Veterans Stadium
From SoSH
| Location: | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Opened: | 1971 |
| Owner: | City of Philadelphia |
| Surface: | AstroTurf / NexTurf |
| Architect: | Hugh Stubbins and Associates |
| Current Capacity: | 62,306 (baseball) |
| Build Cost: | $50,000,000 |
| Tenants: | Philadelphia Phillies (NL) (1971-2003) Philadelphia Eagles (NFL) (1971-2002) Philadelphia Atoms (NASL) (1973-1975) Philadelphia Fury (NASL) (1978-1980) Philadelphia Stars (USFL) (1983-1984) Temple University (NCAA) (1978-2002) |
Contents |
Stadium History
When the Philadelphia Athletics moved to Kansas City, Philadelphians feared losing yet another sports franchise. In an effort to retain their teams, the voters in 1964 approved a $25 million bond issue to replace Connie Mack Stadium (which was by then nearly sixty years old) and Franklin Field. Another $13 million had to be approved later on to deal with cost overruns, making the new Veterans Stadium one of the most expensive to date. The park was supposed to open in 1970, but bad weather and cost overruns made this impossible. The park finally opened in time for the 1971 baseball season. The Phillies christened their new park by defeating the Montreal Expos 4-1.
The park was notorious for its terrible playing surface, particularly for football. The AstroTurf was uneven and seams were visible in places on the field, and it was responsible for a number of serious injuries. The park was known as the "Field of Seams," and it was so bad that many player representatives did their best to prevent the Eagles from trying to sign or draft their clients. The AstroTurf was replaced by NexTurf in 2001, a softer artificial surface that was supposed to be easier on the knees. The problem with this was that the crew that installed the surface did a poor job and left seams and patches in the surface, just like the AstroTurf.
The last game the Phillies played at Veterans Stadium was a loss to the division rival Atlanta Braves, but the day was most memorable for the postgame ceremony, featuring an ill Tug McGraw re-enacting the final out of the 1980 World Series. Longtime Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas, over the public address system, had the last words: "And now, Veterans Stadium is like a 3-1 pitch to Jim Thome or Mike Schmidt. It's on a long drive...it's outta here!"
Veterans Stadium was demolished by implosion on March 21, 2004.
Trivia
- Site of the 1976 and 1996 MLB All-Star Games.
- The original home plate from Connie Mack Stadium was used at Veterans Stadium.
Field Dimensions
| Left Field | Left Center | Center Field | Right Center | Right Field |
| 330' | 371' | 408' | 371' | 330' |
Wall Height
| Left Field | Center Field | Right Field |
| 12' | 12' | 12' |
External Links
- Veterans Stadium - Wikipedia
- Veterans Stadium - Ballparks.com
