|
Known for the worst turf and playing
conditions, Veterans Stadium was the home of the Philadelphia Phillies for more than 30 years. After playing at an aging and
deteriorating Connie Mack Stadium/Shibe Park along with the
Philadelphia Eagles (NFL) for more than three decades, both teams
wanted a new stadium. By 1961, both teams had planned to be playing
in a new multipurpose stadium. However 1961 came and went because of disputes over where the stadium should be built. In November 1964, a $25
million bond was approved by voters to build a stadium. By 1966, two
locations for a new stadium were still being deliberated, while the
cost of construction continued to rise. On October 2, 1967 ground
was broken for a new stadium in south Philadelphia. Named Veteran
Stadium, the facility was completed in just under four years. The Phillies
played their inaugural first game at the stadium on April 10, 1971.
Located outside downtown Philadelphia, Veterans Stadium
was located in a massive sports complex. Highways and parking lots
surrounded the colossal structure. In order to enter the stadium,
fans had to walk up ramps to get to the entrance gates. Once in side this
massive stadium, fans saw artificial turf and a sea of blue seats.
The 100-300 level of seats were accessed from the main level upon
entering Veterans Stadium. Fans could also walked down ramps to access
the 100 and 200 levels of seats. In order to access the upper deck
fans had to take elevators or ramps. In baseball configuration,
Veterans Stadium held 62,382 fans. The 100 and 200 levels of
seats extended from the left field foul pole to home plate and around
to the right field foul pole. All the rest of the levels of seats at
the stadium circled the entire playing field. The press and club
level was in between the main and upper decks of the stadium. Very few changes
took place at Veterans Stadium during its existence. The scoreboards were
originally above the right and left field fence but were replaced with a two
new video boards in the 1990’s, located in the upper deck. In the
1970's, fountains
were located between the scoreboards and would spew during
various times throughout the game. The
multicolored seats were replaced with blue seats in 1994, when
the Phillies took over the management of the stadium. A replica of
the Liberty Bell was located on the stadium roof in center field.
The Phillies had many fan friendly activities
for people to do at Veterans Stadium. They included the Broadcast
Dream, where fans could broadcast part of the game, a Negro Leagues
Exhibit featuring items from Negro League stars, the Phanatic Phun
House for kids, the Phillies Wall of Fame where plaques honored some
of the Phillies greats, and many more entertainment exhibits.
Perhaps one of the best parts about visiting Veterans Stadium was
seeing the Phillies popular mascot, the Phanatic.
For
many years, Veterans Stadium was known as one of the worst stadiums
in baseball, due to its terrible Astroturf. The Eagles football
gridiron could even be seen during baseball games. However, after the
2000 season, the artificial turf was replaced by Nexturf, a thick
plastic grass. Similar to nearly every team in baseball, the Phillies began
to desire a new retro ballpark to replace the multipurpose Veterans
Stadium. The 2003 season was the last season the Phillies played
at the stadium. The Phillies played their last game at Veterans
Stadium on September 28, 2003, against the Atlanta Braves. On March
21, 2004, Veterans Stadium was demolished. The site is now a parking
lot for the sports complex. The Phillies moved right across the street from
Veterans Stadium into
Citizens Bank Park in April, 2004.
|
