Vince Genna Stadium
By Steve Lent, Crook County Historian
Vince Genna stadium is located in south Bend at Wilson Avenue and 5th Street. It was originally opened in 1964 and was known as Municipal Ball Park. The baseball field was expanded and improved in 1972 and was named in his honor. Vince Genna was active in Bend recreational programs. He was born on January 1, 1921 in Auburn, Washington. He grew up in Tacoma and graduated from Stadium High School in 1940. He attended Willamette University in Salem, Oregon.
He met Lois Gregson while attending the university and they were married on April 10, 1943. She was born on April 10, 1923. Vince joined the Army Air Corps during World War II and served as a crew chief on B-24 bombers in the Mediterranean Theater of War. After the war his family returned to Salem. They moved to Bend in 1954. Vince became the assistant recreation director in Bend.
He coached American Legion junior baseball teams and won three State championships. He became recreation director, director of Bend Parks and Recreation and then director of Bend Metro Parks and Recreation District. During his time the district won numerous state and national awards.
He retired in 1990. Among other duties he served as Bend’s American Legion post commander. After his wife’s death his health began to fail and he moved to live with his sister in Tacoma, Washington. He died in Renton, Washington on April 7, 2007. He is buried in Pilot Butte Cemetery in Bend. Shortly after his death the Bend City Council proclaimed June 15, 2007 as Vince Genna Day.
The stadium is now home to the Bend Elks, a collegiate summer league team. The stadium also has been the home to several minor league teams and other baseball teams over the years. There is a field house located adjacent to the stadium that is a major recreational center. The stadium has a seating capacity of 3500.