Side One: On its opening night, August 31, 1949, Major League Baseball Commissioner Albert Benjamin “Happy” Chandler declared, “I know of no more beautiful ballpark anywhere than this new Miami Stadium.” From its iconic neon façade, on the corner of Northwest 10th Avenue and Northwest 23rd Street, to the signature cantilevered roof, Miami Stadium reflected a tropical version of International Style architecture. This marvel of modernism featured palm trees, a horseshoe-shaped grandstand, a press box, a private dugout club, light towers, and an electronic scoreboard. The stadium was designed by Nashville, Tennessee, firm Marr & Holman; built by Taylor Construction of Miami; and financed by Cuban politician Jose Aleman Sr. Over its forty-year history, Miami Stadium hosted Minor League, Negro League, and Spring Training baseball games, along with boxing matches, roller derby bouts, concerts, and more. In 1956, the original Miami Marlins were born in the stadium, and in 1987, the stadium was rededicated as “Bobby Maduro Miami Stadium” in honor of the late Cuban baseball entrepreneur. Miami Stadium held its last official spring training game on April 5, 1990, when the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Atlanta Braves 6-4. Side Two: The stadium was razed in 2001 to make way for the current Miami Stadium Apartments. Numerous organizations contributed to the rich baseball history of Miami Stadium including: the Miami Sun Sox of the Florida International League (1949-1954); Brooklyn Dodgers of the National League (1950-1957); Los Angeles Dodgers of the National League (1958); Baltimore Orioles of the American League (1959-1990); Miami Marlins of the International League (1956-1960); Miami Marlins & Miami Orioles of the Florida State League (1962-1988); Miami Amigos of the Inter-American League (1979); Gold Coast Suns of the Senior Professional Baseball Association (1989-1990), and Los Cubanitos, a youth team of Cuban exiles (1965-1975). During the stadium’s heyday, locals welcomed Baseball Hall of Famers and heroes such as Jackie Robinson, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Ted Williams, Hank Aaron, Warren Spahn, Satchel Paige, Roberto Clemente, Sandy Koufax, Sadaharu Oh, Earl Weaver, Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, Jim Palmer, Dennis Martinez, Cal Ripken Jr., Eddie Murray, Tony Pérez, Gary Carter, Rickey Henderson, and many more.
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.