Miami Stadium
Encyclopedia
Miami Stadium was a baseball
stadium
in Miami, Florida
. It was primarily used for baseball
, and was the home field of the Miami Marlins
minor league
baseball team, as well as other minor league teams. It opened in 1949 and held 13,500 people. It was also used as the Spring Training
home of the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers
from 1950-1958 (for most of their "A" games). The Dodgers played their first game as the Los Angeles Dodgers at the ballpark when they opened their 1958 spring training schedule against the Phillies on March 8, 1958 in front of 5,966 fans. It was used during the spring by the Baltimore Orioles
from 1959-1990. At the time of its construction, Miami Stadium was remarkably modern and well-appointed, although in time it would be surpassed by later designs.
On June 6, 1958, Orioles president James Keelty Jr.
reached agreement with Miami Marlins
president George B. Storer to move the Orioles spring training home from Scottsdale, Arizona to Miami Stadium for the 1959 spring training season. On May 25, 1990, the Orioles announced that the team would move their spring training home games from Miami Stadium to Bradenton
and Sarasota
in 1991. The Orioles had trained at Twin Lakes Park in Sarasota prior to spring games in 1989 and 1990.
The stadium was located on the block bounded by Northwest 23rd Street (south - first base), Northwest 10th Avenue (west - third base), and Northwest 8th Avenue (east - right field), with an open area behind left field extending about a block north.
A distinguishing feature of the ballpark was a high arched cantilever
-type roof over the grandstand, in contrast to the typical styles of either flat and slightly sloping, or peaked like a house. This design enabled the ballpark to have a roof that covered most of the spectator area without any posts blocking the spectators' view. Al Lopez Field
in Tampa, Florida
employed a somewhat similar design with a less dramatic curve and less coverage.
When the Florida Marlins
were established in 1993, the new club opted for Joe Robbie Stadium
, the home of the Miami Dolphins
football team, a much larger facility than Miami Stadium.
The City of Miami had proposed razing the stadium and selling the property for warehouses. But a sale price of $1.6 million plus demolition cost of $725,000, scared away would-be developers. The City rezoned the property in 1998 for housing. St. Martin Affordable Housing Inc. purchased the 12.6 acres (50,990.4 m²) property from the City of Miami for $2.1 million in 1999 to raze the stadium and build a rental housing project. A large apartment complex (called The Miami Stadium Apartments) now stands where the stadium was.
Estadio Quisqueya
, in Santo Domingo
, Dominican Republic
(built in 1959) is an almost exact replica of the stadium.
A PBS documentary, White Elephant: What Is There To Save?, was produced in 2007 about the stadium's history. http://www.whiteelephantdocumentary.com/
Bobby Maduro Miami Stadium appears in the EA Sports game MVP 06: NCAA Baseball
as "Seaside Stadium".
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
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
. It was primarily used for 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...
, and was the home field of the Miami Marlins
Miami Marlins (IL)
The Miami Marlins was the name of a Class AAA American minor league baseball franchise based in Miami, Florida, that played in the International League from 1956 through 1960.The Marlins were a transplanted version of the original Syracuse Chiefs...
minor league
Minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
baseball team, as well as other minor league teams. It opened in 1949 and held 13,500 people. It was also used as the Spring Training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
home of the Brooklyn and 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...
from 1950-1958 (for most of their "A" games). The Dodgers played their first game as the Los Angeles Dodgers at the ballpark when they opened their 1958 spring training schedule against the Phillies on March 8, 1958 in front of 5,966 fans. It was used during the spring by the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
from 1959-1990. At the time of its construction, Miami Stadium was remarkably modern and well-appointed, although in time it would be surpassed by later designs.
On June 6, 1958, Orioles president James Keelty Jr.
