| Philadelphia Veterans Stadium | |
|---|---|
| "The Vet" | |
 |
|
| Location | 3501 South Broad Street Philadelphia, PA 19148 (now demolished) |
| Broke ground | October 2, 1967 |
| Opened | April 10, 1971 |
| Closed | September 28, 2003 |
| Demolished | March 21, 2004 |
| Owner | City of Philadelphia |
| Operator | Department of Recreation |
| Surface | AstroTurf (1971-2000) NexTurf (2001-2003) |
| Construction cost | $50 million (US) |
| Architect | Hugh Stubbins and Associates |
| Tenants | Philadelphia Phillies (NL) (1971-2003) Philadelphia Eagles (NFL) (1971-2002) Philadelphia Atoms (NASL) (1973-1975) Philadelphia Fury (NASL) (1978-1980) Philadelphia Stars (USFL) (1983-1984) |
| Capacity | 62,306 (baseball, 2003) 65,386 (football, 2002) |
| Field dimensions | Left field - 330 feet (100. Events 1187 - Siege of Jerusalem: Saladin captures Jerusalem after 88 years of Crusader rule Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. Events 879 - Louis III becomes King of the Western Franks. 1407 - the lama Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. Events 48 BC - Pompey the Great is assassinated on orders of King Ptolemy of Egypt after landing in Egypt. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 630 - Byzantine emperor Heraclius restores the True Cross to Jerusalem. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " AstroTurf is a brand of Artificial turf. Though the term is a Registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind Hugh Asher Stubbins Jr (January 11 1912 - July 5 2006 was an architect who designed several high profile buildings around the world The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League ( NL) is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. The Philadelphia Atoms were a Soccer team based out of Philadelphia that played in the North American Soccer League (NASL North American Soccer League (NASL was a professional soccer League with teams in the United States of America (U The Philadelphia Fury was a Soccer team based in Philadelphia that played in the North American Soccer League from 1978 to 1980 The Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars were a professional American football team which played in the United States Football League in the For the proposed "New USFL" see United States Football League (2010. Temple University is a state-related public research University in Philadelphia. The National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA, often pronounced "N-C-Double-A" is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions conferences organizations 6 m) Left center - 371 feet (113 m) Center field - 408 feet (124. 3 m) Right Center - 371 feet (113 m) Right field - 330 feet (100. 6 m) Home plate to backstop - 54 feet (2003) First and Third Base to Dugouts - 45 feet |
Philadelphia Veterans Stadium (informally called "The Vet") was a professional sports facility located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A modern stadium (plural stadiums or stadia in English is a place or venue for (mostly outdoor Sports Concerts or other events consisting Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə It housed the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League from 1971 through 2002 and the National League's Philadelphia Phillies from 1971 through 2003. The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League ( NL) is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. The listed capacity for baseball in 1971 was 56,371 and for football was listed with a 62,000 seat capacity. The 1976 and 1996 Major League Baseball All-Star Games were held at the venue. The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the "Midsummer Classic" is an annual Baseball game between players from the National League The Vet also hosted the annual Army-Navy football game 17 times, first in 1976 and last in 2001. "The Army-Navy Game" redirects here For the episode of M*A*S*H, see The Army-Navy Game (M*A*S*H episode. American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. In addition, numerous concerts were performed here by artists ranging from The Rolling Stones to Bruce Springsteen to 'N Sync and religious events from annual Jehovah's Witnesses conventions to a Billy Graham crusade in 1992. Jehovah's Witnesses is a restorationist, millenialist Christian denomination William Franklin Graham Jr KBE (born November 7 1918 better known as Billy Graham, is an evangelist and an Evangelical Christian
Contents |
History
Following the move of the Philadelphia Athletics to Kansas City 10 years before and a fear of losing another professional sports franchise, Philadelphia voters approved a $25 million bond issue for a new stadium in 1964 to replace the dilapidated Shibe Park (opened in 1909) and Franklin Field. The vote had to go to the polls yet again in 1967 and approve another $13 million due to cost overruns. At a total cost of $50 million, it was one of the most expensive ballparks to date.
