Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium
Encyclopedia
Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium is a baseball
stadium in Omaha, Nebraska
, the former home to the annual NCAA
Division I College World Series
and the minor league
Omaha Royals, now known as the Omaha Storm Chasers. Rosenblatt Stadium was the largest minor league baseball
stadium in the United States
.
The final College World Series game at Rosenblatt Stadium was played on June 29, 2010; with the South Carolina Gamecocks
defeating the UCLA Bruins
to win the 2010 College World Series
. The final game for the Royals in the stadium, and under the Royals name, was played on September 2, 2010, with the Royals defeating the Round Rock Express
. Now that both series have been concluded, the Omaha Nighthawks
played their 2010 season at Rosenblatt; Creighton Prep played a football game there as well. Following those, Rosenblatt was replaced by TD Ameritrade Park Omaha. Rosenblatt Stadium will be torn down in 2012 and eventually turned into a park, as a part of the Henry Doorly Zoo
around 2012.
season. The St. Louis Cardinals
farm team was the first professional baseball team to call Omaha its home. Over the next few years Rosenblatt hosted several different teams. In 1969
, the Kansas City Royals
moved their triple-A franchise here, which played at Rosenblatt through the 2010 season.
In 1964
, the stadium was renamed to honor former Omaha mayor Johnny Rosenblatt
, who was instrumental in bringing professional baseball as well as the College World Series to Omaha.
Team moved into PCL in 1998 after AA folded.
Team was named "Omaha Golden Spikes" during 1998-2001.
, Rosenblatt Stadium has been home to the College World Series
. After the initial contract between the NCAA and the City of Omaha expired, the parties quickly agreed to renew. Currently, the NCAA and the city of Omaha have agreed to continue hosting the Men's College World Series in Omaha through the 2035 season.
Due to recent growth in the sports, the City of Omaha has devoted resources to the stadium to accommodate teams and fans. In 2001
, for example, more than $7 million was spent on the stadium. One of the major additions was 10,000 new seats, bringing the total capacity to 23,145.
The record for most consecutive sellouts at Rosenblatt stands at 82 consecutive games. In 2002, the College World Series surpassed the 5,000,000 spectator mark in all-time attendance.
In 1999
, the local event organizers, College World Series of Omaha, Inc., placed the sculpture "Road to Omaha" in front of the main entrance. Created by local artist John Lajba
, the sculpture shows three players celebrating by lifting one of their teammates in the air. One of the players whose likeness was used to create the statue (far right) is the current University of Virginia
head coach Brian O'Connor
. O'Connor is a native of Council Bluffs, Iowa and was a CWS participant as a pitcher for Creighton in '91, as an assistant with Notre Dame
in '02, and with Virginia in 2009 and 2011.
With the anticipated opening of TD Ameritrade Park Omaha in 2011, the College World Series
moved to this new stadium, and the renamed Storm Chasers moved to Werner Park in Sarpy County
.
and/or the University of Nebraska at Omaha
. Alan Stein, the President and part owner of the Omaha Royals
had stated he would be willing to invest $10 million into a new 7,500 seat stadium for the Royals. He said a 30,000 seat CWS stadium downtown with removable seats down to 12,000 would not be a viable alternative. The Royals believed that a smaller, more intimate stadium would double annual attendance up to 500,000 - 600,000. According to Stein, that increase would have been unlikely at either Rosenblatt or a large downtown stadium.
The Royals had named multiple other cities with whom they have discussed stadium relocation, but decided to stay in greater Omaha with the construction of Werner Park.
. The group aired a TV commercial with actor Kevin Costner
and proposed architectural plans for a renovation of Rosenblatt. The group also created an informational website. The group was composed primarily of governmental spending critics and homeowners near Rosenblatt Stadium who stood to lose money from the loss of proximity of the College World Series.
The members of "Save Rosenblatt" believed that Rosenblatt Stadium should be retained and enhanced, saying that the CWS and the City of Omaha would have been better served by a remodeled Rosenblatt and modified area around the stadium. However, on February 27, 2008, after nearly five months of deliberation, Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey
and the stadium committee made a public recommendation for a new downtown stadium. This proposal included plans for the demolition of Rosenblatt Stadium. Many citizens of South Omaha responded with disappointment and frustration over the lack of public participation in the project planning and a lack of a public vote on a multimillion dollar project. Other concerns focused on the financing and certainty of the construction costs of the new stadium.
