Arlington Stadium

Arlington Stadium was built in 1965 as Turnpike Stadium, a minor league ballpark seating 10,000 people, named for the nearby Dallas-Fort Worth Turnpike, now part of Interstate 30. The Fort Worth Cats of the Texas League moved there as the Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs and played for the next seven years, setting many Texas League attendance records, especially after the stadium expanded to 20,500 seats in 1970. However, the stadium's real purpose was to attract a major league team to the Metroplex. It had been built to be upgraded to Major League standards of the era and was designed to be expandable to up to 50,000 seats. Due to its location in a natural bowl, only minimal excavations would be necessary for it to be ready for a big-league team. Arlington Mayor Tom Vandergriff figured that Arlington, halfway between Dallas and Fort Worth, would be the best site for a prospective major league team. In 1971, the struggling second incarnation of the Washington Senators announced their intentions to move to the Metroplex under the banner of the Texas Rangers. The stadium was expanded to seat over 35,700 people and was renamed Arlington Stadium. The stadium played host to its first major league game on April 21, 1972, when the Rangers inaugurated the stadium by defeating the California Angels 7-6, though MLB's first-ever strike had disrupted the start of the 1972 season, causing the later than anticipated opening day. Arlington Stadium had no roof and thus virtually no protection from the oppressive Texas heat. For nearly all of its existence, it was the hottest stadium in the majors, with game-time temperatures often well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Combined with the Rangers' mediocre performance, this held down attendance considerably during the 1970s. Due in part to the heat, the Rangers scheduled nearly all of their games from May through September at night. The stadium was also notable for its lack of neighborhood amenities, with the nearby Six Flags Over Texas amusement park being the only nearby attraction. Despite these challenges, the Rangers had some memorable moments at Arlington Stadium. Nolan Ryan pitched two of his record seven no-hitters there, on June 11, 1990, against the Oakland Athletics, and on May 1, 1991, against the Toronto Blue Jays. The stadium also hosted the 1989 MLB All-Star Game, which was the first All-Star Game played in Texas. By the late 1980s, the Rangers had begun seeking a new stadium to replace the ageing and hot Arlington Stadium. The Ballpark in Arlington, later renamed Ameriquest Field, Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Globe Life Park, and now Choctaw Stadium, opened in 1994. The Rangers played their final game at Arlington Stadium on October 3, 1993, and the stadium was demolished in 1994.

Arlington Stadium was originally built in 1965 as Turnpike Stadium, a minor league ballpark seating 10,000 people, named for the nearby Dallas-Fort Worth Turnpike. It was home to the minor league Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs of the Texas League before being expanded and renamed in 1972 when the Washington Senators relocated to become the Texas Rangers. The stadium was designed from the start to be expandable to major league standards, built in a natural bowl that allowed for easy expansion. For nearly all of its existence, Arlington Stadium was the hottest stadium in the majors, with game-time temperatures often well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, leading the Rangers to schedule nearly all games from May through September at night. Nolan Ryan pitched two of his record seven no-hitters at Arlington Stadium: on June 11, 1990, against the Oakland Athletics, and on May 1, 1991, against the Toronto Blue Jays. The stadium hosted the 1989 MLB All-Star Game, the first All-Star Game played in Texas. The stadium's final capacity was 43,521, about 7,000 seats below its designed maximum of 50,000. The Rangers played their final game there on October 3, 1993, and the stadium was demolished in 1994, with the team moving to The Ballpark in Arlington, now known as Choctaw Stadium.