Memorial Stadium (Fort Wayne)
Encyclopedia
Memorial Stadium was a stadium
located in Johnny Appleseed Park
in Fort Wayne, Indiana
. It was primarily used for baseball
, and was the home field of the Fort Wayne Wizards
of the Midwest League
baseball team. Memorial Stadium was dedicated on April 18, 1993 before a sold-out crowd.
One of the most historic moments for the stadium came April 24, 1994 when Alex Rodriguez
hit the first professional home run
of his career.
Memorial Stadium hosted its final baseball game August 28, 2008, with 6,106 in attendance, between the Wizards and South Bend Silver Hawks
. Highlights included the ceremonial first pitch thrown by 2008 Summer Olympic Gold
medalist Lloy Ball
and the national anthem performed by the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra
. The final attendance recorded for Memorial Stadium was 4,046,261.
Memorial Stadium's replacement, Parkview Field
, opened for the 2009 season in downtown Fort Wayne as the new home for the franchise. In the summer of 2009, Memorial Stadium was demolished.
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...
located in Johnny Appleseed Park
Johnny Appleseed Park
Johnny Appleseed Park, including what was formerly known as Archer Park, is a public park in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It is named after the popular-culture nickname of John Chapman, better known as "Johnny Appleseed," a famous American pioneer, who was buried on the site. Chapman's gravesite is...
in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
. It was primarily used for baseball
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...
, and was the home field of the Fort Wayne Wizards
Fort Wayne Wizards
The Fort Wayne TinCaps are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the San Diego Padres, that plays in the Midwest League. They won their first Midwest League Championship in 2009.-History:...
of the Midwest League
Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Class-A minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States.-History:Six teams – the Belleville Stags, the Centralia Cubs, the Marion Indians, the Mattoon Indians or East Frankfort White Sox, the Mount Vernon Braves, and the West Frankfort...
baseball team. Memorial Stadium was dedicated on April 18, 1993 before a sold-out crowd.
One of the most historic moments for the stadium came April 24, 1994 when Alex Rodriguez
Alex Rodriguez
Alexander Emmanuel "Alex" Rodriguez is an American professional baseball third baseman with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. Known popularly by his nickname A-Rod, he previously played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.Rodriguez is considered one of the best...
hit the first professional home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
of his career.
Memorial Stadium hosted its final baseball game August 28, 2008, with 6,106 in attendance, between the Wizards and South Bend Silver Hawks
South Bend Silver Hawks
The South Bend Silver Hawks are a U.S. Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Arizona Diamondbacks, that plays in the Midwest League....
. Highlights included the ceremonial first pitch thrown by 2008 Summer Olympic Gold
Olympic Gold
Olympic Gold is the official video game of the XXV Olympic Summer Games, hosted by Barcelona, Spain in 1992. It was released for the Sega consoles, Mega Drive/Genesis and Master System, and Sega's handheld, Game Gear.Developed internally by U.S...
medalist Lloy Ball
Lloy Ball
Lloy James Ball is an American volleyball player who represented the United States men's national volleyball team in four Olympics team competitions...
and the national anthem performed by the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra
Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra
The Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra is a professional orchestra based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The current Music Director is Andrew Constantine, whose contract began July 1, 2009. The orchestra's Artistic Advisor from 2008 to 2009 was Jaime Laredo, a native of Bolivia...
. The final attendance recorded for Memorial Stadium was 4,046,261.
Memorial Stadium's replacement, Parkview Field
Parkview Field
Parkview Field is a minor league baseball stadium located in the central business district of Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S.-History:Parkview Field was built as the new home of the Midwest League's Fort Wayne TinCaps, Single-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres, replacing Memorial Stadium...
, opened for the 2009 season in downtown Fort Wayne as the new home for the franchise. In the summer of 2009, Memorial Stadium was demolished.