Yankee Stadium
Opened in 1923, the “original” Yankee Stadiums was the home of New York Yankees until 2008. There is some debate as to whether or not the renovated Yankee Stadium in 1976 should count as a different version of the original that opened in 1923, but for the sake of this video we will consider them one and the same. Yankee Stadium was “The House that Ruth Built.” The Yankees were a powerhouse during their time in the ballpark, with 25 World Series titles and numerous hall of famers donning the pinstripes in Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle, Berra, and Jeter just to name a few. It was and still is considered as one of the most iconic stadiums of all time, with a short porch in right field and the blacked-out area over the center field wall. Let us not forget about the white façade in covering most of the center field area as well, a feature that the new Yankees Stadium replicated along with many other features of the old one. Yankees moved to the new Yankee Stadium in 2009 and the “original” Yankee Stadium was demolished in 2010 and the site was converted into a public park known today as Heritage Field.
Shea Stadium
The home to New York Mets from 1964 to 2008, Shea Stadium was also the home to NFL team New York Jets and also hosted Yankees in 1974 and 1975 and New York Giants in 1975. One would be remiss not to mention the other New York team with an iconic stadium that was demolished in 2009. Shea Stadium was originally named Flushing Meadow Park Municipal Stadium, but the name was so unpopular that it was changed to Shea Stadium after lawyer William Shea, who was one of the biggest proponents of bringing another team to New York once the Giants were relocated to San Francisco. The ballpark was a classic multi-purpose venue that hosted both baseball and football games during its history, along with a famous Beatles concert in 1965 and epic pro wrestling matches to boot. In fact, Shea was well-known for hosting some of the most famous musicians of all-time. Among the many oddities found at the stadium were the orange foul poles (Shea Stadium was actually the only ballpark to paint their foul poles orange and Citi Field kept them the same) and the iconic Home Run Apple that first appeared in 1980 and popped out of a magician’s top hat whenever the Mets hit a home run. Shea Stadium was demolished in 2009, with the space being used for additional parking for the newer Citi Field.
Shibe Park
Opened in 1909 and demolished in 1976, Shibe Park was home to former baseball team Philadelphia Athletics from 1909 until 1954, the Philadelphia Phillies from 1938 until 1970 and NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles from 1940 until 1957. The original occupants of Shibe Park were the Philadelphia Athletics, who were owned at the time by Ben Shibe. Shibe had a vision in mind of a stadium that was built out of concrete and steel, and he turned that vision into reality with Shibe Park, the first of its kind that marked a shift in the way stadiums were built and looked at the time. The stadium was remarkably built in only one year at a cost of just over $300,000 at the time. Philadelphia already had a National League team in the Phillies, who came into existence in 1883, but that did not stop Ben Shibe from creating another team in the city for the American League, which came into existence in 1901. The Athletics were much more successful during their time at Shibe Park than the Phillies were, with the 1929 team in particular regarded by many as one of the best teams of all-time. In 1953 Shibe Park was renamed Connie Mack Stadium after manager Connie Mack retired from leading the Athletics for 50 years. Unfortunately, in less than 30 years later the team would relocate to Kansas City in 1955 due to low attendance numbers and heavy debts, leaving Philadelphia with only one team in the Phillies. Shibe Park was mostly destroyed by a fire in 1971 and after it was completely demolished in 1976 the site eventually became home to a church.
Tiger Stadium
The home to Detroit Tigers from 1912 until 2009 and Detroit Lions of the NFL from 1938 until 1974, Tiger Stadium was originally known as Navin Field, named after owner Frank Navin, then Briggs Stadium before finally settling on Tiger Stadium until its closing in 1999. It was opened only five days after the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 and would go on to host baseball games for nearly a century. The ballpark was well-known for having a short porch in right field, to the tune of only 315 feet after renovations were made to create an overhang above the upper deck. Among the many famous games hosted at Tiger Stadium, one that stands out the most is the All Star Game in 1941, in which Ted Williams hit a game-winning home run. Tiger Stadium certainly had its quirks, among them being the flag pole in deep left center field and the double-deck outfield bleacher seats where fans got to see Cecil Fielder hit home runs over their heads on a regular basis. Speaking of home runs, two New York Yankees players in particular are credited as having the longest home runs ever hit in baseball history at the stadium. Babe Ruth hit a home run to center field in 1921 estimated at 575 feet, and in 1960 Mickey Mantle hit a home run at Tiger Stadium estimated to be close to 600 feet, which many historians argue was the longest home run ever hit. While the stadium itself was demolished in 2009, the field was redeveloped into what is now known as The Corner Ballpark, which is primarily used by the Police Athletic League for children.
Ebbets Field
The home of Brooklyn Dodgers, Ebbets field opened in 1913 and was known for being groundbreaking in many different ways. The most obvious one was Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in 1947, but even before that the ballpark was home to the first televised Major League Baseball game in 1939 that featured the Cincinnati Reds against the Brooklyn Dodgers, along with the first televised pro football game between the Dodgers and the Eagles. Ebbets Field was named for Charles Ebbets, who was its owner and was the one who bought land to construct the stadium. The ballpark had one of the more unique dimensions given the constraints it faced with land in New York City, with the right field fence in particular being only 300 feet from home plate, although it did have a nine-foot wall with a large scoreboard in place. The exterior of the stadium was the most memorable, however, containing numerous arches with an 80-foot rotunda at the entrance made out of Italian marble. The Dodgers would eventually move out west in 1957 when an agreement could not be reached for a new stadium in the city, and in 1960 Ebbets Field was demolished. The field was turned into apartments that still exist today, along with a plaque commemorating the ballpark.
