In the 1930’s Jim English built English Field, which hosted professional and amateur baseball in Martinsville for several decades. With financial help from Hooker Furniture, whose main plant is just down the hill from the ballpark, English Field was renovated and renamed Hooker Field where it hosted the Martinsville Phillies from 1988-1998. From 1999-2003 Hooker Field was the host of the Martinsville Astros. Hooker Field has been the home of the Martinsville Mustangs of the Coastal Plain League since 2005.
Each year more than 100 events take place at Hooker Field including high school baseball, college baseball, American Legion baseball, and Martinsville Mustangs home games. In 2015, brand new turf infield was installed in Hooker Field. In the old days of Hooker Field the infield was always grass but, starting in 2015 the Mustangs and Hooker Fields other tenants have played their home games on turfed infield.
Hooker Field is one of the most authentic baseball parks still in use today and is a great place to bring the family on a summer night to enjoy the finest entertainment around!
In 2023, the ballpark was named after Louis Whitaker, “Sweet Lou,” a legend from Martinsville that played professional baseball with the Detroit Tigers from 1977 to 1995.