Weird MLB Stadiums You Completely Forgot About
Stadiums like Wrigley Field, Fenway Park, and Dodger Stadium are proof positive that baseball stadiums are among the most iconic venues of any sport. But while these stadiums have stood the test of time and become local treasures, other stadiums have fallen by the wayside.
While the long history of Major League Baseball has led to the creation of beloved stadiums, it’s also led to a few obscure ones. For every Fenway Park, there’s a Sick’s Stadium, and for every Wrigley Field, there’s a…different Wrigley Field that’s located thousands of miles away (don’t worry, we’ll explain everything).
Jarry Park (Montreal Expos, 1969-1976)
When Major League Baseball first went international with the expansion Montreal Expos in 1969, the city of Montreal hastily converted a small municipal ballpark into a makeshift MLB stadium. The result was Jarry Park, a no-nonsense venue that sat 28,000 fans and featured a municipal swimming pool behind the right field fence.
While Jarry Park was intended to be the Expos’ home for just a few years, delays in the construction of their new home, Olympic Stadium, ensured that the Expos would play at Jarry Park for their first eight seasons.
Exhibition Stadium (Toronto Blue Jays, 1977-1989)
Toronto’s Exhibition Stadium initially consisted of a single large grandstand for the city’s Canadian National Exhibition. Later on, that grandstand became the left field stands for Toronto’s first Major League Baseball stadium, with additional seating added behind home plate and down the foul lines.
The result was an odd multi-use ballpark that didn’t look quite right for baseball or for football, and one that was frequently covered in fog and dampness from nearby Lake Ontario. When the Blue Jays moved to SkyDome in 1989, few fans complained.
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (Los Angeles Dodgers, 1958-1961)
The venerable Los Angeles Coliseum has hosted everything from the Olympics to NASCAR, but perhaps the weirdest sport that it ever played host to was baseball. The Coliseum was the original home of the Los Angeles Dodgers between 1958 and 1961.
While the size of the stadium allowed for enormous crowds in excess of 90,000, the dimensions left something to be desired. The left field fence was only 251 feet from home plate, and a towering screen was put up to cut back on cheap home runs.
Sick’s Stadium (Seattle Pilots, 1969)
Named for brewing magnate Emil Sick, Seattle’s Sick’s Stadium was a decent minor league ballpark when it was built in the 1930s. But by the time the Seattle Pilots arrived in 1969, the stadium’s best days were firmly behind it.
Sick’s Stadium lacked major league infrastructure, and construction crews were still frantically adding new seats during the Pilots’ opening series. After just one financially disastrous season, the Pilots left town for Milwaukee, and Sick’s Stadium would never again host Major League Baseball.
Seals Stadium (San Francisco Giants, 1958-1959)
Seals Stadium was built for the Pacific Coast League’s San Francisco Seals, hence its name. As it was only ever intended as a temporary venue for the San Francisco Giants, the name was never changed to reflect its new tenant.
While it was a small stadium by MLB standards, it had excellent sightlines and a prime location in San Francisco. After the Giants moved to their then-new home of Candlestick Park, Seals Stadium was torn down to make room for a shopping center.
Baker Bowl (Philadelphia Phillies, 1887-1938)
The Baker Bowl was a cutting edge facility when it was built in the late 19th century, but it quickly fell into disrepair and was overtaken by better ballparks. Despite this, the Phillies called the stadium home for more than half a century.
During its lifetime, the Baker Bowl was plagued by issues, including a collapsed upper deck in 1903 and dwindling attendance. In 1938, the Phillies gave up on the Baker Bowl and moved in with their crosstown rivals, the Philadelphia Athletics, at Shibe Park.
Colt Stadium (Houston Colt .45s, 1962-1964)
The original home of the expansion Houston Colt .45s, Colt Stadium was a simple steel structure with aluminum bleachers and almost no shade from the blistering Texas heat. The Colt .45s played three hot, mosquito-plagued seasons at Colt Stadium before the construction of the space-age Astrodome.
After the team moved, they rebranded to become the Astros, and Colt Stadium was immediately disassembled and sold for parts. Components of the stadium, including its seats, are still in place at other venues throughout the United States.