In response, fans have begun a movement to build an online museum of Rosenblatt Stadium and have formed a special interest group on the social networking site Facebook
.
, outlining a preliminary agreement to keep the World Series in Omaha for another 25 years through 2035. The agreement stipulated that the series be moved to the new downtown stadium by 2011. A formal contract must still be negotiated and the Omaha City Council must sign off on all parts of the proposal, but neither procedural step is expected to impede construction of the new stadium.
in the United Football League for its inaugural 2010 season. For 2011 and beyond, the Nighthawks will move into the new TD Ameritrade Park.
The Nighthawks played four games at Rosenblatt Stadium during the 2010 UFL season
, selling out all four. The league was so impressed by the attendance that they awarded the 2010 UFL Championship Game
to Rosenblatt which was the last event ever held there.
is set to take control of the land and demolish Rosenblatt once the new downtown stadium is completed. While the stadium land itself will only be used for parking, it will be part of an overall expansion of the zoo that will include a new visitor's center and a new Arctic exhibit on what is now the Zoo's primary parking area east of 10th Street. A tribute to Rosenblatt, sized to Little League
standards, will be created within the new parking space created by the stadium's demolition. On March 8, 2011, the Omaha City Council formally approved the sale of Rosenblatt to the Zoo for $12 million. Now that the Zoo owns the stadium site, demolition is expected to begin soon; the city of Omaha will use the money, gained from Rosenblatt's sale, to pay off debts which had been incurred in the stadium's renovations over the years.
, an organist for the Royals, is one of only two organists ever to be ejected during a game, the other being Wilbur Snapp
.
The playing field in Rosenblatt Stadium had the ability to stay playable with even an 8.5 inch per hour rainfall.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
stadium in Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
, the former home to the annual NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
and the minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
Omaha Royals, now known as the Omaha Storm Chasers. Rosenblatt Stadium was the largest minor league baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
stadium in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The final College World Series game at Rosenblatt Stadium was played on June 29, 2010; with the South Carolina Gamecocks
2010 South Carolina Gamecocks baseball team
The 2010 South Carolina Gamecocks baseball team represented the University of South Carolina in the 2010 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Gamecocks played their home games in Carolina Stadium. The team was coached by Ray Tanner, who was in his fourteenth season at Carolina.USC finished the...
defeating the UCLA Bruins
2010 UCLA Bruins baseball team
The 2010 UCLA Bruins baseball team represented the University of California, Los Angeles in the 2010 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Bruins played their home games in Jackie Robinson Stadium. UCLA finished the regular season as the #2 team in the Pacific-10 Conference behind the Arizona...
to win the 2010 College World Series
2010 College World Series
The 2010 College World Series began on June 19, 2010 and concluded on June 29 in Omaha, Nebraska at Rosenblatt Stadium. South Carolina won the championship after defeating UCLA. Rosenblatt has hosted the CWS since 1950, but 2010 will be the final College World Series to be played in the famed...
. The final game for the Royals in the stadium, and under the Royals name, was played on September 2, 2010, with the Royals defeating the Round Rock Express
Round Rock Express
The Round Rock Express is a class Triple-A Pacific Coast League minor league baseball team in Round Rock, Texas, owned by RSR Sports and founded by Reid Ryan, son of Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan. The team is affiliated with the Texas Rangers, for whom Nolan Ryan serves as the president and...
. Now that both series have been concluded, the Omaha Nighthawks
Omaha Nighthawks
The Omaha Nighthawks are a professional American football team based in Omaha, Nebraska, which plays in the United Football League, joining the league as an expansion team in 2010. For their first season, the Nighthawks played their home games at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium before moving to TD...
played their 2010 season at Rosenblatt; Creighton Prep played a football game there as well. Following those, Rosenblatt was replaced by TD Ameritrade Park Omaha. Rosenblatt Stadium will be torn down in 2012 and eventually turned into a park, as a part of the Henry Doorly Zoo
Henry Doorly Zoo
The Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo is a zoo in Omaha, Nebraska, located at 3701 South 10th Street.It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Its mission is conservation, research, recreation, and education.Omaha's Henry Doorly...
around 2012.
