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Baseball
is a sport that has transcended time. It has been the
national pastime for decades and will continue to be
into the foreseeable future. The game is an important
part of American history, and the famous places the
game has been played (and continues to be played) hold
historical importance as well. Five such classic ball
parks are Shibe Park, Ebbets Field, Yankee Stadium,
Fenway Park, and Wrigley Field.
Shibe Park
stood in Philadelphia for nearly seventy years. It was
opened in April of 1909 and demolished in June of 1976.
During its time it was home to the Philadelphia Phillies
(1927 and 1938 - 1970) and the Philadelphia Athletics
(1909 - 1954). Shibe Park was the first steel and concrete
stadium in Major League Baseball.
In 1953 Shibe
Park was renamed Connie Mack Stadium. It played host
to the All-Star Game in 1943 and 1952. The last game
was played in Shibe Park / Connie Mack Stadium on October
1, 1970.
Ebbets Field
in Brooklyn, New York stood for less than 47 years.
During that short span it became very famous.
Ebbets Field
was home to the Brooklyn Dodgers. One of the best features
of the park was the fact that children could and would
gather at the gate in right-center and watch the game
in the gap under the gate.
Historically
the field was important as well. Here are some interesting
facts about Ebbets Field for all you sports trivia buffs.
On April
15, 1947 Jackie Robinson became the first black person
to play Major League baseball in the 20th century. Also,
the first televised game took place in Ebbets field
on August 26, 1939 when the Dodgers played the Reds.
The last
baseball game was played in Ebbets Field on September
24, 1957. Ebbets Field was demolished on February 23,
1960.
Yankee Stadium
is home to the New York Yankees. Unlike Ebbets Field
and Shibe Park, Yankee Stadium is still operational.
Going to
Yankee Stadium is like taking a walk back through the
history of baseball. Just past the left-center field
wall stands plaques and monuments to some of the great
players who have played in Yankee pinstripes. These
are some of the biggest players in MLB history and they
include: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey
Mantle, Thurmon Munson, and Yogi Berra.
Yankee Stadium
was built in 1923. It closed in 1973 and then reopened
in 1976. Over the years it has undergone many renovations
and additions.
Fenway Park
is another ball park that is still being used. It is
home to the Boston Red Sox. Fenway opened on April 20,
1912.
Besides having
many great players pass through Fenway (Carlton Fisk,
Ted Williams, etc.), the best feature of the park is
The Green Monster.
The Green
Monster is a high green wall that sits out in left field.
It is only just over 300 feet from home plate. The short
porch is unique - there is no other wall like it in
Major League Baseball.
Wrigley Field
is home to the Chicago Cubs. It was opened on April
23, 1914 but the Cubs didn't play their first game there
until 1916.
Wrigley Field
preserved its historical persona and didn't install
lights in the ball park until the late 1980s. The first
official night game was played on August 9, 1988.
Some interesting
sports trivia about Wrigley Field is that the lights
were originally set to be installed in 1941, but Wrigley
donated them to a local shipyard for help in the effort
to win World War II.
Wrigley Field
is easy to identify because of the ivy vines that grow
on the outfield walls. These vines were planted in 1937.
Throughout
the history of baseball there have been many great classic
ball parks. Five of the best are Shibe Park, Ebbets
Field, Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park, and Wrigley Field.
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