Mile High Stadium (Colorado Rockies, 1993-1994)
Mile High Stadium came into existence as a humble minor league baseball stadium, but after repeated expansions, it was firmly a football stadium for the NFL’s Denver Broncos by the 1970s. Despite its football-first design, it featured an ingenious design that allowed for one side of the stadium to be pushed back to accommodate baseball.
When the expansion Colorado Rockies came to town in 1993, they called Mile High Stadium home. It was far too big for baseball, but the Rockies consistently filled it, setting MLB attendance records along the way.
Municipal Stadium (Kansas City Athletics, 1955–1967; Royals, 1969-1972)
Municipal Stadium’s history dates back to the 1920s, but the structure most fans remember came into existence in the 1950s, when the stadium was heavily renovated to host the newly-relocated Kansas City Athletics.
The stadium was a relatively barebones affair, and the A’s dealt with poor attendance and erratic ownership during their 13 years in Kansas City. After they moved to Oakland, the stadium sat vacant for year before serving as home to the expansion Kansas City Royals for their first season.
Roosevelt Stadium (Brooklyn Dodgers, part-time 1956-1957)
In the mid 1950s, Brooklyn Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley was growing dissatisfied with Ebbets Field and publicly contemplated relocating the team. He’d eventually follow through on this and move the team to Los Angeles — but before, he embarked on a relocation trial run by experimenting with a move to New Jersey.
In 1956 and 1957, Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City served as the Dodgers’ alternate home, hosting 15 games during these seasons. The move was intended to create leverage for a new stadium in Brooklyn — but ultimately didn’t pay off.
Wrigley Field (Los Angeles Angels, 1961)
Wrigley Field in Los Angeles was named for William Wrigley — the same man who Chicago’s Wrigley Field was named for. While L.A.’s Wrigley Field wasn’t as old or historic as its Chicago counterpart, it still had a long and impressive history as a Pacific Coast League venue, and had more than a passing resemblance to its famous cousin.
The stadium was slightly small by Major League standards, but it still ably served as the home of the Los Angeles Angels during their first season. The next year, the Angels would move into Dodger Stadium for a short stay as the Dodgers’ tenant.
Metropolitan Stadium (Minnesota Twins, 1961-1981)
Known affectionately as the Met, Metropolitan Stadium was located in then-rural Bloomington, Minnesota and was Frankensteined together out of various seating sections that had been assembled at different times.
It seated around 45,000 fans and served as the home of the Twins for their first two decades, along with the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings. After both teams relocated to the brand-new Metrodome, Metropolitan Stadium was torn down and replaced by the massive Mall of America.
Hard Rock Stadium (Florida Marlins, 1993-2011)
Hard Rock Stadium (also known as Pro Player Stadium, Joe Robbie Stadium, and many more names), was built as a football-first venue in the ’80s with the ability to accommodate baseball.
It served as the first home of the Florida Marlins, and while it was massive by MLB standards, it was decidedly more quirky than most multi-purpose venues — complete with a “teal monster” wall in left field and unusual outfield dimensions. After the Marlins moved to their own facility, Hard Rock Stadium was heavily renovated to make it a football-only venue.
RFK Stadium (Washington Senators, 1962-1971; Nationals, 2005-2007)
RFK Stadium in Washington was the first multipurpose stadium built with movable seats, and served as a template for many stadiums that would follow. It was best known as a football stadium, as its original baseball tenants — the second incarnation of the Washington Senators — only played there for ten years.
However, when the Montreal Expos moved to Washington ahead of the 2005 season, aging RFK Stadium was the only stadium that could accommodate them. More than three decades after it last hosted MLB baseball, RFK Stadium served as an MLB venue for three more seasons in the early 2000s.
Arlington Stadium (Texas Rangers, 1972-1993)
Originally known as Turnpike Stadium, Arlington Stadium was a converted minor league stadium that was pressed into major league service when the Washington Senators moved to Texas in 1972. It was a functional but bare-bones venue, one that seated around 43,000 fans with minimal shade.
Given its lack of amenities, Arlington Stadium was an MLB venue for an impressively long time, over two decades in total. It was torn down after the Rangers moved into a newer, more modern stadium in 1994.
