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When Mile High Stadium closed in 1994 there
was only one problem, the Colorado Rockies would never again
attract as many fans in one season as they did during the 1993 and 1994
seasons.
In 1948, private funds were used to build a stadium for the Denver
Bears of baseball's old Western League. A hill at 19th and Clay
Street was graded for bleachers and the ballpark was named Bears
Stadium. The main grandstand extended from the
right field foul pole to home plate and around to the left field
foul pole. Bleachers were located in right and left field. Opening
day came soon after and Bears Stadium had a capacity of around
17,000. The stadium was also capable of hosting football. In 1959, Denver’s
football team the Broncos, became part of the American Football
League and the capacity of the stadium was increased to 34,000. By
1968, the stadium was bought and donated to the City of Denver,
the capacity grew to over 51,000, and Bears Stadium was renamed Mile
High Stadium. Another expansion came in 1977 when the east stands
were constructed bringing the capacity to over 80,000. In 1986,
luxury suites were added atop the upper deck.
Minor League Baseball teams moved in and out
Mile High Stadium throughout its existence. After a wait of over 30 years, MLB award Denver an
expansion
franchise in the early 1990s. The Colorado Rockies began playing at
Mile High Stadium in 1993. On opening day the club drew 80,227 fans,
a record for single game. Although Mile High Stadium was primarily a
football stadium, the club drew over 4 million fans in its first
year. In order for the stadium to be turned into a baseball field,
the east stands had to be moved in a single section which, when
fully extended, formed a horseshoe configuration for football. When
the section was retracted, the stadium was in position for baseball.
The east stands consisted of a three-tiered structure, 535 feet
long, 135 feet tall and 200 feet deep, weighing nearly nine million
pounds, and that had to be moved a distance of 145 feet. In order to
move the stands, more than 90,000 square feet of runways served as
the operating surfaces over which the stands moved. Water was pumped
onto the runways and formed a .003-inch sheet upon which the stands
rested. Hydraulic rams then pushed the stands forward at the rate of
three feet per minute, making the move last nearly two
hours. While the Rockies played at Mile High Stadium, a new stadium
for the club was built in downtown Denver. The Rockies drew three
million fans in 1994. This prompted club officials to enlarge the
new ballpark to a capacity over 50,000. The last Rockies game at
Mile High Stadium was on August 7, 1994. The Rockies moved into
Coors Field in 1995. However, the Denver Broncos continued to
play at Mile High Stadium until the end of the 2000 NFL season. The
stadium was demolished during the winter of 2002.
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