning Pearson '59, was a four-sport titan at CHA. The elder Pearson was responsible for revamping the field in the 90s and told the Chestnut Hill Local, "I only wish I
could play again."

But the Pearsons weren't the only legends to leave their cleats in the soil. This field has long served as a launching pad for the big leagues. Major League players such as Tito Nanni ’78, Dave Miller ’92, Steel Russell ’09, and World Series champion Mike Koplove ’95 all trained on the CHA field. While other Philadelphia diamonds from the 1800s were paved over or forgotten, this patch of Chestnut Hill has stood the test of time.

What's Next

While you can still stand behind the dugout for thrilling games at Pearson Field, a century of play has taken its toll. On December 4, the SCH baseball family gathered in the Hall of Fame Club at Citizens Bank Park for the “For the Love of the Game” fundraiser, a special celebration honoring the legacy of parent and coach Mike Brown ’00, who is battling ALS, and establishing a fund in his name to repair Pearson Field. Thanks to supporters near and far, and a committee chaired by Brendan Flatow ‘94 and Kim Whetzel H’17, nearly $200,000 was raised for the upgrades and the establishment of the Michael C. Brown '00 Endowed Fund for Baseball.

Attendees heard from several members of the community who care deeply about CHA and SCH baseball, including Yankees commentator Dave Sims ‘71; former player and current LaSalle coach Dave Miller ‘92; head coach Joe Ishikawa, who spoke about ohana—meaning family—as the core of his team culture; this year’s captains, Frankie Decembrino ‘26 and Joey Markey ‘26; Head of School Steve Druggan, and Phillies GM and SCH parent Sam Fuld. Honoree Mike Brown '00 reminded the community to love with intention and give back in a video produced by Brendan Flatow '25.

“Everyone has a million plans,” said Brown, “when you have a medical problem, you now have one plan. I’m so limited in the days I have; I have zero days to waste. My approach is that we all have zero days to waste, because no one is guaranteed tomorrow."

Special thanks to Paul Hines H'03 and Clark Groome '60 for their research.

Donate to the Cause

While we have made remarkable progress raising funds for the field upgrades, we’re not done yet. You can make a gift toward the Michael C. Brown '00 Endowed Fund for Baseball or the Pearson Field improvements.

Read a Q&A with Yankees announcer Dave Sims '71!