Professional baseball history
Omaha Municipal Stadium was built in 1947, ready to host the single-A Omaha Cardinals for the 19481948 in sports
-American football:* University of Michigan wins college football national championship.* Cleveland Browns 49–7 Buffalo Bills in the All-America Football Conference championship game....
season. The St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
farm team was the first professional baseball team to call Omaha its home. Over the next few years Rosenblatt hosted several different teams. In 1969
1969 in sports
1969 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup:** Men's overall champion: Karl Schranz, Austria** Women's overall champion: Gertrud Gabl, Austria-American football:...
, the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
moved their triple-A franchise here, which played at Rosenblatt through the 2010 season.
In 1964
1964 in sports
1964 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Men's Olympic Gold Medal:** Downhill: Egon Zimmermann, Austria** Slalom: Josef Stiegler, Austria** Giant Slalom: François Bonlieu, France* Women's Olympic Gold Medal:...
, the stadium was renamed to honor former Omaha mayor Johnny Rosenblatt
John R. Rosenblatt
John R. "Johnny" Rosenblatt was the mayor of Omaha, Nebraska, USA from 1954 to 1961. He graduated from Tech High in Midtown Omaha. Rosenblatt Stadium was named after him.-See also:*List of mayors of Omaha...
, who was instrumental in bringing professional baseball as well as the College World Series to Omaha.
Omaha teams
| Seasons | Team | League | Class | MLB Affiliate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949–1954 | Omaha Cardinals | Western Western League (defunct minor league) The Western League is a name given to several circuits in American minor league baseball. Its earliest progenitor, which existed from 1885 to 1899, was the predecessor of the American League... |
A | St. Louis Cardinals St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to... |
| 1955–1959 | Omaha Cardinals | Amer. Assn. American Association (20th century) The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the... |
AAA | St. Louis Cardinals St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to... |
| 1961–1962 | Omaha Dodgers | Amer. Assn. American Association (20th century) The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the... |
AAA | Los Angeles Dodgers Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming... |
| 1969-2010 | Omaha Royals | Amer. Assn. American Association (20th century) The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the... - PCL Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The... |
AAA | Kansas City Royals Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium... |
Team moved into PCL in 1998 after AA folded.
Team was named "Omaha Golden Spikes" during 1998-2001.
Rosenblatt and the College World Series
Since 19501950 College World Series
The 1950 College World Series was played at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska from June 15 to June 23. It was the first College World Series to be held at the stadium, which hosted the event through 2010....
, Rosenblatt Stadium has been home to the College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
. After the initial contract between the NCAA and the City of Omaha expired, the parties quickly agreed to renew. Currently, the NCAA and the city of Omaha have agreed to continue hosting the Men's College World Series in Omaha through the 2035 season.
Due to recent growth in the sports, the City of Omaha has devoted resources to the stadium to accommodate teams and fans. In 2001
2001 in sports
2001 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Hermann Maier, Austria** Women's overall season champion: Janica Kostelić, Croatia-American football:...
, for example, more than $7 million was spent on the stadium. One of the major additions was 10,000 new seats, bringing the total capacity to 23,145.
The record for most consecutive sellouts at Rosenblatt stands at 82 consecutive games. In 2002, the College World Series surpassed the 5,000,000 spectator mark in all-time attendance.
In 1999
1999 in sports
1999 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Lasse Kjus, Norway** Women's overall season champion: Alexandra Meissnitzer, Austria-American football:...
, the local event organizers, College World Series of Omaha, Inc., placed the sculpture "Road to Omaha" in front of the main entrance. Created by local artist John Lajba
John Lajba
John Lajba, is an American sculptor who lives in Omaha, Nebraska. He is known for his work in creating sculptures of historical and sports figures, and creates the annual Harley J. Earl Trophies presented to the winner of the Daytona 500.-Work:...
, the sculpture shows three players celebrating by lifting one of their teammates in the air. One of the players whose likeness was used to create the statue (far right) is the current University of Virginia
Virginia Cavaliers baseball
The Virginia Cavaliers baseball team represents the University of Virginia in NCAA Division I college baseball. Established in 1889, the team participates in the Coastal division of the Atlantic Coast Conference and plays its home games at Davenport Field. There was discussion at one time to...
head coach Brian O'Connor
Brian O'Connor (baseball coach)
Brian O'Connor is the head coach of the University of Virginia baseball team. Previously serving as an Associate Head Coach at Notre Dame, he was hired on July 8, 2003 to replace the retiring Dennis Womack...
