|
|
GRIFFITH STADIUM
|
|
 |
WASHINGTON, DC
|
|
The site that Griffith Stadium stood
for 50 years was the site where several other ballparks were
located. The National League Washington Senators originally played at National Park in 1892.
However the National League club went
bankrupt and the new Washington Senators were formed as part of the
newly formed American League in 1894. Built of mainly wood, National
Park burned while the team was at spring training on March 17, 1911.
However, a new ballpark was immediately
constructed of steel and concrete. The stadium was not completed by
opening day, July 24, 1911, but a single deck was completed. By mid season in 1911, the ballpark was completed.
The grandstand extended around homeplate and down the baselines, and
a second deck extended around homeplate and the infield. Bleachers
extended from the left field foul pole to centerfield. Once
completed the capacity at the ballpark was 27,410. A presidential
box was constructed near the first base dugout for the President of
the United States. William Howard Taft became the first
President to attend baseball games and to throw out the opening
pitch. The outfield wall at National Park varied in height (from 4
to 12 feet) and was very quirky. Centerfield jutted into the
outfield because of a huge tree and five houses that owners would
not sell to the team.
In 1920, National Park was renamed
Griffith Stadium after the owner of the Senators, Clark Griffith.
The same year, the stadium was expanded for the only time during its
existence. The grandstand was double
decked to both the left and right field foul lines. However, the new
second deck of Griffith
Stadium did not connect to the original
grandstand
because the original stands were graded differently. Griffith
Stadium remained unchanged after this addition. The scoreboard was
in right field and made up part of the 30ft. high outfield wall.
The bullpens were located in right centerfield and the first night game
at Griffith Stadium was on May 28, 1941. In the late 1950s, the Washington Senators
began to drop in the standings leading to a decline in attendance at Griffith Stadium. Owner Calvin Griffith began
looking to relocate the team. Griffith decided to move the
Senators to Minneapolis’s
Metropolitan Stadium after the 1960 season. Baseball
was back again at Griffith Stadium the next year as MLB placed an
expansion franchise in DC. The new
Washington Senators played at Griffith Stadium for one season in
1961 before moving again, this time to the new
D.C. Stadium. The last game played at Griffith Stadium
was on September 21, 1961. The stadium was
demolished in 1965 and is now the site of Howard University
Hospital.
|
|
|
|
-Tenants:
Washington Senators (MLB), Washington Redskins (NFL)
-Capacity:
27,410
-Surface:
Grass
-Cost:
Unknown
-Opened:
1892/July 24, 1911 |
-Closed: September 21, 1961
-Demolished:
January 1965
-Dimensions:
407-L, 421-C, 320-R (original) 388-L, 421-C, 320-R (final)
-Architect:
Osborn Engineering |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Location:
On the campus of Howard University, along
Fifth and Seventh Streets.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All Star Game: 1937 & '56
World Series: 1924, '25, '33
Mickey Mantle's 565 ft. homerun in
1953.
500th career win by Cy Young on July
19, 1910.
Pitcher Walter Johnson
compiles 243 strikeouts and 1.09 ERA in 1913. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
