Arlington Stadium

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Arlington Stadium was a baseball stadium located in Arlington, Texas, located between Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. It served as the home for the Texas Rangers (MLB) from 1972 until 1993, when the team moved into The Ballpark at Arlington (now Ameriquest Field in Arlington).

[edit] History

Arlington Stadium, originally named Turnpike Stadium, was designed to be a stadium for both the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth and was used as a minor league ballpark for seven years. In 1972, the Washington Senators announced their intentions to move to Texas and the stadium underwent a rapid expansion and a name change to "Arlington Stadium."

The circular layout of the stadium, with a disproportionate number of outfield seats (thus limiting potential revenue), was by no means an ideal baseball facility (it was the late 1970s before an upper deck was finally installed above the infield seating areas), but it would remain the Rangers' home for over two decades.

The stadium, though, had two advantages. First, before installation of a wrap-around scoreboard, the predominant gusty winds from the south would kill many fly balls that would otherwise have been home runs. Second, the large number of metal bleacher seats would come in handy on Bat Night, the promotional game where children under age 12 would receive (in most years) a real bat that could be pounded on the bleachers. As Bat Night would (in some years) be the only sell-out for the usually poor Rangers squads, the spectacle of 10,000-15,000 kids banging their bats all at once would create a deafening sound.

Arlington Stadium in its minor league days when it was called Turnpike Stadium.

The stadium eventually began to show its age and inadequacy, and the City of Arlington approved the construction of a new stadium for the Texas Rangers. The last game was played in Arlington Stadium on October 3, 1993, resulting in a 4-1 win by the visiting Kansas City Royals, witnessed by 41,039 fans. Following the 1993 season, the Texas Rangers moved to the nearby Ballpark in Arlington and Arlington Stadium was demolished in 1994. The foul poles and home plate from Arlington Stadium were moved to the new stadium. The location of the former stadium is now the furthest north parking lot of the current stadium.

Arlington Stadium never saw a playoff game or an All-Star Game, but was host to several of Nolan Ryan's greatest moments, including his 5,000th strikeout and his seventh no-hitter. The Baltimore Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken, Jr. in 1984, and Oddibe McDowell, were the only two players to hit for the cycle in Arlington Stadium.