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Klamath Falls' original wood stadium with over 60 years of history.
Klamath Falls was a member of the Far West League for all four years of the league's existence (1948-51). Our town led the league in attendance for three of the four years, and won the league's final Championship.
Klamath Falls appears to have had the strongest franchise in the league; the Gems had a winning record all four seasons, taking the regular season pennant in 1950 and winning the playoffs in 1951. They also led the league in attendance the first three seasons, and by a wide margin in 1949 and 1950 (Eugene was the final season’s attendance champ). But Klamath Falls has never had another minor league team, due to a combination of size and location.
But Kiger Stadium has been far from empty during the years since the Far West League. The ballpark has been home to tens of thousands of American Legion, Babe Ruth League, college and high school games throughout the years. In 2011, Oregon Tech, Mazama High School, the Klamath Falls Falcons and Hawks (American Legion) and local Babe Ruth Baseball teams will call the historic ballpark home. Also in 2011, a collegiate wood bat West Coast League, which plays like a minor league team, will begin play at the ballpark. Appropriately, the new team took the name Klamath Gems. More history will be made at the grand old ballpark every year!
In its heyday, the stadium could hold 5,000 baseball fans, and it was filled to capacity quite often. Ask anybody who's ever seen or played at Kiger Stadium and they'll tell you there is a love affair with the facility.
A legendary game show host and actor from the 1970s and 80s, Bert Convy was drafted out of West Hollywood High School in 1951 and played outfield for the 1951 Gems!
