Arlington Stadium - wikipedia Arlington Stadium Arlington Stadium Former names Turnpike Stadium ( 1965 -- 1971 ) Location 1500 South Copeland Rd. Arlington, Texas 76011 Coordinates 32 ° 45 ′ 23 '' N 97 ° 5 ′ 5 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 32.75639 ° N 97.08472 ° W ﻿ / 32.75639 ; - 97.08472 Coordinates : 32 ° 45 ′ 23 '' N 97 ° 5 ′ 5 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 32.75639 ° N 97.08472 ° W ﻿ / 32.75639 ; - 97.08472 Owner The City of Arlington Operator The City of Arlington Capacity 10,600 ( 1965 -- 1969 ) 20,500 ( 1970 -- 1971 ) 35,185 ( 1972 ) 35,698 ( 1973 -- 1977 ) 41,097 ( 1978 -- 1980 ) 41,284 ( 1981 -- 1984 ) 43,508 ( 1985 -- 1990 ) 43,521 ( 1991 -- 1993 ) Field size Left Field -- 330 ft Left - Center -- 380 ft Center Field -- 400 ft Right - Center -- 380 ft Right Field -- 330 ft Backstop -- 60 ft Surface Grass Construction Broke ground April 15, 1964 Opened April 23, 1965 Closed October 3, 1993 Demolished 1994 Construction cost US $1.9 million Architect Preston M. Geren Architects & Engineers General contractor Walker Construction Co. Tenants Dallas - Fort Worth Spurs ( TL ) ( 1965 -- 1971 ) UT - Arlington Mavericks ( NCAA ) ( 1970 -- 1976 ) Texas Rangers ( MLB ) ( 1972 -- 1993 ) Arlington Stadium was a baseball stadium located in Arlington, Texas, United States, located between Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. It served as the home for the Texas Rangers ( MLB ) from 1972 until 1993, when the team moved into The Ballpark in Arlington ( now Globe Life Park in Arlington ), which has been the team 's current home since 1994. Contents 1 History 1.1 1970s -- 1980s 1.2 1990s 1.3 Notable moments 2 References 3 External links History Arlington Stadium in its minor league days when it was called Turnpike Stadium. 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 ( Interstate 30, also known as the Tom Landry Highway ). The Fort Worth Cats of the Texas League moved there as the Dallas - Fort Worth Spurs, and played there for the next seven years, setting many Texas League attendance records, especially after it 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 major league specifications, and was designed to be expandable to up to 50,000 seats. Due to its location in a natural bowl, only minimal excavations ( such as connecting dugouts directly to the clubhouses ) would be necessary to ready it for a big - league team. Although it was built primarily for baseball, its general shape was very similar to the major league multi-purpose stadiums that were beginning to emerge in the mid-1960s. The Metroplex had been mentioned as a possible expansion site since the 1950s, and Arlington Mayor Tom Vandergriff figured that Arlington, halfway between the two cities, would be the best site for a prospective major league team. 1970s -- 1980s In 1971, the struggling Washington Senators announced their intentions to move to the Metroplex as the Texas Rangers. The stadium was expanded to seat over 35,700 people, and was renamed `` Arlington Stadium ''. It was the fourth former minor league park converted for use by a major - league team ( not counting instances where minor - league parks served as temporary homes ), after Baltimore 's Memorial Stadium, Kansas City 's Municipal Stadium and Minnesota 's Metropolitan Stadium. The park had a skeletal, jerry - built feel, and it was obvious that it had once been minor - league. An upper deck was n't added until 1978 ; until then, fans entered at the very top of the stadium and walked down to their seats. It had the largest bleacher section in baseball, stretching from foul pole to foul pole. Unlike most stadiums built during this time, there were very few bad seats, due to its natural - bowl location and the field being 40 feet below street level. Early in the stadium 's existence, the stadium could be converted for football by swiveling the third - base grandstands into the outfield. In the process, people sitting in the left - field bleachers had their view cut off. When a football game was played at the stadium, an auxiliary press box, located near the first base side, was used. With the 1978 renovations, however, the stadium was locked in its baseball configuration for the remainder of its existence. Nolan Ryan pitches at Arlington Stadium in 1992. Although it had been built for baseball, Arlington Stadium had a number of drawbacks. Even after the addition of the upper deck, there was 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. It was not unheard of for game - time temperatures to be well above 100 degrees. 