Ballparks. The purpose here is to remind fans of their baseball past.The history of ball parks has been written. This identifies ballparks destroyed, demolished, vacated,abandoned or some will still be used but had a historical significance.There are still many I missed. If you know of one I need to add, feel free to email me at the address listed at the bottom of this article.

Ballpark in Alabama

                                                                         Rickwood Park in Birmingham

This one is still being used but the significance is this is the oldest professional ballpark in the United States. It opened on August 18, 1910 and was built by Rick Woodward with guidance from the legendary Connie Mack. 

The stadium goes back to the Birmingham Barons of 1775 and professional baseball called it home from 1910 to 1987. The next year they left for Hoover Metropolitan Field and the city had no baseball but once a year the Birmingham Barons play one game at Rickwood Field for Rickwood Classic. 

 Rickwood Field is the oldest professional ballpark in the United States.

Other Ballparks articles at Baseball Spotlight

 

Ballparks in Arizona

In Chandler Arizona, they used to have a ballpark known as Compadre Stadium.It was located at 1425 W.Ocotillo Road with seating capacity of 5000 fans. It opened in 1986 and was the spring training home of the Milwaukee Brewers. It was built at a cost of just over $1.5million.

It was a lively and vibrant stadium and at one time in its life,then it became a mere shell of itself and the Brewers organization tends to move in and out very quickly. They moved out in 1998 and no other tenants could be found. In 2014, the wrecking ball was taken to it and demolished the once nice ballpark.Before it was torn down, the outfield was used for grazing sheep. 

Also in Arizona, Scottsdale Stadium has a history. In 1956, the original one was built and it was for Cactus League play and was home to the Boston Red Sox, Oakland A’s, Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles and now the San Francisco Giants. As it aged, the city began construction on another one which opened  on March 12, 1992. 

Again, wanting to update, they began in 2005 to add treatment rooms. A new team store, a batting tunnel along with an expanded clubhouse and other amenities to make it top notch. 

This stadium can be found at Old Town Scottsdale in the historic district where there are many restaurants and shopping opportunities. Camden Yard in Baltimore used the same creators for their field. 

 

Sun City Stadium

This stadium was in Sun City, Arizona and was developed by Del Webb in 1971 as a spring training home for the Milwaukee Brewers. They left in 1985 and the area was used for various other projects such as women’s softball.The area was later sold by the Webb Corporation and was torn down in 1994 and it has a housing complex sitting on the property where the stadium once was located.

 

Ballparks Arkansas

West End Park in Little Rock opened in 1895 and was used by the Little Rock Travelers. They played in the Southern Association.Judge Wiliam M. Kavanaugh has been president of the Southern League and his hard work got the park built. it was renamed after  Kavanaugh’s death in 1915. .

 

The stadium was in disarray after 20 years and the city had it remodeled and it was better hen it re-opened in 1915. The new stadium was double in size and the field was larger.Occasionally, the prk wa used for spring training. The stadium closed in 1931 and is known as the scene of the first ever night baseball game. The field was demolished in the mid 1930’s. 

Traveler’s Field, also in Little Rock,