Comiskey Park
When people think of sports on Chicago’s south side, they think of the Chicago White Sox and the once iconic Comiskey Park. The ballpark was actually built on a former city dump that White Sox owner Charles Comiskey purchased in 1909 to replace South Side Park. It was considered as a technological achievement at the time being built of concrete and steel with a record capacity then at 32,000. Since its opening in 1910 numerous changes were made to Comiskey Park over the eight decades of existence, with the most notable ones including an “exploding” scoreboard in 1960 that shot out fireworks and sound effects, along with the introduction of astroturf in 1969. An interesting fact about Comiskey Park is that it started the tradition of playing the Star-Spangled banner. In 1918 the World Series was nearly cancelled due to World War I, but soldiers overseas were overwhelmingly interested in knowing how the series played out. The song was featured during the seventh inning stretch as a gesture to the soldiers and has been played ever since at the start of ball games. After the ballpark was demolished in 1991 it was then turned into parking for the new stadium that was built nearby.
Busch Memorial Stadium
Opened in 1966, the Busch Memorial Stadium was home to St. Louis Cardinals, both the MLB and the NFL teams. Containing arguably the most loyal baseball fans of any city in the United States, the St. Louis Cardinals needed a stadium that would stand the test of time and give fans a glimpse of all-time greats from Stan Musial to Ozzie Smith to Albert Pujols. Busch Memorial Stadium was actually built shortly after the Gateway Arch that defines St. Louis to this day, with the former being named after Anheuser Busch, who owned the team dating back to 1953. The 96 arches that went around the top of the stadium paid homage to the Gateway Arch and also served as a unique feature that set it apart from other ballparks at the time. Similar to the previously mentioned Comiskey Park, Busch Memorial Stadium’s field was replaced with astroturf in 1970 and remained until its professional football team (St. Louis Rams) moved into its new domed stadium in 1995. Busch Memorial Stadium was demolished in 2005, and with its proximity to the new stadium right next to it, much of the former ballpark was used to comprise the new stadium, with a small portion set aside for parking and various shops.
Riverfront Stadium
Opened in 1970 Riverfront Stadium was home to Cincinnati Reds and Cincinnati Bengals. It was named Riverfront Stadium simply due to its proximity of being only one block away from the Ohio River, but it was mostly known as the home of the Big Red Machine. The Cincinnati Reds of the 1970s were one of the most successful teams throughout the entire decade, winning two World Series titles along with four National League pennants and an average of 95 wins per season. The stadium itself wasn’t really anything special, as it was like most stadiums at the time with a circular design that was suited to host multiple sports in order for the city to save on expenses. It makes the list primarily for the Big Red Machine and its accomplishments, including Pete Rose’s 4,192nd hit in 1985. Upon being demolished in 2002, most of the area of the former stadium was used for the new stadium along with part of it being converted into the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and Reds’ Hall of Fame and Museum.
The Kingdome
No ballpark list would be complete without including a domed stadium and the Kingdome is certainly one of the most iconic domed stadiums. Home to Seattle Mariners, Seattle Seahawks, Seattle SuperSonics and Seattle Sounders the stadium opened in 1976 and it had an interesting name, originating from its location in King County, Washington. Two unique features of the domed stadium were a right field wall that was 23 feet high and speakers that hung off the roof of the dome and caused numerous problems for both batters and fielders trying to figure out where balls would land as they were hit plenty of times. Even though the stadium itself wasn’t very special, what made it special were the moments that occurred within it. The Mariners of the 1990s were one of the most exciting teams to watch, with hall of famers in Ken Griffey Jr. and Randy Johnson wowing fans with their incredible abilities. 1995 will always be etched in the minds of Mariners fans who witnessed the famous ending of the ALDS against the New York Yankees with Griffey’s iconic slide into home plate. The Kingdome was demolished in 2000 and Lumen Field, the current home of the Seattle Seahawks football team, was constructed in its place in 2002.
Forbes Field
Forbes Field was the home of Pittsburgh Pirates from 1909 until 1970 an is also hosted Pittsburgh Steelers from 1933 until 1963. While most stadiums were named after owners, Forbes Field was actually named for the street that was adjacent to it in Forbes Avenue. Interestingly enough, Forbes Avenue was named for British general John Forbes who would inspire the city name of Pittsburgh in 1758. Like similar parks during the time period, the ballpark was constructed out of concrete and steel, with new features at the time including a three-tiered grandstand behind home plate, luxury suites, and elevators. It was notoriously difficult to hit home runs for right handed players, with the dimensions in left field ranging from 365 feet to over 450 feet in center field. Interestingly enough, the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1909 are considered as one of the greatest teams of all time, winning 110 games and the World Series with all-time. The Pirates also won in the last year of the ballpark’s existence in 1971. Forbes Field was home to quite a few memorable moments, including Babe Ruth’s last home run hit in 1935. After suffering two fires, Forbes Field was demolished in 1971. The remnants of Forbes Field can still be seen today. Most of the playing area was converted into buildings for the University of Pittsburgh, but the centerfield and right field brick walls still exist.
