Arlington Stadium was demolished in 1994
Arlington Stadium was demolished in 1994
Arlington Stadium was the home of the Texas Rangers of the American League.
When the Washington Senators moved to Texas in 1972 and became the Rangers, they took up residence in the city of Arlington, midway between Dallas and Fort Worth. Their new home was a minor league ballpark called Turnpike Stadium, which was promptly renamed Arlington Stadium, to give it a more "major league" ring.
There were a lot of things not to like about Arlington Stadium, but cost wasn't one of them. The outfield bleachers were tremendous and you could see a major league ballgame at a very low price and enjoy making a huge racket by stomping your feet on the aluminum stands.
As I said above, I visited the ballpark 19 years ago as of this writing in 1999 and I don't remember much. I sat out in those noisy bleachers and watched a doubleheader against the White Sox. I nearly caught a home run hit by Chicago's Ralph Garr, but some stupid kid knocked my arms away just before the ball reached me.
The best thing I remember about it was the huge, Texas-shaped scoreboard. It looked totally cool, but they got rid of it a few years later. I still can't figure out why. It was the one distinguishing feature of the place, other than the fact that it sat below ground level.
A very nondescript ballpark, but not one that can be knocked too badly either. It served it's purpose for 22 Ranger season and then became a parking lot for The Ballpark in Arlington.
Reader Comments
One thing I missed in your reveiw about the old Arlington Ballpark dump was the fights that went on there. A Man from New York seated by me once remarked to me that he had never seen so many fights at a baseball game in his life. I told him to stick around; there is more scrapping at Arlington Stadium than at the local wrestling matches. I think, all in all, it was the worst major league park I ever attended. - Jaret, Florida
After seeing the reader comments about all the supposed fights at Arlington Stadium, I could not help responding. I went to that park since the early 70s, when my day took me to the first sellout (David Clyde's first start), and never saw a fight of any kind. In addition, I cherish every memory I have of the old Stadium, and often think back to various times. It was truly the forum for the true fan, considering they never approached any post season glory. I guess you can say, as a true Ranger fan, I take exception to anyone not appreciating the "inner beauty" of Arlington Stadium. - TexasRangerBobby