. O'Connor is a native of Council Bluffs, Iowa and was a CWS participant as a pitcher for Creighton in '91, as an assistant with Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame's nickname is inherited from Irish immigrant soldiers who fought in the Civil War with the Union's Irish Brigade, , recollected among other places in the poetry of Joyce Kilmer who served with one of the Irish Brigade regiments during World War I...
in '02, and with Virginia in 2009 and 2011.
With the anticipated opening of TD Ameritrade Park Omaha in 2011, the College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
moved to this new stadium, and the renamed Storm Chasers moved to Werner Park in Sarpy County
Sarpy County, Nebraska
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 122,595 people, 43,426 households, and 33,220 families residing in the county. The population density was 510 people per square mile . There were 44,981 housing units at an average density of 187 per square mile...
.
Rosenblatt and the Omaha Royals
Although the stadium's size was not an issue for the World Series, the high capacity left the Royals struggling to fill it for its regular season games. There had been discussion since 2003 of building a separate venue for the Omaha Royals, which also could have been shared by Creighton UniversityCreighton University
Creighton University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. The university is accredited by...
and/or the University of Nebraska at Omaha
University of Nebraska at Omaha
The University of Nebraska at Omaha is a four-year state university located in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. Founded in 1908 as Omaha University, the institution became the public Municipal University of Omaha in 1931. It assumed its current name in 1968 following a merger into the University...
. Alan Stein, the President and part owner of the Omaha Royals
Omaha Royals
The Omaha Storm Chasers are a United States minor league baseball team currently based in the Omaha suburb of Papillion, Nebraska. The team is the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals major league club and has been a member of the expanded Pacific Coast League since 1998. From 1969 to 1997,...
had stated he would be willing to invest $10 million into a new 7,500 seat stadium for the Royals. He said a 30,000 seat CWS stadium downtown with removable seats down to 12,000 would not be a viable alternative. The Royals believed that a smaller, more intimate stadium would double annual attendance up to 500,000 - 600,000. According to Stein, that increase would have been unlikely at either Rosenblatt or a large downtown stadium.
The Royals had named multiple other cities with whom they have discussed stadium relocation, but decided to stay in greater Omaha with the construction of Werner Park.
Efforts to save Rosenblatt Stadium
In May 2007 a grassroots organization called "Save Rosenblatt" tried to save the stadium for the use by College World SeriesCollege World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
. The group aired a TV commercial with actor Kevin Costner
Kevin Costner
Kevin Michael Costner is an American actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and businessman. He has been nominated for three BAFTA Awards, won two Academy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. Costner's roles include Lt. John J...
and proposed architectural plans for a renovation of Rosenblatt. The group also created an informational website. The group was composed primarily of governmental spending critics and homeowners near Rosenblatt Stadium who stood to lose money from the loss of proximity of the College World Series.
The members of "Save Rosenblatt" believed that Rosenblatt Stadium should be retained and enhanced, saying that the CWS and the City of Omaha would have been better served by a remodeled Rosenblatt and modified area around the stadium. However, on February 27, 2008, after nearly five months of deliberation, Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey
Mike Fahey
Michael Gahan "Mike" Fahey, took office as the 49th mayor of Omaha, Nebraska on June 11, 2001. Fahey won his second term as mayor in the May 10, 2005 election...
and the stadium committee made a public recommendation for a new downtown stadium. This proposal included plans for the demolition of Rosenblatt Stadium. Many citizens of South Omaha responded with disappointment and frustration over the lack of public participation in the project planning and a lack of a public vote on a multimillion dollar project. Other concerns focused on the financing and certainty of the construction costs of the new stadium.
In response, fans have begun a movement to build an online museum of Rosenblatt Stadium and have formed a special interest group on the social networking site Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
.
New agreement
On April 30, 2009, the city and the NCAA agreed on a memorandum of understandingMemorandum of understanding
A memorandum of understanding is a document describing a bilateral or multilateral agreement between parties. It expresses a convergence of will between the parties, indicating an intended common line of action. It is often used in cases where parties either do not imply a legal commitment or in...
