Arlington Stadium

Lore & Background

The stadium was built in 1965 as Turnpike Stadium, a minor league ballpark seating 10,000 people, named for the nearby Dallas–Fort Worth Turnpike. The Fort Worth Cats moved there as the Dallas–Fort Worth Spurs and played for seven years, setting attendance records after expansion to 20,500 seats in 1970. It was designed to be expandable to 50,000 seats, though final capacity was 7,000 below that. In 1971, the Washington Senators announced their move to become the Texas Rangers.

The stadium was expanded to over 35,700 seats and renamed Arlington Stadium. Its first major league game was on April 21, 1972, when the Rangers defeated the California Angels 7–6. The stadium had no roof and was the hottest in the majors; nearly all games from May through September were scheduled at night. The scoreboard was a long horizontal rectangle with a panel shaped like Texas, replaced after 1984.

'Cotton-Eyed Joe' was played during the seventh-inning stretch. Arlington Stadium was the first major league ballpark to sell nachos (in 1974). The last game was on October 3, 1993, a 4–1 win by the Kansas City Royals, witnessed by 41,039 fans; it was the final game of Hall-of-Famer George Brett, who recorded the last hit with a ninth-inning single. The stadium was demolished in 1994.

The foul poles and home plate were moved to the new ballpark; home plate was inserted by Tom Schieffer, Richard Greene, Tom Vandergriff, and George W. Bush. The site is west of the Arlington Convention Center and north of the youth ballpark. Part was paved in 2001 for parking, and Legends Way was built through the center in 2007, renamed AT&T Way in 2013. About a quarter of the site remained unpaved as of 2019. As of 2022, part has been redeveloped as part of the National Medal of Honor Museum.

Reader's Guide

Arlington Stadium never hosted a playoff game or All-Star Game. Notable moments include Nolan Ryan's 5,000th strikeout and his seventh no-hitter; Cal Ripken Jr. and Oddibe McDowell hitting for the cycle; Mike Witt's perfect game on September 30, 1984; and a brawl on August 4, 1993, when Ryan hit Robin Ventura, who charged the mound and was put in a headlock and punched. The stadium's night games and cable TV restrictions contributed to the creation of ESPN Sunday Night Baseball.

Origins and Strategic Vision

Arlington Stadium began its life in 1965 as Turnpike Stadium, a minor league ballpark seating 10,000 people named for the nearby Dallas–Fort Worth Turnpike. The Fort Worth Cats of the Texas League moved there as the Dallas–Fort Worth Spurs, playing for seven years and setting attendance records, particularly after expanding to 20,500 seats in 1970. However, the stadium's true purpose was always to attract a major league team. Arlington Mayor Tom Vandergriff recognized that the city's location halfway between Dallas and Fort Worth made it an ideal expansion site.

The facility was built on a natural bowl requiring minimal excavation for MLB upgrades and designed to expand to 50,000 seats. Although its shape resembled multi-purpose stadiums of the mid-1960s, the Dallas Cowboys were never interested in playing there, opting instead to build Texas Stadium. This strategic foresight paved the way for the Washington Senators' relocation as the Texas Rangers.

The Era of Heat and Innovation

From 1972 until its closure, Arlington Stadium was defined by its extreme temperatures. With no roof, it became the hottest stadium in the majors, with game-time readings often well above 100 °F (38 °C). This heat, combined with the Rangers' early struggles, kept attendance down throughout the 1970s. To mitigate this, the team scheduled nearly all games from May through September at night. In 1974, it became the first major league ballpark to sell nachos. The soundtrack of the stadium also evolved; "Cotton-Eyed Joe" replaced "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh-inning stretch, encouraging fans to dance. Visually, the park featured a long horizontal scoreboard with a Texas-shaped panel, which was replaced after 1984 by a new system and billboards extending between the foul poles.

Historic Moments and Final Days

While Arlington Stadium never hosted an All-Star Game or a playoff series, it witnessed unparalleled individual feats. It was the site of Nolan Ryan's 5,000th strikeout and his seventh no-hitter. Mike Witt threw the 11th perfect game in MLB history there on September 30, 1984, defeating the Rangers 1–0. Only two players ever hit for the cycle at the park: Cal Ripken Jr. and Oddibe McDowell. The stadium's final chapter unfolded dramatically on October 3, 1993, when a crowd of 41,039 watched George Brett record the last hit in his Hall-of-Fame career. The season was also marked by a notorious brawl on August 4 involving Nolan Ryan and Robin Ventura, where Ryan punched Ventura six times after he charged the mound. Following this final game, the team moved to The Ballpark in Arlington, and the original stadium was demolished in 1994.

Physical Legacy and Redevelopment

When the Rangers departed for The Ballpark in Arlington in 1994, they preserved key elements of their history. The foul poles, home plate, and some bleachers were moved to the new venue. The bleachers were painted green at the new site, though original blue paint remains visible where chips occur. Home plate was ceremoniously installed by Tom Schieffer, Richard Greene, former mayor Tom Vandergriff, and then-team part-owner George W. Bush.

The original stadium site evolved into a mixed-use area; it was partially paved in 2001 for the Convention Center parking, and Legends Way (renamed AT&T Way in 2013) was built through its center to access Cowboys Stadium. As of 2019, about a quarter of the site remained undeveloped. By 2022, part of the land had been redeveloped for the National Medal of Honor Museum. The original foul poles stood at Globe Life Park until they were replaced prior to the 2016 season.