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All the United States Missouri St. Louis Site of Sportsman's Park
AO Edited

Site of Sportsman's Park

This spot in St. Louis, marked with a simple sign, has seen more pro baseball than just about anywhere else in the world.

St. Louis, Missouri

Added By
Lucas Strittmatter
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A sign at Grand and Dodier St marks the stadium’s site.   Delaywaves/CC BY 3.0
A sign at Grand and Dodier St marks the stadium’s site.   Delaywaves/CC BY 3.0
Sportsman’s Park, St. Louis, during World Series game between St. Louis Cardinals and the Boston Red Sox, 1946.   Public Domain
Park 2021   Wonderer / Atlas Obscura User
New sign 2021   Wonderer / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
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About

It may not look like much today, marked with a simple sign on the outskirts of St. Louis. But more professional baseball was played at this site than anywhere else in the world. It hosted ball games for longer than any other ballpark, and, because St. Louis was home to two major league franchises that shared a field here for decades, the spot has seen the most pro baseball games of any single site. 

Originally called the Grand Avenue Ball Grounds and later, Sportsman's Park, the ballpark was opened as early as 1867. It was first used as an open lot for baseball in the 1860s, and as a result, many different parks have called this place home.

The site hosted the St. Louis Brown Stockings in the American League(later the St. Louis Browns, before the team moved to Baltimore and became the Orioles) and the Cardinals in the National League. For more than a half-century, the city of St. Louis was home to both professional baseball franchises, and they shared Sportsman’s Park for 33 seasons.

The Cardinals played at Sportsman's Park, later renamed Busch Stadium, until the last game on May 8, 1966. The team moved into the new Busch Stadium in downtown St. Louis days later, and Sportsman’s Park was demolished soon after. Today, it is site of the Herbert Hoover Boys’ Club, and a small sign is the only reminder of its long role in America's favorite pastime.

Related Tags

Baseball Sports Plaques History

Know Before You Go

The ball park sign is behind the Hoover Herbert Boys and Girls Club building. It is private property and for use only by the club.

Community Contributors

Added By

lucasstrittmatter

Edited By

Wonderer, Meg, Collector of Experiences

  • Wonderer
  • Meg
  • Collector of Experiences

Published

May 30, 2017

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Site of Sportsman's Park
3625 Dodier St
St. Louis, Missouri
United States
38.65784, -90.220534
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