The baseball field was nearly converted into a clothing factory in 1918 during World War I. In September 1918, the Navy expressed an interest in buying the site to build a four-acre clothing factory. On September 9, 1918, the Navy submitted its request for the baseball park. The City agreed to the lease the next day in a deal which would have provided for a twenty-year lease with an option to buy at the end. Because World War I ended soon after the deal was struck, it was decided that there was no need for the factory, and plans were dropped.