The stadium was named by Philadelphia's City Council for the veterans of all wars in 1968, and originally scheduled to open in 1970. However, the opening was delayed a year due to a combination of bad weather and cost overruns. The stadium's design was nearly circular, and was known as an "octorad" design, which attempted to facilitate both football and baseball, unfortunately, as was the case with other cities in which this so-called "cookie-cutter" approach was employed (Washington, New York, Houston, Atlanta, St. Louis, San Diego, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh), the fundamentally different shapes of the playing fields made the stadium inadequate to the needs of either sport. Multi-purpose stadiums are a type of Stadium designed for use by multiple teams playing Baseball, American football, soccer, and in some Robert F Kennedy Memorial Stadium, better known as RFK Stadium or RFK, is a professional sports Stadium in Washington D William A Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea (ʃeɪ̪ is a Stadium located in the New York City borough For the aeronautical use see Astrodome (aviation Reliant Astrodome, also known as the Houston Astrodome or simply the Astrodome Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, sometimes shortened to "Fulton County Stadium" was a multi-use ( Baseball, football, Soccer, Rock concert Busch Memorial Stadium, or Busch Stadium was the home of the St Qualcomm Stadium (aka " The Q " " The Murph " formerly known as San Diego Stadium and Jack Murphy Stadium Riverfront Stadium, later known as Cinergy Field, (2002 was the home of the Cincinnati Reds National League Baseball team and the Three Rivers Stadium was a Multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000
Veterans Stadium was a complicated structure, its seating layered in seven separate levels. The lowest, or "100 Level," extended only part way around the structure, between roughly the 25-yard lines for football games and near the two dugouts for baseball. The "200 Level" comprised field-level boxes, and the "300 Level" housed what were labeled "Terrace Boxes. " These three levels collectively made up the "Lower Stands. " The "400 Level" was reserved for the press and dignitaries; the upper level began with "500 Level" (or "Loge Boxes"), the "600 Level" (Upper reserved, or individual seats), and finally, the infamous "700 Level" (General Admission for baseball), where some of the most passionate sports fans on the East Coast could be found. The 700 Level referred to the seats in the upper deck of Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. The East Coast of the United States, also known as the "Eastern Seaboard" or "Atlantic Seaboard" refers to the easternmost coastal states in the central and northern Originally, the seats were in shades of brown, terra cotta, orange and yellow, to look like an autumn day, but in 1995 and 1996, blue seats replaced the fall-hued ones. Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar)
At one time, the stadium could seat almost 71,000 people for football, but restructuring in the late 1980s brought capacity down to around 66,000.
The stadium was harshly criticized by baseball purists. Even by "cookie-cutter" standards, the upper deck was exceptionally high, and many of the seats in that area were so far from the field that it was difficult to see the game without binoculars. As was the case in most cookie-cutter stadiums, foul territory was quite roomy. While the Vet's size enabled the Phillies to shatter previous attendance records, during the years the Phillies weren't doing as well even crowds of 35,000 looked sparse. Approximately 70 percent of the seats were in foul territory, adding to the Vet's cavernous feel. There was no dirt in the infield except for sliding pits around the bases. In the autumn, the football markings were clearly visible in the spacious outfield area.
The Vet had been known for providing both the Eagles and the Phillies with great home-field advantage. In particular, the acoustics greatly enhanced the crowd noise on the field, making it nearly impossible for opposing teams to audible.
Playing surface
The field's surface, originally composed of AstroTurf, contained many gaps and uneven patches. AstroTurf is a brand of Artificial turf. Though the term is a Registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind In several places, seams were clearly visible, giving it the nickname "Field of Seams. " It perennially drew the ranking of the "NFL's worst field" in player surveys conducted by the NFL Players Association, and visiting players often fell prey to the treacherous conditions resulting in numerous injuries. Template talkInfobox Union for usage -->The National Football League Players Association, or NFLPA, is the The NFLPA reportedly threatened to sue the city for the poor conditions, and many sports agents told the Eagles not to even consider signing or drafting their clients. The Eagles, for their part, complained to the city on numerous occasions about the conditions at the stadium.
Baseball players also complained about the surface. It was much harder than other AstroTurf surfaces, and the shock of running on it often caused back pain.
Two of the most publicized injuries blamed on the playing surface occurred exactly six years apart:
- October 10, 1993: Bears receiver Wendell Davis had his cleat get caught in a seam while running a simple pass route. Events 680 - Battle of Karbala: Shia Imam Husayn bin Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, is decapitated Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Wendell Tyrone Davis (born January 3 1966 in Shreveport Louisiana) is a former professional American football Wide receiver who played for the He tore both of his patella tendons, ending his career. The patella or kneecap is a thick triangular Bone which articulates with the Femur and covers and protects the knee joint A tendon (or sinew) is a tough band of Fibrous connective tissue that usually connects Muscle to Bone and is capable of withstanding tension
- October 10, 1999: Michael Irvin suffered the neck injury that led to his premature retirement (The previously winless Eagles rallied from a 10-0 deficit and won 13-10. Michael Jerome Irvin (born March 5, 1966) is a former American football player for the Dallas Cowboys. ).
