Jack Russell Memorial Stadium
Clearwater Phillies (FSL) (1985–2003) ) (2019)St. Petersburg College (NJCAA) (2017-present) Clearwater High School (2017-present) Dunedin Blue Jays (FSL |
Jack Russell Memorial Stadium is a baseball field in Clearwater, Florida. It opened as Jack Russell Stadium in 1955. It was the spring training home of the Philadelphia Phillies Major League Baseball team from 1955 through 2003. Since 2017, it has been home to the Clearwater High School and St. Petersburg College baseball teams.[1]
The Clearwater Bombers, a softball team that won 10 National
In 2004, the Philadelphia Phillies moved to
Phillies Spring Training (1954-2003)
Russell was instrumental in the conception of the new ballpark; he had blueprints and plans drawn up himself, and then approached the Clearwater mayor and city commission with the plans in July 1954. With their approval, Russell then obtained the legal rights from the Florida state supreme court in Tallahassee to fund the stadium's construction through revenue bonds. In 1954, the Clearwater city council approved the building of the new ballpark and work began in fall 1954.[4]
The stadium was dedicated on March 10, 1955.[5]
Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick, National League president Warren Giles, American League president Will Harridge, Clearwater mayor Herbert M. Brown, and other city dignitaries were in attendance.[6] Clearwater Mayor Brown surprised Russell, and announced that the stadium would be named in his honor.[7]
The Phillies played the first game following the dedication. Robin Roberts started for the Phillies against the Detroit Tigers. The Phillies won 4-2 on a two-run double by Willie Jones before 4,209 fans.[7]
The Florida Winter Instructional Rookie League was a post season minor league in October and November; the Baltimore Orioles' team played their home games at Jack Russell in 1959[8] and the Kansas City A's played at the ballpark in 1960.[9] The Orioles and Yankees shared the ballpark in 1970[10] and 1971.[11]
Lights were added to the stadium in 1965. The Phillies played their first night game in Clearwater on March 23, 1965, beating the St. Louis Cardinals before 2,937 fans.[12]
The
The 1987 HBO movie Long Gone filmed many of the movie's road games at Jack Russell Stadium in November 1986.[14]
Following the 1989 season,[15] the City of Clearwater spent $800,000 to increase seating from 5,111 to 7,194 by constructing additional bleachers along the left field and the right field lines. The City also constructed additional restrooms and concessions. In exchange, the Phillies signed a new lease through the 2002 season.[16]
In its final spring training in 2003, parking cost $3 and game tickets cost $8, $6, and $5.[17]
The Phillies played their final spring training game at the ballpark on March 28, 2003 against the New York Yankees. Robin Roberts threw out the ceremonial first pitch, the sell out attendance was 7,224, and the Yankees beat the Phillies 2–0.[18]
Clearwater Phillies (1985-2003)
Clearwater city officials first approached the Philadelphia Phillies as early as 1981 about placing a full season Phillies minor league affiliate at Jack Russell Stadium in Clearwater. In a visit to Philadelphia in July 1982, Clearwater city officials and the president of the Florida State League invited the Philadelphia Phillies to affiliate with an FSL franchise in Clearwater.
While the Phillies played their spring training schedule at the stadium every March, the
The Florida State League granted Clearwater a franchise in September 1984 over the protests of the Bombers and their local supporters. A new playing field was built for the Bombers adjacent to the Phillies Carpenter Complex.[20]
For the Clearwater Phillies' first-season in the Florida State League in 1985, a new home clubhouse and additional seating were added to the ballpark. The Clearwater Phillies played their first regular season game at Jack Russell on April 12, 1985 against the Tampa Tarpons.[21]
Jack Russell Stadium was the site of a double no-hitter on August 23, 1992 when the Clearwater Phillies' Andy Carter no-hit the Winter Haven Red Sox whose Scott Bakkum no-hit the Phillies. Cleawater won 1-0 on two seventh inning walked batters and sacrifice bunts.[25] In a spring training game on April 2, 1993, the Boston Red Sox' Frank Viola and Cory Bailey no-hit the Phillies 10-0 at Jack Russell.[26]
The Clearwater Phillies played their last game at the stadium on Saturday night, August 23, 2003. Robin Roberts, who had pitched the first exhibition game in 1955, threw out the first-pitch. 6,472 fans, the second-largest crowd in Clearwater Phillies history, saw the Phillies lose 6-2 to the
Non-baseball uses
The ballpark was listed in 1957 as having a seating capacity of 6,500 for concerts.[28]
The
The boy band
On January 14, 2000,
Jack Russell Stadium (2004-present)
The Clearwater City Council voted on June 7, 2007 to partially raze the stadium and JVS Contracting Inc of Tampa[31] demolished much of the stadium that summer.[32] Left were the playing field, dugouts, bleachers, batting cages, and original two-story office in the right field corner.
