Phoenix Municipal Stadium
| Phoenix Municipal Stadium | |
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| Phoenix Muni | |
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| Location | 5999 E. Van Buren Street Phoenix, AZ 85008 |
| Coordinates | 33°26′56″N 111°57′20″W / 33.44889°N 111.95556°WCoordinates: 33°26′56″N 111°57′20″W / 33.44889°N 111.95556°W |
| Opened | March 8, 1964 |
| Operator | City of Phoenix |
| Surface | Grass |
| Capacity | 8,775 |
| Field dimensions | Left - 345 ft. Center - 410 ft. Right - 345 ft. |
| Tenants | |
| Oakland Athletics (MLB) (spring training) (1984-2014)[1] Phoenix Desert Dogs (AFL) (1992-present) Phoenix Giants/Phoenix Firebirds (PCL) (1962-1991, 1997) San Francisco Giants (MLB) (spring training) (1964) (Arizona State, 2015) |
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Phoenix Municipal Stadium is a baseball stadium, located in Phoenix, Arizona. It is often referred in short as Phoenix Muni. The stadium was built in 1964 and holds 8,775 people. It is the spring training home of the Oakland Athletics and is one of two spring training facilities run by the City of Phoenix. The San Francisco Giants played at the ballpark, during spring training in 1964. For the 2015 season, the Arizona State Sun Devils baseball program will relocate to Phoenix Municipal Stadium after the A's moved to HoHoKam Stadium in Mesa.
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[edit] Stadium History
The Valley's oldest stadium opened during the New York Giants relocation to San Francisco in 1958. Along with the move came the Polo Grounds light poles after its demolition in 1964 where they still stand today.[2] The stadium is most noted for its scenic outfield backdrop, which features the famous geologic formations of neighboring Papago Park.
In 2003, the stadium underwent a $6.4 million dollar renovation to improve the press box facilities (they were at the time the only open-air facilities in the Cactus League), new dugouts, better signage, and improved concourse areas with benches, shading and a historical timeline.[3]
[edit] Baseball
[edit] Phoenix Giants/Phoenix Firebirds
The stadium hosted the San Francisco Giants former affiliate Triple-A Pacific Coast League Phoenix Firebirds, formerly the Phoenix Giants, until 1992, when Scottsdale Stadium was opened. The first spring training game was played on March 8, 1964, in which the Giants beat Cleveland, 6 to 2. Willie Mays hit the first home run at the park, in front of a crowd of 8,582. In attendance, for the dedication ceremonies, were Commissioner Ford Frick, National League President Warren Giles, and Giants owner Horace Stoneham.[4][5]
[edit] Arizona State Sun Devils
In 2013, The Arizona Board of Regents approved Arizona State University's 25 year lease to Phoenix Municipal Stadium. [6] The stadium is 2.5 miles from Arizona State's campus in Tempe. The ASU baseball program has history at the site, as Reggie Jackson was the first college player to hit a home run out of Phoenix Municipal Stadium. The Sun Devils start play in 2015 after which Packard Stadium will be redeveloped to help pay for improvements to Sun Devil Stadium. [7]
[edit] Other
The stadium has also hosted Arizona Fall League games during the fall. Currently, it hosts the home games of the Phoenix Desert Dogs. The Arizona Diamondbacks rookie league games were also played in the stadium, during their first year in the minor-league level Arizona League. Several of the Arizona high school baseball championships are played there in early May.
[edit] Concerts
The Police performed at the stadium during their Synchronicity Tour on September 8, 1983. Pink Floyd performed, on two consecutive nights, at the stadium during their A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour on April 25–26, 1988.
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.ballparkdigest.com/201111294363/major-league-baseball/news/oakland-negotiating-move-to-hohokam-park
- ^ http://phoenix.gov/parks/sports/phxmuni.html
- ^ http://phoenix.gov/parks/sports/phxmuni.html
- ^ "Willie Mays pokes one over center wall as Giants get win". The Bulletin. 1964-03-09. p. 7. Retrieved 2009-08-28.
- ^ Charlie Finley: The Outrageous Story of Baseball's Super Showman, p.84, G. Michael Green and Roger D. Launius. Walker Publishing Company, New York, 2010, ISBN 978-0-8027-1745-0
- ^ http://arizonasports.com/118/1608596/ASU-Baseball-to-move-to-Phoenix-Muni
- ^ http://www.thesundevils.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/042313aab.html
[edit] External links
- Baseball Reference.com: Phoenix Municipal Stadium
- Digital Ballparks: Phoenix Municipal Stadium
- Ballpark Reviews: Phoenix Municipal Stadium
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