The original AstroTurf was eventually replaced by a new surface, NexTurf, in 2001. The new surface was far softer, and reportedly much easier on the knees. However, the city crew that installed the new turf didn't install it properly, resulting in seams being visible in several places.
The first football game on the new turf was due to take place on August 13, 2001 when the Eagles played the Baltimore Ravens. Events 3114 BC - According to the Lounsbury correlation the start of the Maya calendar. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore Maryland. However, Ravens coach Brian Billick refused to let the Ravens take the field for warm-ups when he discovered a trench around an area where third base was covered up by a NexTurf cutout. Brian Harold Billick ( February 28, 1954) is a former coach in the National Football League, most recently head coach of the Baltimore Ravens City crews tried to fix the problem to no avail, forcing the game to be canceled. Later, players from both teams reported that they sunk into the turf in locations near the infield cutouts. Team president Joe Banner was irate after the game, calling the Vet's conditions "absolutely unacceptable" and "an embarrassment to the city of Philadelphia. Joe Banner (born February 13, 1953) is a President / Chief Operating Officer for the Philadelphia Eagles. " City officials, however, promised that the stadium would be suitable for play when the regular season started.
The problem was caused by heavy rain over the weekend prior to the game, which made the dirt in the sliding pits and pitcher's mound so soft that the cutouts covering them in the football configuration became mushy and uneven. Even when new dirt was shoveled on top, it quickly became just as saturated as the old dirt. The problem was solved by using asphalt hot mix, which allowed for a solid, level playing surface, but required a jackhammer for removal whenever the stadium was converted from football back to baseball (between August and October of each year).
First Phillies game
The Phillies played their first game at the Vet on Saturday, April 10, 1971. The Phils beat Montreal, 4-1, before 55,352. Hall of Famer Jim Bunning was the winning pitcher while Bill Stoneman took the loss. James Paul David "Jim" Bunning (born October 23, 1931) is an American politician and former Pitcher in Major League Baseball Boots Day opened the game by grounding out to Bunning. Larry Bowa had the stadium's first hit and Don Money hit the first home run.
Memorable events
One of the most notable events in the Vet's history was Game 6 of the 1980 World Series on Oct. The 1980 World Series matched the Philadelphia Phillies against the Kansas City Royals, with the Phillies winning in six games to capture the only World Series title 21. In that game, the Phillies clinched their first world championship with a victory over the Kansas City Royals in front of 65,838 fans. The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. Tug McGraw's strikeout of the Royals' Willie Wilson was instrumental in their win. Frank Edwin "Tug" McGraw Jr ( August 30, 1944 – January 5, 2004) was a colorful Major League Baseball relief Pitcher
The Phillies also went on to clinch the National League Championship Series at The Vet twice; the first was in 1983 over local legend Tommy Lasorda and his Los Angeles Dodgers. Thomas Charles Lasorda (born September 22 1927 in Norristown, Pennsylvania) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher and The Los Angeles Dodgers are a Major League Baseball team based in Los Angeles California, USA The second came in the 1993 National League Championship Series over future divisional rivals the Atlanta Braves, which was the last LCS with a two-division format. The National League Championship Series was played between the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves.
The Phillies hurled two no-hit games, the only nine-inning no-nos in stadium history and both coming against the San Francisco Giants: the first by Terry Mulholland on August 15, 1990, in a 6-0 Phillies win[1], the other on April 27, 2003, by Kevin Millwood in a 1-0 win[2], upstaging the Phillie Phanatic's Birthday promotion that afternoon. The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in, that currently play in the National League West Division. Terence John Mulholland (born March 9, 1963 in Uniontown Pennsylvania) is a retired Major League Baseball Pitcher. Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Events 1124 - David I becomes King of Scotland. 1296 - Battle of Dunbar: The Scots are defeated Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Kevin Austin Millwood (born December 24, 1974 in Gastonia North Carolina) is a Right-handed Starting pitcher who plays for the The Phillie Phanatic is the official mascot of the Philadelphia Phillies Major League Baseball team A five-inning no-hitter curtailed by rain in 1988 by Montréal Expos pitcher Pascual Pérez was not recognized after the 1990 season due to rules changes requiring that no-hitters had to be at least nine innings and a complete game. Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) Franchise history Creation of the franchise In 1960 Montreal lost its International League team the Montreal Royals (an affiliate of Pascual Gross Perez (nicknamed "I-285" (born May 17, 1957 in San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic) was a right-handed Baseball These are now listed as a separate section in the MLB record book.
