War Memorial Stadium ( Buffalo ) War Memorial Stadium ( affectionately known as The Rockpile ) is the name of a stadium that formerly stood in Buffalo , New York . The stadium was on a rectangular block near the downtown area . Its main entrance was at Jefferson Avenue to the east ( behind left field ) and Best Street to the south ( behind right field ) . Its other boundaries were Dodge Street to the north ( behind third base ) and Masten Park to the west ( behind first base ) with Masten Avenue farther west . War Memorial Stadium was originally constructed as a WPA project in 1937 . It was originally named Roesch Memorial Stadium , though the name was changed to Grover Cleveland Stadium later in 1937 ( honoring the former President and Buffalo public official ) and then to Civic Stadium in 1938 . The name was changed to War Memorial Stadium in 1960 . The stadium originally sat 35 , 000 , but many expansions took place over the years , raising the capacity to over 46 , 500 . Despite this , by the time of the AFL - NFL merger it was one of the smallest stadiums in the league ( below the league ' s 50 , 000 - seat minimum ) , and so in 1973 ( after considering and ultimately rejecting a move to Seattle ) the Bills left War Memorial Stadium in favor of their current stadium , now known as Ralph Wilson Stadium , which had a capacity of over 80 , 000 . History . The stadium hosted the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League , and later the National Football League from 1960 – 1972 , the unrelated Buffalo Bills of the AAFC from 1946 – 1949 , the Buffalo Indians and Chiefs of the third American Football League in 1940 and 1941 , Canisius College ' s baseball and football teams , and baseball ' s Buffalo Bisons of the International League during the 1960s and again from 1979 - 1987 ( as part of the Eastern League and American Association ) . The track also hosted a NASCAR Grand National race on July 19 , 1958 , won by the Ford of Jim Reed , but is better known as the US debut of NASCAR legend Richard Petty . In its later years it was poorly maintained . Ron Fimrite , writing in " Sports Illustrated " ( May 7 , 1984 , p . 100 ) , quoted another writer , Brock Yates , as having once said that this stadium " looks as if whatever war it was a memorial to had been fought within its confines . " That look contributed to the oft - used nickname Buffalo residents gave to the stadium : " The Rockpile " . Ironically , that worn - down look worked perfectly for the 1984 film " The Natural " , about which Fimrite was writing . All of the baseball scenes in that movie were filmed here except for the one scene set at Chicago ' s Wrigley Field , which was actually filmed at Buffalo ' s All - High Stadium . The stadium sat dormant from 1973 to 1978 . The last tenant of War Memorial Stadium was the Buffalo Bisons , a franchise that was revived in 1979 before moving to a new downtown stadium , known as Pilot Field , in 1988 . Johnnie B . Wiley Amateur Athletic Sports Pavilion . War Memorial Stadium was demolished shortly after the Bisons moved downtown to Pilot Field . A high school athletic field ( Johnnie B . Wiley Amateur Athletic Sports Pavilion - c . 1997 ) remains at the old site and serves as the home of the amateur Buffalo Gladiators . The northeast and southeast entrance to the old stadium was preserved . A small baseball diamond is located on the southwest corner of the field . Notes . 2 . The site is currently used for grammar school track & field events .