Ballparks of the Past:
Huntington Avenue Grounds, Boston Red Sox
NEW!
Posted June 17, 2003 (feedback)
(submit
story) (discuss)
Though
Huntington Avenue Grounds, the original home of
the Boston Red Sox, wasn't on this planet for a
long time, it did manage to be one of the more
important ballparks in the early history of
the American League. First, Huntington Avenue
Grounds was host to the first World Series game in
1903 -- where the Boston Pilgrims won the series
against a heavily favored Pittsburgh Pirates team.
Secondly, it was here that Cy Young threw the
first perfect game in baseball history, cementing
his reputation as one of the best pitchers ever to
play the game. Here's a history of Huntington
Avenue Grounds courtesy of Graham Knight at Red
Sox Connection.
Ballparks of the Past: Jarry
Park, Montreal Expos
Posted May 18, 2003 (feedback)
(submit
story) (discuss)
The
original home of the Montreal Expos, Jarry Park
was planned as a temporary one-year home for the
1969 season while the team pursued a domed
stadium. No dome appeared in Montreal until 1976,
so the Expos made do with one of the smallest
parks in the majors. A former amateur ballfield,
Jarry Park wasn't especially distinguished in any
way, shape or form (except for the municipal
swimming pool beyond the right-field fence -- and
when the Expos moved into
Olympic
Stadium for the 1977 season, there were no
calls to preserve Jarry Park for posterity.
Ballparks
of the Past: Colt Stadium, Houston Colt .45s,
1962-1964
Posted February 19, 2003 (feedback)
(submit story)
(discuss)
It
was an unloved, mosquito-ridden temporary facility
that really only served one purpose: to whet the
appetites of Houston residents for major-league
baseball until the Astrodome could be completed.
When Houston was awarded an expansion franchise,
it needed someplace to play, and fast -- so was
born Colt Stadium, the home of the Houston Colt
.45s for three seasons. Outdoor baseball in
Houston was not a good idea, and the amenities of
muggy Colt Stadium (a $2 million single-deck
facility thrown together that barely held 30,000)
were minimal, making Houston fans appreciate the
Astrodome even more when it opened for the 1965
season.
Ballparks
of the Past: Metropolitan Stadium, Minnesota
Twins, 1961-1981
Posted February 17, 2003 (feedback)
(submit story)
(discuss)
As
my first visit to a major-league game was at
Metropolitan Stadium, it's fitting that the first
look at ballparks of the past is Bloomington's Met
Stadium, the former home of the Minnesota Twins
from 1961 to 1981. The Met was a friendly
hodge-podge of a stadium, originally built in 1956
to attract a major-league club and then gradually
expanded over the years. While never quite
achieving a cohesive whole, the Met did feature
some great sightlines, and its status as a
hitter-friendly park helped a generation of
Minnesotans appreciate the exploits of Harmon
Killebrew, Tony Oliva, and Rod Carew -- and let's
not forget the sea of parking lots, which was
tailor-made for tailgaters of all sorts. A fuller
description and scads of pics within.
Have some
ballpark news you want to pass along to
BallParkWatch readers? Drop us a
line!
|