The most notable football game ever played at The Vet took place less than three months after the Phillies' title, and was the Eagles' 20-7 victory over the hated Dallas Cowboys in the 1980 NFC Championship Game, actually played on January 11, 1981 in front of 71,250 fans. The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference (NFC in the National The 1980 NFL season was the 61st Regular season of the National Football League. Events 1055 - Theodora is crowned Empress of the Byzantine Empire. Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 This contest was famous because the Eagles chose to wear their white jerseys for their home game in order to force the Cowboys into their "unlucky" blue jerseys.
The final football game played at the Vet was the Eagles' 27-10 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship game on January 19, 2003, as the team moved into Lincoln Financial Field the following autumn. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (often shortened as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa Florida. Events 1419 - Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Lincoln Financial Field, familiarly known as " The Linc " is the home Stadium of the National Football League 's Philadelphia Eagles
In 1971, Willie Stargell hit the longest home run in stadium history. Champions Major League Baseball World Series MVP Roberto Clemente All-Star Game, July 13 at Wilver Dornell "Willie" Stargell ( March 6, 1940 &ndash April 9, 2001) nicknamed " Pops " in the later years of The spot where the ball landed was marked with a yellow star with a black "S" inside a white circle until Stargell's 2001 death, when the white circle was painted black. The star remained until the stadium's 2004 demolition.
During the 1998 Army-Navy game, a serious accident occurred when a support rail collapsed and eight West Point cadets were injured. Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) "USMA" redirects here For other uses see USMA (disambiguation The United States Military Academy (also known as USMA, That led to the call for new stadiums for football and baseball for the main stadium tenants.
Another game that is best remembered by Eagles fans was known as "The Body Bag Game", which took place on November 12, 1990, when the Washington Redskins visited The Vet for a Monday Night Football game. Events 764 - Tibetan troops occupy Chang'an, the capital of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, for fifteen days Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team based in the Washington D Monday Night Football ( MNF) is a Live television broadcast of the National Football League. The Eagles' head coach at that time, Buddy Ryan, was quoted as saying that the Redskins' offense would "have to be carted off in body bags". Buddy Ryan (born James David Ryan on February 17, 1934) is a former American football coach The Eagles number-one defense scored three touchdowns in a 28-14 win and knocked nine Redskin players out of the game, including both of their quarterbacks. The Redskins were forced to finish the game using running back/returner Brian Mitchell (who would become an Eagles player over a decade later) at quarterback. Brian Keith Mitchell (born August 18, 1968 in Fort Polk, Louisiana) is a former American football player who played Running back Quarterback ( QB) is a position in American and Canadian football.
Additionally, Veterans Stadium was host to the latest finishing game in baseball history, a double-header between the Phillies and the Padres that started on July 2, 1993 which was famously interrupted multiple times by rain showers, and which the Padres won the first game of, and led in the second, but resulted a come-from-behind victory for the Phillies in the tenth inning off an RBI single by Phillies closing pitcher Mitch Williams. Mitch Williams redirects here For the fictional character please see Mitch Williams (General Hospital. The 2nd game ended at 4:40 AM.