The Winning Inning Baseball Academy, a Christian-based athletic organization, leased the ballpark from the City of Clearwater in 2007. The organization paid rent, utilities, and maintained the field, and while the City of Clearwater paid for structural repairs.[33]
The Winning Inning and City of Clearwater hosted the Clearwater College Invitational in March 2008 at the reconfigured ballpark.[34]
The St. Petersburg/Clearwater Sports Commission hosted a
In 2017 and 2018, the City of Clearwater invested $500,000 and partnered with the Clearwater High School Batter Up Booster Club, the Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, Clearwater for Youth, the Pinellas County School District, Clearwater High School and St. Petersburg College to add an additional clubhouse, a second set of batting cages, seating for 1,200, and installed turf, formerly used in Tropicana Field from 2011 to 2016 by the Tampa Bay Rays, on the training field.[37]
On March 23, 2018, the City of Clearwater and the Phillies dedicated a memorial park at the ballpark to honor the Phillies Hall of Famers, Jack Russell, visiting greats, and World Champion 1980 Phillies team who played there.[38]
During renovations to
References
- ^ McManus, Tracy (September 7, 2017). "Old Tropicana Field turf gets new life in Clearwater". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
- ^ Associated Press (2007-07-21). "Phillies' old spring training home demolished". USA Today. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
- Tampa Tribune. Archived from the originalon September 18, 2007. Retrieved 2008-11-13.
- St. Petersburg Times. p. 4. Retrieved 2009-09-18. [dead link]
- ^ "Phillies". Miami Daily News. 1955-03-10. p. 12A.
- ^ Lewis, Allen (March 1986). "Philadelphia Clearwater '47 '86". 1986 Phillies Spring Training 40th Year in Clearwater. Clearwater, Florida: Philadelphia Phillies: 4, 5.
- ^ St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 2008-11-13.
- St. Petersburg Times. 1959-10-08. p. 5-C. Retrieved 2009-05-01.
- St. Petersburg Times. 1960-09-30. p. 1-C. Retrieved 2009-05-01.
- St. Petersburg Evening Independent. 1970-09-28. p. 2-C. Retrieved 2009-05-01.
- St. Petersburg Times. pp. 1–C, 2-C. Retrieved 2009-05-01.
- Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 42.
- St. Petersburg Times. 1970-12-02. pp. 3–C. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
- ^ Persall, Steve (March 23, 2015). "Baseball movie made in Tampa Bay in 1986 is 'Long Gone'". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2018-03-25.
- St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 2009-03-19.
- ^ "Capacity Increased". Phillies 1990 Spring Training Roster/Schedule. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Philadelphia Phillies. 1990.
- ^ Farrell, Peter; Andrew Kulyk (2007-07-23). "RIP – Jack Russell Stadium". The Ultimate Sports Road Trip. Archived from the original on 2008-10-06. Retrieved 2008-11-28.
- ^ "Yankees vs. Phillies - Game Summary - March 28, 2003 - ESPN".
- St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
- St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
- St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
- ^ "Play it again, Wilbur". The Miami News. June 28, 1985. p. 2B. Retrieved 2013-02-04.
- ^ "Wilbur Snapp, 83; Only Baseball Organist Ousted by an Umpire". Los Angeles Times. 2003-09-10. Retrieved 2008-11-14.
- New York Times. 2003-09-10. Retrieved 2008-11-14.
- New York Times. 1992-08-24. Retrieved 2008-11-13.
- ^ "Viola, Bailey combine on no-hitter". Chicago Tribune. 1993-04-03. pp. 3 SPORTS.
- ^ St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 2009-03-01.
- ISBN 9781155831046. Retrieved 2009-05-19.
- ^ "American Spring Tour, 1965". frayed.org. Retrieved 2008-12-30.
- ^ "The Rolling Stones: Satisfaction". Guitar Chords Magic. 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-30.
- ^ "Tampa Construction Division". PBTP Construction Services Division Tampa Florida. 2009-10-20.
- St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 2008-11-28.
- ^ Cronan, Carl (2007-02-27). "Safe at home: Stadium survives wrecking ball, for now". The Tampa Bay Business Journal. Retrieved 2009-03-09.
- ^ "Red Raider Preview for Clearwater College Invitational". Northwestern College Red Raiders. 2008-03-02. Archived from the original on October 13, 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-13.
- ^ BIG EAST Conference (2008-10-20). "Schedule For First BIG EAST/Big Ten Baseball Challenge Released". Big East Conference Athletics. Archived from the original on December 2, 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-13.
- ^ BIG EAST Conference (2009-02-23). "Revised - Big East/Big Ten Challenge Schedule - Revised February 20-22, 2009". Big East Conference Athletics. Archived from the original on 2014-12-30. Retrieved 2009-03-01.
- ^ Castillo, Piper (April 6, 2017). "St. Petersburg College, Clearwater High right at home in historic Jack Russell Stadium". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
- ^ Rapps, Matt (March 22, 2018). "Clearwater to unveil Monument Park at Jack Russell Memorial Stadium". Sports Talk Philly. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
- ^ "Rays Tales: No reason to say uncle, Charlie".
- ^ "Exploring 2019 MiLB Attendance Trends". 13 September 2019.
External links
- Bennett, Byron (February 25, 2015). "Jack Russell Stadium – The Phillies' Second Clearwater Home". deadballbaseball.com. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
- Ball Parks of the Minor Leagues: Jack Russell Memorial Stadium Views
- Digital Ballparks: Jack Russell Memorial Stadium
- Ball Park Reviews: Jack Russell Memorial Stadium
- Charlie's Ball Parks: Jack Russell Memorial Stadium
- Four Seam: "Back at the Jack" (April 2019)