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. Other than nearby amusement park Six Flags Over Texas, there was no neighborhood around the park. In his book Storied Stadiums, Curt Smith described it as `` small, ( but ) not intimate ''. The scoreboard in the Rangers ' early days was a long, horizontal rectangle with a panel shaped like the state of Texas. It was replaced after the 1984 season with a new scoreboard and series of billboards that ran from foul pole to foul pole. `` Cotton - Eyed Joe '' was played during the seventh - inning stretch for fans to dance to instead of `` Take Me Out to the Ballgame ''. Arlington Stadium was also the first major league ballpark to sell nachos ( in 1974 ). The stadium, though, had two advantages. First, before installation of the wrap - around scoreboard and billboards, the predominant gusty winds from the south knocked down many fly balls that would otherwise have been home runs. Second, the large number of metal bleacher seats would come in handy on Bat Night, the promotional game where children age 13 and under would receive ( in most years ) a real bat that could be pounded on the bleachers. As Bat Night would ( in some years ) be the only sell - out for the usually poor Rangers squads, the spectacle of 10,000 - 15,000 kids banging their bats all at once would create a deafening sound. 1990s A large portion of the stadium 's site is now occupied by an empty field, pictured in 2012. Globe Life Park in Arlington and AT&T Stadium are visible in the background. The stadium eventually began to show its age and inadequacy, and the City of Arlington approved the construction of a new stadium for the Rangers. The last game was played in Arlington Stadium on October 3, 1993, resulting in a 4 - 1 win by the visiting Kansas City Royals, witnessed by 41,039 fans ( it was also the final game in the career of Hall - of - Famer George Brett ). Following the 1993 season, the Rangers moved to The Ballpark in Arlington ( now named Globe Life Park in Arlington ) which was built nearby, and Arlington Stadium was demolished in 1994. The foul poles and home plate from Arlington Stadium were moved to the new ballpark, along with some of the bleachers. The bleachers were painted green, but their original blue color is occasionally visible in spots where the green paint has chipped. Home plate was inserted into place at the Ballpark in Arlington by Tom Schieffer ( Texas Rangers President ), Richard Greene ( then mayor of Arlington ), Tom Vandergriff ( former mayor responsible for bringing the team to Arlington ), and George W. Bush ( then team part - owner ; later Governor of Texas and President of the United States ). The site of the old stadium is just west of the Arlington Convention Center and north of the youth ballpark. Legends Way, a road built to give access to Cowboys Stadium, runs directly through the center of the old location. The road was renamed AT&T Way in 2013 along with the corporate renaming of Cowboys Stadium. Prior to the 2016 season, the original foul poles from Arlington Stadium were replaced at Globe Life Park. Notable moments Arlington Stadium never saw a playoff game or an All - Star Game, but was host to several of Nolan Ryan 's greatest moments, including his 5,000 th strikeout and his seventh ( and final ) no - hitter. Baltimore Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken, Jr. and Rangers outfielder Oddibe McDowell, were the only two players to hit for the cycle in Arlington Stadium. It was also the site of the 11th perfect game in Major League Baseball history, when Mike Witt of the California Angels defeated the Rangers on September 30, 1984, 1 - 0. A memorable brawl happened on August 4, 1993 when the Rangers hosted the Chicago White Sox. Ryan, the starter for that game, hit Robin Ventura with a pitch. Ventura decided to charge the mound, which emptied both benches. As Ventura reached the mound, Ryan immediately caught him in a head lock and punched him on the top of his head six times. References Jump up ^ `` Plans OK 'd for Stadium at Arlington ''. The Dallas Morning News. September 4, 1964. Jump up ^ `` Firm Awarded Pact on Stadium at Arlington ''. The Dallas Morning News. September 29, 1964. Jump up ^ `` Hunts Buys Interest in Dallas, Fort Worth Clubs ''. The Nevada Daily Mail. Associated Press. January 28, 1964. p. 4. Retrieved October 15, 2012. One of the first efforts of the new owners probably will be to undertake the construction of some sort of stadium midway between Dallas and Fort Worth, the Dallas News said. Jump up ^ http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/4228/arlingtonstadiumunt1.jpg Jump up ^ Arlington Stadium on Clem 's Baseball site Jump up ^ Munsey & Suppes Ballparks.com Jump up ^ `` Box Score of Game played on Tuesday, August 22, 1989 at Arlington Stadium ''. Baseball Almanac. Retrieved 2009 - 03 - 25. Jump up ^ `` Nolan Ryan No - Hitter # 7 ''. Baseball Almanac. Archived from the original on 2 May 2009. Retrieved 2009 - 03 - 25. Jump up ^ `` Box Score of Game played on Saturday, September 30, 1984 at Arlington Stadium ''. Baseball Almanac. Archived from the original on 13 February 2009. Retrieved 2009 - 03 - 25. Jump up ^ http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/13375928/nolan-ryan-robin-ventura-fight-anniversary-13-things-know External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Arlington Stadium. Ballparks.com : Arlington Stadium Ballparks of Baseball : Arlington Stadium Ballpark Reviews : Arlington Stadium Ballpark Tour : Arlington Stadium Baseball Chronology : Arlington Stadium World Class Memories : VIRTUAL