Fans
Fans who attended games in Veterans Stadium for a football game gained a reputation of being among the most vociferous in sports, especially those in the notorious 700 Level, the highest seating level in the stadium prior to the erection of luxury skyboxes behind that seating area. The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a College football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, specifically in the Coastal The Temple Owls football team participates in the NCAA 's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Mid-American Conference The 700 Level referred to the seats in the upper deck of Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. The stadium became famous for the rowdiness of Eagles fans, although the incident in which fans booed Santa Claus for failing to leave the field following a halftime show occurred on December 15, 1968 at Franklin Field. Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, or simply " Santa " is the halftime show is a performance given between the first and second halves or the 2nd and 3rd quarters of a sporting event Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Franklin Field is the University of Pennsylvania 's stadium for football, Field hockey, Lacrosse, Sprint football, and Track
Perhaps no game is more well-known for the fans' behavior than the 1989 follow-up game to what many called "The Bounty Bowl". Artistic Gymnastics World Artistic Gymnastics Championships: Men's all-around champion Igor Korobchinsky, USSR The Bounty Bowl was the name given to two notorious NFL games held in 1989 between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys. On Thanksgiving Day (November 23) that year, the Eagles beat the Cowboys at Texas Stadium in which former Eagles placekicker Luis Zendejas left the game with a concussion following a hard tackle by linebacker Jesse Small after a kickoff. Events 800 - Charlemagne arrives at Rome to investigate the alleged crimes of Texas Stadium is a football Stadium in Irving Texas, a Suburb of Dallas. Luis Fernando Zendejas (born October 22, 1961 in Mexico City Mexico) was an American football Placekicker. This article relates to Sports. For the Vietnam War bombing raids see Operation Linebacker and Operation Linebacker II. After the game, Cowboys rookie head coach Jimmy Johnson commented that Eagles coach Buddy Ryan instituted a bounty on Zendejas and Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman. James William Johnson (born July 16, 1943) is an American football coach and broadcaster Troy Kenneth Aikman (born November 21 1966 in West Covina California) is a former American football Quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the Two weeks later, on December 10, they played the rematch dubbed "Bounty Bowl II" at The Vet, which was covered with snow in the stands. Events 1041 - Empress Zoe of Byzantium elevates her adoptive son to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as Michael V The Bounty Bowl was the name given to two notorious NFL games held in 1989 between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys. The volatile mix of beer, the "bounty" and the intense hatred for "America's Team" (who were 1-15 that season) led to fans throwing snowballs at Dallas players and coaches. Beer sales were banned after that incident for two games. A similar incident in 1995 at Giants Stadium during a nationally telecast San Diego Chargers-New York Giants game led the NFL to rule that seating areas must be cleared of snow within a certain time period before kickoff. Giants Stadium, is the home Stadium for the New York Giants and New York Jets football teams of the NFL, and the Red Bull New The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego California. The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York City suburb of East Rutherford New Jersey.
The Eagles fans' behavior during a Monday Night Football loss to the San Francisco 49ers in 1997 and a Dallas Cowboys game a year later was such that the City of Philadelphia assigned a Municipal Court Judge, Seamus McCaffrey, to The Vet on game days to deal with fans removed from the stands. Monday Night Football ( MNF) is a Live television broadcast of the National Football League. The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team Seamus McCaffery (born June 3 1950 is a Justice on the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Two years later, fans threw D-Cell batteries at St. Louis Cardinals outfielder J.D. Drew after he spurned the Phillies' offer to play with them, and wound up going back into the draft and picked by the Redbirds. The St Louis Cardinals (also referred to as "the Cards " or "the Redbirds " are a professional Baseball team based in St David Jonathan "J D" Drew (born November 20 1975 in Valdosta Georgia) is a Major League Baseball Right fielder for the Boston Red Sox
Final game and demolition
