Albuquerque Sports Stadium
Encyclopedia
Albuquerque Sports Stadium was a baseball
stadium
in Albuquerque, New Mexico
, USA, which was built in 1969 as a modern replacement for the aging Tingley Field
. The ballpark had a seating capacity of 10,510, though it occasionally accommodated much larger crowds.
The stadium was located at the northeast corner of University Boulevard and Avenida Cesar Chavez. It was torn down and Isotopes Park
was built to replace it.
, and it was starting to show its age by the 1960s. City officials hoped a large new stadium located near the other sports venues in southeast Albuquerque would have a major economic impact and help the city attract a Triple-A team in the near future. Support was widespread, and in a 1968 special election voters approved US$
1 million in bonds for the project. This included $100,000 for the renovation of Tingley Field, with the rest going towards the new stadium.
Albuquerque Sports Stadium was designed by Albuquerque architect Max Flatow and cost just $1.4 million. It opened on March 31, 1969, with an exhibition game between the San Francisco Giants
and the Cleveland Indians
played in front of an overflow crowd of 13,767. The first batter to step up to the plate in the new stadium was Willie Mays
.
The ballpark's first tenants were the Albuquerque Dodgers of the Double-A Texas League
. In 1972 the city succeeded in acquiring a Triple-A team, the Pacific Coast League
Albuquerque Dukes
. The Dukes remained at Albuquerque Sports Stadium for the next 28 years. The 1993 Triple-A All-Star Game
was held at Albuquerque Sports Stadium, with the National League defeating the American League 14-3. The attendance was 10,541, and the game was broadcast on radio.
By the late 1990s, however, the stadium had become the second oldest in the league and was in disrepair. Dukes owner Bob Lozinak sold the team franchise to Portland
in 2000, and Albuquerque Sports Stadium was torn down shortly thereafter. Isotopes Park
was built in its place in 2003. Although supposedly a renovation of the old stadium, Isotopes Park was built almost entirely from scratch, and little of the old ballpark remains apart from the playing field.
Many Dodger greats, including much of the championship teams of the Dodgers from the 1970s skippered by Tommy Lasorda
played at the Albuquerque Sports Stadium, including Steve Garvey
, Mike Piazza
, and Paul Lo Duca
.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
in Albuquerque, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, USA, which was built in 1969 as a modern replacement for the aging Tingley Field
Tingley Field
Tingley Field was a baseball stadium in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which served as the home of professional baseball in Albuquerque from 1937 to 1968...
. The ballpark had a seating capacity of 10,510, though it occasionally accommodated much larger crowds.
The stadium was located at the northeast corner of University Boulevard and Avenida Cesar Chavez. It was torn down and Isotopes Park
Isotopes Park
Isotopes Park is a minor-league baseball stadium located in Albuquerque, New Mexico and is the home field of the Albuquerque Isotopes of the Pacific Coast League, the Class AAA affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers...
was built to replace it.
Design
Albuquerque Sports Stadium was built in a bowl excavated out of a large hill, so the playing field was significantly below grade level. The dimensions of the park were 360 feet to left field, 350 feet to right field, and 425 feet to center, approximately the same size as Tingley Field. The stadium was a fairly basic facility with a central concessions area, offices, and ticketing behind a single-level grandstand. One of the park's most unusual features was a "drive in" area in right field where fans could watch the game from their cars.History
Tingley Field had been the home of Albuquerque's professional baseball teams since the DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, and it was starting to show its age by the 1960s. City officials hoped a large new stadium located near the other sports venues in southeast Albuquerque would have a major economic impact and help the city attract a Triple-A team in the near future. Support was widespread, and in a 1968 special election voters approved US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
1 million in bonds for the project. This included $100,000 for the renovation of Tingley Field, with the rest going towards the new stadium.
Albuquerque Sports Stadium was designed by Albuquerque architect Max Flatow and cost just $1.4 million. It opened on March 31, 1969, with an exhibition game between the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
and the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
played in front of an overflow crowd of 13,767. The first batter to step up to the plate in the new stadium was Willie Mays
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...
.
The ballpark's first tenants were the Albuquerque Dodgers of the Double-A Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
. In 1972 the city succeeded in acquiring a Triple-A team, the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
Albuquerque Dukes
Albuquerque Dukes
The Albuquerque Dukes were a minor league baseball team based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.-History:The first Dukes team was formed in 1915 as part of the Class-D Rio Grande Association. The team finished in third place with a 32-25 record. Frank Huelman was the league leader in home runs,...
. The Dukes remained at Albuquerque Sports Stadium for the next 28 years. The 1993 Triple-A All-Star Game
Triple-A All-Star Game
The Triple-A All-Star Game is a single baseball game held between the two Triple-A leagues in minor league baseball—the International League and the Pacific Coast League...
was held at Albuquerque Sports Stadium, with the National League defeating the American League 14-3. The attendance was 10,541, and the game was broadcast on radio.
By the late 1990s, however, the stadium had become the second oldest in the league and was in disrepair. Dukes owner Bob Lozinak sold the team franchise to Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
in 2000, and Albuquerque Sports Stadium was torn down shortly thereafter. Isotopes Park
Isotopes Park
Isotopes Park is a minor-league baseball stadium located in Albuquerque, New Mexico and is the home field of the Albuquerque Isotopes of the Pacific Coast League, the Class AAA affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers...
was built in its place in 2003. Although supposedly a renovation of the old stadium, Isotopes Park was built almost entirely from scratch, and little of the old ballpark remains apart from the playing field.
Many Dodger greats, including much of the championship teams of the Dodgers from the 1970s skippered by Tommy Lasorda
Tommy Lasorda
Thomas Charles Lasorda is a former Major League baseball player and manager. marked his sixth decade in one capacity or another with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers organization, the longest non-continuous tenure anyone has had with the team, edging Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully...
played at the Albuquerque Sports Stadium, including Steve Garvey
Steve Garvey
Steven Patrick Garvey , nicknamed "Mr. Clean" because of the squeaky clean image he held throughout his career in baseball, is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and current Southern California businessman...
, Mike Piazza
Mike Piazza
Michael Joseph "Mike" Piazza ; born September 4, 1968) is an American former Major League Baseball catcher. He played in his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Florida Marlins, New York Mets, San Diego Padres and the Oakland Athletics....
, and Paul Lo Duca
Paul Lo Duca
Paul Anthony Lo Duca is a television personality and a former Major League Baseball catcher. Previously, Lo Duca played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , Florida Marlins , New York Mets , and Washington Nationals...
.