Tingley Field
Encyclopedia
Tingley Field was a baseball
stadium
in Albuquerque, New Mexico
, which served as the home of professional baseball in Albuquerque from 1937 to 1968. It could accommodate 5000 fans, with seating for 3000.
The stadium was located at the intersection of 10th Street and Atlantic Avenue, across the street from the Rio Grande Zoo.
grandstand with a small pressbox which could accommodate only a few people. The outfield wall was built out of adobe
. There were several light standards and telephone poles within the stadium itself, which occasionally caused problems for outfielders or interfered with potential home run
s. The park was roughly the same size as Albuquerque Sports Stadium
(360 feet to left field, 350 feet to right field, and 425 feet to center), though the exact dimensions vary by source.
at a cost of $84,000 USD, using WPA
funding secured by governor Clyde Tingley
. It opened on April 7, 1937 with a speech by St. Louis Cardinals
general manager Branch Rickey
, who praised it as "one of the finest minor league parks in America." This was followed by an exhibition game between the St. Louis-affiliated Albuquerque Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates
, which the Cardinals lost. The Class D Cardinals remained at Tingley Field until 1941, when it was closed for the duration of World War II
.
Tingley reopened in 1946 with the Albuquerque Dukes, who at that time played in the Class C West Texas-New Mexico League. Apart from a brief hiatus in 1959, the stadium remained the home of various incarnations of the Dukes until 1968, when voters approved the construction of a new stadium
in southeast Albuquerque. Tingley Field had begun to show its age, and city officials hoped a larger and more modern ballpark would help the city attract a Triple-A team.
Eventually, the city redeveloped Tingley Field into a public park with softball
and football
fields. The only remaining parts of the former stadium are the light standards and ticket office. A large concrete baseball that originally sat outside Tingley was moved to Albuquerque Sports Stadium in 1969 and remains on display in front of Isotopes Park
.
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...
, which served as the home of professional baseball in Albuquerque from 1937 to 1968. It could accommodate 5000 fans, with seating for 3000.
The stadium was located at the intersection of 10th Street and Atlantic Avenue, across the street from the Rio Grande Zoo.
Design
Tingley Field had a 3000-seat concreteConcrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
grandstand with a small pressbox which could accommodate only a few people. The outfield wall was built out of adobe
Adobe
Adobe is a natural building material made from sand, clay, water, and some kind of fibrous or organic material , which the builders shape into bricks using frames and dry in the sun. Adobe buildings are similar to cob and mudbrick buildings. Adobe structures are extremely durable, and account for...
. There were several light standards and telephone poles within the stadium itself, which occasionally caused problems for outfielders or interfered with potential 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...
s. The park was roughly the same size as Albuquerque Sports Stadium
Albuquerque Sports Stadium
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....
(360 feet to left field, 350 feet to right field, and 425 feet to center), though the exact dimensions vary by source.
History
The stadium was built during 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...
at a cost of $84,000 USD, using WPA
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
funding secured by governor Clyde Tingley
Clyde Tingley
Clyde K. Tingley was a U.S. politician who served as the 11th Governor of the State of New Mexico. He was a children's healthcare advocate.-Biography:...
. It opened on April 7, 1937 with a speech by St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
general manager Branch Rickey
Branch Rickey
Wesley Branch Rickey was an innovative Major League Baseball executive elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967...
, who praised it as "one of the finest minor league parks in America." This was followed by an exhibition game between the St. Louis-affiliated Albuquerque Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
, which the Cardinals lost. The Class D Cardinals remained at Tingley Field until 1941, when it was closed for the duration of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Tingley reopened in 1946 with the Albuquerque Dukes, who at that time played in the Class C West Texas-New Mexico League. Apart from a brief hiatus in 1959, the stadium remained the home of various incarnations of the Dukes until 1968, when voters approved the construction of a new stadium
Albuquerque Sports Stadium
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....
in southeast Albuquerque. Tingley Field had begun to show its age, and city officials hoped a larger and more modern ballpark would help the city attract a Triple-A team.
Eventually, the city redeveloped Tingley Field into a public park with softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
and football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
fields. The only remaining parts of the former stadium are the light standards and ticket office. A large concrete baseball that originally sat outside Tingley was moved to Albuquerque Sports Stadium in 1969 and remains on display in front of 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...
.