The final game ever played at the stadium was on September 28, 2003. Events 48 BC - Pompey the Great is assassinated on orders of King Ptolemy of Egypt after landing in Egypt. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. The Phillies lost to the Atlanta Braves that afternoon, but a ceremony that followed pulled at the heartstrings of the sellout crowd. Both former general manager Paul "Pope" Owens and Tug McGraw made their final public appearances at the park that day. Paul Francis Owens ( February 7 1924 — December 26 2003) was an American front office executive and manager in Major Frank Edwin "Tug" McGraw Jr ( August 30, 1944 – January 5, 2004) was a colorful Major League Baseball relief Pitcher Later that winter, both men died. The last publicly-broadcast words ever uttered in the park were by veteran announcer Harry Kalas, who helped open the facility on April 10, 1971, paraphrasing his trademark home run call: "And now, Veterans Stadium is like a 3-1 pitch to Jim Thome or Mike Schmidt. Harold Norbert Kalas (born March 26, 1936) is a Hall of Fame American Sportscaster, best known for his roles as lead Play-by-play Events 879 - Louis III becomes King of the Western Franks. 1407 - the lama Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. James Howard "Jim" Thome (ˈtʰoʊˌmeɪ born August 27 1970 in) is a Major League Baseball Designated hitter for the Chicago White Sox Michael Jack Schmidt (born September 27, 1949 in Dayton Ohio) is a former professional Baseball player who played his entire Career It's on a looooooong drive. . . IT'S OUTTA HERE!!!" The team moved into Citizens Bank Park in 2004, with the first game being played there on April 12, 2004. Citizens Bank Park is a 43647-seat Baseball -only Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that opened on April 3, 2004 "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "
The ultimate end came when the 33-year old stadium was imploded on March 21, 2004. Events 630 - Byzantine emperor Heraclius restores the True Cross to Jerusalem. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " A parking lot for the current sporting facilities was constructed in 2004 and 2005 at the site. On June 6, 2005, the anniversary of D-Day, a plaque and monument to commemorate the spot where the stadium stood and a memorial for all veterans was dedicated by the Phillies before their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Events 1508 - Maximilian I Holy Roman Emperor, is defeated in Friulia by Venetian forces; he is forced to sign a three-year Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. D-Day may also refer to Decimal Day in the United Kingdom. D-Day is a term often used in Military parlance to denote The Arizona Diamondbacks (also referred to as the D-backs) are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix Arizona. On September 28 of that same year, the second anniversary of the final game, a historical marker commemorating where the ballpark once stood was dedicated. Events 48 BC - Pompey the Great is assassinated on orders of King Ptolemy of Egypt after landing in Egypt. Granite spaces marking the former locations of home plate, the pitching mound, and the three bases for baseball, as well as the goalpost placements for football, were added onto the parking lot in April 2006 in western parking lot U. Stories without links will be removed'. News stories must be in English
 Home plate at Veterans Stadium, home to the Philadelphia Phillies for thirty-three seasons, is remembered with this granite and bronze marker in the parking lot near Citizens Bank Park. The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. |
 A brief history of how the stadium was named and a tribute to veterans of all wars is on display outside where "The Vet" stood. |
 The historic marker shows the stadium's major moments. |
Trivia
The Vet was recreated in the 2006 movie Invincible, the movie based on former Philadelphia Eagle Vincent Papale. Invincible is a 2006 Film directed by Ericson Core set in 1976 Vincent Francis Papale (born February 9, 1946 in Glenolden Pennsylvania) is a former professional American football player In this case, filming was at Franklin Field, on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania, and digital effects were used to recreate the background. Franklin Field is the University of Pennsylvania 's stadium for football, Field hockey, Lacrosse, Sprint football, and Track The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn) is a private University located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
The final rock concert at the Vet took place on July 26, 2003. Bon Jovi headlined, with Sheryl Crow and the Goo Goo Dolls opening. Bon Jovi is an American Hard rock band from Sayreville New Jersey. Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American Singer-songwriter and Musician. The Goo Goo Dolls are a Rock band formed in 1986 in Buffalo New York by John Rzeznik and Robby Takac.
The implosion of the Vet was shown in the DVD-only movie Punk Rock Holocaust, although there, it was alleged to be the Warped Tour's venue in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Punk Rock Holocaust is a 2004 low-budget Slasher film / Horror-comedy directed by Doug Sakmann. The Warped Tour' is a touring music and Extreme sports festival
Nick Peetros with Driscoll/Hunt Construction Company pressed the 'real' button to implode the stadium [1] while Greg Luzinski pressed an imaginary plunger for the fans. Gregory Michael "The Bull" Luzinski (born November 22 1950) is a former Left fielder in Major League Baseball. [2]
See also
References
1. The following is a list of Stadiums throughout the world Africa Algeria Stade 5 Juillet 1962, Algiers “Guts and Bolts: The Implosion of Veterans Stadium. ” - Air date of 7/10/04 on "The History Channel"
2. "Veteran's Stadium: Field of Memories" by Rich Westcott; pg. 204.
External links
- Stadium diagram (Clem's Baseball)
- The Vet - A digital tribute (700level. com)
- Veterans Stadium History (Phila. gov)
- Photos of the Implosion (SkyscraperSunset. com)
| Preceded by Franklin Field |
Home of the Philadelphia Eagles 1971 – 2002 |
Succeeded by Lincoln Financial Field |
| Preceded by Shibe Park |
Home of the Philadelphia Phillies 1971 – 2003 |
Succeeded by Citizens Bank Park |
| Preceded by Milwaukee County Stadium The Ballpark in Arlington |
Host of the All-Star Game 1976 1996 |
Succeeded by Yankee Stadium Jacobs Field |
| Preceded by Temple Stadium |
Home of the Temple Owls 1976 – 2002 |
Succeeded by Lincoln Financial Field |
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