, outlining a preliminary agreement to keep the World Series in Omaha for another 25 years through 2035. The agreement stipulated that the series be moved to the new downtown stadium by 2011. A formal contract must still be negotiated and the Omaha City Council must sign off on all parts of the proposal, but neither procedural step is expected to impede construction of the new stadium.
Omaha Nighthawks
On April 15, 2010, it was announced that Rosenblatt Stadium would be home to the Omaha NighthawksOmaha Nighthawks
The Omaha Nighthawks are a professional American football team based in Omaha, Nebraska, which plays in the United Football League, joining the league as an expansion team in 2010. For their first season, the Nighthawks played their home games at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium before moving to TD...
in the United Football League for its inaugural 2010 season. For 2011 and beyond, the Nighthawks will move into the new TD Ameritrade Park.
The Nighthawks played four games at Rosenblatt Stadium during the 2010 UFL season
2010 UFL season
The 2010 United Football League season was the second season of the United Football League. The regular season ran from September 18 to November 20 and featured five teams playing eight games each over a 10-week span. The 2010 season was a relatively competitive one as no team won more than five...
, selling out all four. The league was so impressed by the attendance that they awarded the 2010 UFL Championship Game
2010 UFL Championship Game
The 2010 UFL Championship Game was the concluding game of the United Football League's 2010 season. The game was staged at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska on Saturday, November 27, 2010, and saw the Las Vegas Locomotives repeat as league champions, defeating the Florida Tuskers by a...
to Rosenblatt which was the last event ever held there.
Future use
Plans call for the site of Rosenblatt Stadium to be sold to pay off the debt remaining from the stadium's multi-million dollar renovations. The adjacent Henry Doorly ZooHenry Doorly Zoo
The Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo is a zoo in Omaha, Nebraska, located at 3701 South 10th Street.It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Its mission is conservation, research, recreation, and education.Omaha's Henry Doorly...
is set to take control of the land and demolish Rosenblatt once the new downtown stadium is completed. While the stadium land itself will only be used for parking, it will be part of an overall expansion of the zoo that will include a new visitor's center and a new Arctic exhibit on what is now the Zoo's primary parking area east of 10th Street. A tribute to Rosenblatt, sized to Little League
Little League
Little League Baseball and Softball is a non-profit organization in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States which organizes local youth baseball and softball leagues throughout the U.S...
standards, will be created within the new parking space created by the stadium's demolition. On March 8, 2011, the Omaha City Council formally approved the sale of Rosenblatt to the Zoo for $12 million. Now that the Zoo owns the stadium site, demolition is expected to begin soon; the city of Omaha will use the money, gained from Rosenblatt's sale, to pay off debts which had been incurred in the stadium's renovations over the years.
Atmosphere
Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium was one of the few stadiums to still use live music instead of prerecorded music. Lambert BartakLambert Bartak
Lambert Bartak was the full-time organist for the NCAA Division I College World Series at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska. Lambert has played full-time for the series since 1988; he first played the organ for the event in the 1950s. Bartak also played for the Omaha Royals from 1973 to...
, an organist for the Royals, is one of only two organists ever to be ejected during a game, the other being Wilbur Snapp
Wilbur Snapp
Wilbur Snapp was a self-taught American musician who played the organ for the Clearwater Phillies, a minor-league baseball team, and for the Philadelphia Phillies in spring training, over a period of 20 years. He served in the Army Air Forces in World War II. He married his wife Janice in 1942...
.
The playing field in Rosenblatt Stadium had the ability to stay playable with even an 8.5 inch per hour rainfall.
Note on dimensions
Before remodeling for the 2002 season, the foul lines were 343 (now 335) and the power alleys were 370 (now 375). Centerfield was 420 (now 408).See also
- TD Ameritrade Park Omaha - ballpark that is replacing Rosenblatt Stadium as home of the College World Series and the Nighthawks in 2011
- Werner Park - ballpark that is replacing Rosenblatt Stadium as home of the Royals in 2011
External links
- MSRmaps.com - aerial photo & USGS topo map
- Rosenblatt Stadium - History of the ballpark
- Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium Views - Ball Parks of the Minor Leagues