Memories of Veterans Stadium
Today, one of our writers remembers Veterans Stadium, home of the Philadelphia Phillies from 1971 to 2003.
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Pregame Pepper - Check Out The Vet
Leading Off
Remembering Veterans Stadium
By Jason Love
As Major League Baseball returns to ballparks throughout the country, fans are filled with memories of attending their first game. Older New York fans recall fond memories of watching the Brooklyn Dodgers play at Ebbets Field. Those living in Detroit think back to the Tigers playing in Tiger Stadium. For fans living in the Greater Philadelphia region, it is Shibe Park/Connie Mack Stadium. I am not old enough to remember Connie Mack Stadium; however, I have many great memories of watching the Phillies at Veterans Stadium throughout the 1980s and 1990s. The last home opener at The Vet took place on April 4, 2003.
Veterans Stadium opened in South Philadelphia in 1971 as the new home to both the Phillies and Philadelphia Eagles. Like a lot of sports venues built in the 1960s and early 1970s, it was a multi-purpose stadium. Other such stadiums included Riverfront Stadium (Reds and Bengals), Three Rivers Stadium (Pirates and Steelers), Shea Stadium (Mets and Jets), and the Astrodome (Astros and Oilers). Although not ideally suited for baseball, the multi-purpose stadiums allowed cities to host many different sports at just one venue.
Over the years, The Vet also hosted the Stars (USFL), Fury (NASL), Temple University football, numerous Army-Navy games, and various musical concerts. It was baseball for what I remember most though about the stadium. Jim Bunning threw the first pitch at Veterans Stadium on April 10, 1971. Larry Bowa recorded the first hit. During its time, The Vet hosted three World Series (1980, 1983, and 1993). Most of my years at the stadium consisted of watching mediocre Phillies team from the upper-level seats.
Bill Giles did a fantastic job of organizing some crazy stunts at The Vet over the years. He once had Mike Ryan catch a ball dropped from a helicopter. Kiteman tried to sail from the upper deck to deliver the first ball on a few different occasions. Karl Wallenda walked across a high wire several hundred feet above the field. Giles even tried ostrich races on the field one year. Some ideas sprung from the fans themselves. The most notable was the Wolf Pack which was pitcher Randy Wolf’s own personal fan club set up in the outfield seats. These passionate fans donned werewolf masks and showed up every time Wolf pitched at home. Despite the wacky promotions and the dedicated Wolf Pack, the cavernous Veterans Stadium often appeared empty most years.
A lot of the multi-purpose stadiums built in the 1960s and 1970s became dated by the 1990s. The artificial turf at The Vet was notoriously bad for athletes. If Mike Schmidt played on natural grass, could he have played another two or three years? The hard turf took a toll on his knees. The upper-level seating made it seem that the players were a mile away. When Camden Yards opened in Baltimore in 1992, the world of baseball took notice. Old-fashioned, baseball-only ballparks became the preferred type of venue for fans.
The Phillies final game took place at Veterans Stadium on September 28, 2003. The team finished in third place in the National League East. It was another year of disappointment and missing the playoffs. One of the highlights was Kevin Millwood’s no-hitter on April 27th which took place on the Phillie Phanatic’s 25th birthday, so a larger than usual crowd was there to witness Millwood’s pitching gem. In his first season in Philadelphia, Jim Thome hit 47 home runs which gave fans a bit of hope. The Phillies would move across the street to the new Citizens Bank Park for the 2004 season.
Veterans Stadium was not the greatest ballpark in baseball. Toward the end of its run, it was dirty, had a funny smell, and was outdated. However, I have so many fun memories of watching my favorite players such as Juan Samuel, Darren Daulton, Don Carmen, Steve Jeltz, and Mickey Morandini take the field. My children laughed at the Phanatic as he cruised around on his three-wheeler. Looking at the ticket stubs I saved, I was able to attend many games for less than $10 in the 600 or 700 levels.
Some pieces of Veterans Stadium live on. The Liberty Bell from The Vet was relocated outside Citizens Bank Park. A few of the statues by artist Joe Brown remain as well. The stadium was imploded in 2004. As people in the Philadelphia-area have been known to say, “The Vet may have been a dump, but it was our dump.”
Jason Love is the author of Slices of Americana: A Road Trip Through American Baseball History published by Sunbury Press.
Extra Innings
Have you ever thought about living in a ballpark? Tom Garvey did just that, at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. Here’s a short video clip about his fascinating story: