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 Braves Field
Boston, MA
When Braves Field opened in 1915 it became
the first stadium with over 40,000 seats. The Boston Braves began
playing at South End Grounds II in Boston in 1894. South End Grounds
II was a small wooden park. When James Gaffney bought the club
in 1911 he renovated the ballpark. However, this was not enough for
his club. When Boston Red Sox moved into Fenway Park in 1912,
Gaffney decided it was time to build a new ballpark for his club. In 1914
he purchased a golf club on Commonwealth Avenue for his ballpark to
be built on. Construction of the ballpark began March 20, 1915 and
Gafney named
the new ballpark Braves Field. Parts of Braves Field’s facade
consisted of
Spanish colonial and stucco with a red tile roof. The concrete and
steel ballpark was built in only five months. The Braves played
their first game at the ballpark when they played the St. Louis
Cardinals. Braves Field became the first ballpark to seat
more than 40,000 people when it opened. A single deck of 18,000 covered seats
extended around homeplate and down both foul lines. There were
two pavilions behind both the right and left field walls that held
10,000 fans each. Located in right center field was an area called
"The Jury Box" that seated 2,000 fans. Located at ground level in
center field was the scoreboard. Original dimensions at Braves Field
were 402 ft. (left), 550 ft. (center), and 402 ft. (right). The
field was surrounded by a 10 foot wall. Behind this wall were the
tracks of the Boston and Albany Railroad.
After the 1927 season, 6,000 seats were added
in left and center field to increase the number of homeruns hit by the team. The fences became 353 ft. (left) and 387 ft.
(center). However, this helped the opposing team more than the
Braves and the seats were removed midseason. In 1936, the Braves were renamed the Bees
and Braves Field was renamed National
League Park. But in 1940, the ballpark and team names were changed back to their
original ones. Other changes came in the 1940s. Fir trees were
planted behind the centerfield fence to hide the smoke from the
nearby rail yard. As part of a $500,000 remodelization in 1946, lights
were added and the field was turned slightly to the right. On
opening day, fans went home with green clothes because the seats
had been painted, but had not dried. A new 68 foot scoreboard
was added in 1948.
Attendance at Braves Field reached one
million in 1946. By the early 1950s attendance decreased
dramatically as the Braves struggled on the field. After the 1952 season, the Braves
moved from Boston to Milwaukee and into
County Stadium. Braves Field never housed another professional
baseball team again, but housed football. In 1960 Braves
Field was bought by Boston University and was turned into a football
field. The AFL Boston Patriots and the USFL Breakers used the
facility. Most of the original Braves Field was demolished. However
the right field stands and a long building that housed the ticket
and executive offices still remain. Braves Field was
renamed Nickerson Field and the grass surface was replaced with AstroTurf. Boston University dropped football in 1997 but the
stadium still remains.
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