WCCW TOUR -- TURNPIKE STADIUM Preceded by RFK Stadium Home of the Texas Rangers 1972 -- 1993 Succeeded by Globe Life Park in Arlington Texas Rangers Established in 1961 Formerly the Washington Senators Based in Arlington, Texas ( Dallas -- Fort Worth metroplex ) Franchise Expansion draft History ( as Washington Senators ) Seasons Team records No - hitters Awards winners and league leaders Broadcasters Owners and executives Managers Players First - round draft picks Opening Day starting pitchers Ballparks Griffith Stadium RFK Stadium Arlington Stadium Globe Life Park in Arlington Globe Life Field Spring training Pompano Beach Municipal Stadium Ranger Stadium Surprise Stadium Culture and lore Continental League Captain ( mascot ) Ten Cent Beer Night Kenny Rogers ' perfect game 2012 AL Wild Card Game 2013 AL Wild Card tie - breaker 2015 ALDS Game 5 Rivalries Houston Astros Key personnel Owners : Ray Davis & Bob R. Simpson General Manager : Jon Daniels Manager : Jeff Banister Team Captain : Adrián Beltré Texas Rangers Hall of Fame Buddy Bell Juan González Rusty Greer Tom Grieve Toby Harrah Mark Holtz Charlie Hough Ferguson Jenkins Eric Nadel Johnny Oates Iván Rodríguez Kenny Rogers Jeff Russell Nolan Ryan Tom Schieffer Rubén Sierra Jim Sundberg Tom Vandergriff John Wetteland Michael Young Wild card berths ( 1 ) 2012 American League West Division titles ( 7 ) 1998 1999 2011 2015 2016 American League championships ( 2 ) 2011 Minor league affiliates AAA : Round Rock Express AA : Frisco RoughRiders A Adv. : Down East Wood Ducks A : Hickory Crawdads Short A : Spokane Indians Rookie : AZL Rangers DSL Rangers 1 DSL Rangers 2 Seasons ( 58 ) 1960s 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970s 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980s 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1988 1989 1990s 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1997 1998 1999 2000s 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010s 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Texas -- Arlington Mavericks baseball Venues Turnpike Stadium ( 1969 -- 1973 ) Clay Gould Ballpark ( 1974 -- present ) People Players Seasons 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Dallas Tornado Founded 1967 Based in Dallas, Texas Club history Dallas Tornado ( 1967 -- 1981 ) Dallas Tornado ( 1971, 1975 -- 1981 ) ( indoor ) Sports facilities Cotton Bowl Turnpike Stadium P.C. Cobb Stadium Franklin Stadium Texas Stadium Ownby Stadium Fair Park Coliseum Reunion Arena Culture Dundee United F.C. Important figures Lamar Hunt Kirk Apostolidis John Best Kenny Cooper Sr. Dick Hall Kai Haaskivi Al Miller Ilija Mitić Ron Newman Mike Renshaw Kyle Rote Jr. Mike Stankovic Mirko Stojanović Other topics Related articles Honors NASL Championship ( 2 ) 1971 ( Champions ) 1973 ( Finalist ) NASL Regular Season ( 1 ) 1973 ( Champions ) NASL Division titles ( 4 ) 1973 ( Southern Division ) 1974 ( Central Division ) 1977 ( Southern Division ) 1980 ( Central Division ) NASL Indoor Championship ( 2 ) 1971 ( Champions ) 1979 ( Champions ) Seasons North American Soccer League ( 1966 -- 85 ) 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 North American Soccer League Indoor ( 1971, 1975 -- 84 ) 1971 1976 1979 1980 -- 81 Temporary and converted baseball parks in Major League Baseball American League Arlington Stadium ( Rangers ; Arlington, Texas ) Kansas City Municipal Stadium ( Athletics and Royals ; Kansas City, Missouri ) Metropolitan Stadium ( Twins ; Bloomington, Minnesota ) Sick 's Stadium ( Pilots ; Seattle, Washington ) Wrigley Field ( Angels ; Los Angeles, California ) National League Colt Stadium ( Colt. 45 's ; Houston, Texas ) Jarry Park Stadium ( Expos ; Montreal, Quebec ) Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum ( Dodgers ; Los Angeles, California ) Milwaukee County Stadium ( Braves and Brewers ; Milwaukee, Wisconsin ) Seals Stadium ( Giants ; San Francisco, California ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Arlington_Stadium&oldid=850672177 '' Categories : Defunct baseball venues in the United States Defunct college football venues Defunct Major League Baseball venues Defunct multi-purpose stadiums in the United States Texas -- Arlington Mavericks football UT Arlington Mavericks sports venues Texas Rangers stadiums Dallas Tornado sports facilities North American Soccer League ( 1968 -- 84 ) stadiums Southland Conference Baseball Tournament venues American football venues in the Dallas -- Fort Worth metroplex Baseball venues in the Dallas -- Fort Worth metroplex Demolished sports venues in Texas Sports venues in Arlington, Texas Sports venues completed in 1965 Sports venues demolished in 1994 1965 establishments in Texas 1994 disestablishments in Texas Hidden categories : Pages using deprecated image syntax Coordinates on Wikidata Talk Contents About Wikipedia Cebuano Français 한국어 日本 語 Português Edit links This page was last edited on 17 July 2018, at 10 : 22 ( UTC ). 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Question: where did the rangers play before ballpark in arlington
Answer: Arlington Stadium