This ballpark was built on the
Mid-South Fairgrounds for the return of professional baseball to Memphis after a seven-year absence in 1968, and hosted teams in the Texas League, International League, Southern League, and Pacific Coast League until 1999.
These pictures are from Memorial Day weekend of 2005.
Somewhere in there is the broadcast booth from which Marv Throneberry called all the action for the 1969 Texas League Champion Memphis Blues.
In the background stands Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.
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Commemorative banners for the new downtown stadium incorporated the missing half of the standing Redbird logo.A complete rendition attached to interior brickwork should prove weather-resistant. |
Ladies and gentlemen, the Zooperstars have entered the building.We could show you their faces, but that would effectively end their crime-fighting careers. |
Roger Clamens has spotted a tasty bat boy.In Memphis, games - and innings - start on time. All evening long, the tumescent troubadours would be chased from the field with antics incomplete. |
Late in the inaugural season, construction continues between the bullpens. |
2005: If you lived here, you'd be home now.When a fly ball comes through your window, it'll be a long way from home. |
A Mississippi River tradition: Racing for drier ground...Chris Duncan sprints along the third base line, which runs in a generally northerly direction. 285 miles and 127 days hence, he would hit the final home run in the history of Busch Memorial Stadium. |
...to the chagrin of well-positioned autograph seekers. |
Watching the Redbirds from high up on the ridge.Just a half a mile from the Mississippi Bridge. |
Once you've explained Stonehenge, the foyer of AutoZone Park will be a breeze. |
A 3-run homer in the top of the 11th off the bat of Hiram Bocachica (below the e in AutoZone) has the Albuquerque Dukes heading back to the Sleep Inn.Back at the Peabody, the ducks have long since returned to their rooftop palace. | |
| Player | Team (organization) | Seen here | Big league debut |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Botts | Oklahoma (Rangers) | 5/28/2005 | 9/14/2005 |
| Buck Coats | Iowa (Cubs) | 5/8/2006 | 8/22/2006 |
| Tyler Johnson | Memphis (Cardinals) | 5/28/2005 | 9/6/2005 |
| Josh Kinney | Memphis (Cardinals) | 5/8/2006 | 7/3/2006 |
| Ian Kinsler | Oklahoma (Rangers) | 5/28/2005 | 4/3/2006 |
| John Nelson | Memphis (Cardinals) | 5/28/2005 | 9/7/2006 |
| Ricky Stone | Albuquerque (Dodgers) | 8/15/2000 | 9/21/2001 (Astros) |
| Jose Veras | Oklahoma (Rangers) | 5/28/2005 | 8/5/2006 (Yankees) |
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