James Keelty
James S. Keelty Jr. was part-owner of the Baltimore Orioles of the American League from to .Keelty was a Baltimore-area real estate developer who started James Keelty & Co. Inc. with his younger brother Joseph in 1946. He was also one of the investors in a group headed by Clarence Miles who had...
reached agreement with Miami Marlins
Miami Marlins (IL)
The Miami Marlins was the name of a Class AAA American minor league baseball franchise based in Miami, Florida, that played in the International League from 1956 through 1960.The Marlins were a transplanted version of the original Syracuse Chiefs...
president George B. Storer to move the Orioles spring training home from Scottsdale, Arizona to Miami Stadium for the 1959 spring training season. On May 25, 1990, the Orioles announced that the team would move their spring training home games from Miami Stadium to Bradenton
McKechnie Field
McKechnie Field is a baseball field located in Bradenton, Florida. It is the spring training home of the Pittsburgh Pirates and is named for Bradenton resident and baseball great, Bill McKechnie, who led the Pirates in 1925, the Cincinnati Reds in 1940 and the Cleveland Indians in 1948 to World...
and Sarasota
Ed Smith Stadium
Ed Smith Stadium is a baseball field located in Sarasota, Florida. The stadium was built in 1989 to replace Payne Park as a Spring Training and Minor League Baseball site. In 2010, the Baltimore Orioles began playing spring games at the ballpark.-History:...
in 1991. The Orioles had trained at Twin Lakes Park in Sarasota prior to spring games in 1989 and 1990.
The stadium was located on the block bounded by Northwest 23rd Street (south - first base), Northwest 10th Avenue (west - third base), and Northwest 8th Avenue (east - right field), with an open area behind left field extending about a block north.
A distinguishing feature of the ballpark was a high arched cantilever
Cantilever
A cantilever is a beam anchored at only one end. The beam carries the load to the support where it is resisted by moment and shear stress. Cantilever construction allows for overhanging structures without external bracing. Cantilevers can also be constructed with trusses or slabs.This is in...
-type roof over the grandstand, in contrast to the typical styles of either flat and slightly sloping, or peaked like a house. This design enabled the ballpark to have a roof that covered most of the spectator area without any posts blocking the spectators' view. Al Lopez Field
Al Lopez Field
Al Lopez Field was a spring training and Minor League baseball park in Tampa, Florida, United States. It was named for Tampa native and Baseball Hall of Famer Al Lopez....
in Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
employed a somewhat similar design with a less dramatic curve and less coverage.
When the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
were established in 1993, the new club opted for Joe Robbie Stadium
Dolphin Stadium
Sun Life Stadium is an American football stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, a suburb of Miami. It is the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins National Football League team, and the University of Miami Hurricanes football team. It also hosts the Orange Bowl, an annual college football bowl game. It...
, the home of the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
football team, a much larger facility than Miami Stadium.
The City of Miami had proposed razing the stadium and selling the property for warehouses. But a sale price of $1.6 million plus demolition cost of $725,000, scared away would-be developers. The City rezoned the property in 1998 for housing. St. Martin Affordable Housing Inc. purchased the 12.6 acres (50,990.4 m²) property from the City of Miami for $2.1 million in 1999 to raze the stadium and build a rental housing project. A large apartment complex (called The Miami Stadium Apartments) now stands where the stadium was.
Estadio Quisqueya
Estadio Quisqueya
Estadio Quisqueya is a baseball stadium in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. It is often used as a multi-use stadium. The Quisqueya holds about 16,500 people after its renovation. The Dominican League Of Baseball Authority is in charge of its management...
, in Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
(built in 1959) is an almost exact replica of the stadium.
A PBS documentary, White Elephant: What Is There To Save?, was produced in 2007 about the stadium's history. http://www.whiteelephantdocumentary.com/
Bobby Maduro Miami Stadium appears in the EA Sports game MVP 06: NCAA Baseball
MVP 06: NCAA Baseball
MVP 06: NCAA Baseball is the fourth edition of the baseball video game series developed by Electronic Arts. Because of Electronic Arts' loss of the Major League Baseball license to Take Two Interactive in 2005, which now has the exclusive MLB license, the publishers decided to transition the MVP...
as "Seaside Stadium".