Cinergy Field Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
| Riverfront Stadium/ Cinergy Field | ||
|---|---|---|
| Description | ||
| Architect | Heery & Heery and Finch, Alexander, Barnes, Rothschild and Pashal | |
| Location | Cincinnati, Ohio | |
| First baseball game | June 30, 1970 | |
| Last baseball game | September 22, 2002 | |
| First football game | September 20, 1970 | |
| Last football game | December 12, 1999 | |
| Demolished | December 29, 2002 | |
| Capacity | ||
| Baseball 1970 to 2000 | 52,952 | |
| Football 1970 to 1999 | 59,754 | |
| Baseball only 2001 to 2002 | 40,008 | |
| Baseball dimensions 1970 to 2000 | ||
| Left | 330 ft | 100.6 m |
| Left-center | 375 ft | 114.3 m |
| Center | 404 ft | 123.1 m |
| Right-center | 375 ft | 114.3 m |
| Right | 330 ft | 100.6 m |
| Backstop | 51 ft | 15.5 m |
| Baseball dimensions 2001 to 2002 | ||
| Left | 325 ft | 99.1 m |
| Left-center | 370 ft | 112.8 m |
| Center | 393 ft | 119.8 m |
| Right-center | 373 ft | 113.7 m |
| Right | 325 ft | 99.1 m |
| Backstop | 41 ft | 12.5 m |
Cingery Field formerly known as Riverfront Stadium (1970 - 2002) was the home of the Cincinnati Reds Major League Baseball team and the Cincinnati Bengals National Football League team. Located on the Ohio River in downtown Cincinnati, the stadium was best known as the home of "The Big Red Machine," as the Reds were often called in the 1970s. Construction began on February 1, 1968 and was completed at a cost of less than $50 million. On July 14, Riverfront hosted the 1970 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
In 1996, the stadium was renamed "Cinergy Field" in a sponsorship deal with greater Cincinnati's power company, Cinergy Corporation.
| Table of contents |
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2 Milestones 3 References 4 External links 5 See also |
Riverfront was one of a number of multi-purpose, circular stadiums built in the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s as communities sought to save money by having their football and baseball teams share the same facility. Riverfront, Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, and Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia all opened within a few years and were largely indistinguishable from one another.
Riverfront Stadium quickly earned a place among its peers and in Cincinnati's century-long baseball tradition, however, as the home of one of the best teams in baseball history. The World Series had visited the Reds' previous home, Crosley Field, just once in its final thirty years, but it came to Riverfront in its first year (1970) and a total of four times in the stadium's first seven years, with the Reds winning back-to-back championships in 1975 and 1976.
Baseball purists disliked Riverfront's artificial turf, but Reds' Manager Sparky Anderson took advantage of it by encouraging speed and line drive hitting that could produce doubles, triples and high-bouncing infield hits. Players who combined power and speed like Joe Morgan, Pete Rose and Ken Griffey, Sr thrived there. On defense, the fast surface and virtually dirtless infield (see photo) rewarded range and quickness by both outfielders and infielders, like shortstop Dave Concepcion who used the turf to bounce many of his long throws to first.
Riverfront hosted its second MLB All-Star Game in 1988. It was also the site of the first two games of the 1990 World Series, both won by the Reds on the way to a four-game sweep of the Oakland Athletics.
Despite Cincinnati's love of baseball, however, it was the prospect of a professional football team that finally moved the city to end twenty years of discussion and build a new stadium on the downtown riverfront. After playing for two seasons on the University of Cincinnati campus, the Bengals built on the Reds' success in the stadium's first year when they recorded their first winning season and first playoff appearance in 1970, just their third year of existence.
The most memorable football game at Riverfront was probably the American Football Conference Championship on January 10, 1982. The game became known as the "Freezer Bowl" and was won by the Bengals over the San Diego Chargers, 27-7. The air temperature during the game was -9 °F (-23 °C);, but the wind chill was -59 °F (-51 °C), the coldest in NFL history. The win earned the Bengals their first of two trips to the Super Bowl while playing at Riverfront.
When the Bengals moved to Paul Brown Stadium in 2000, the Reds were left as Riverfront's only tenant. Prior to the 2001 baseball season, the stadium was remodeled into a baseball-only configuration. The centerfield stands were removed and the distance to the fences was shortened by five feet to allow room for the construction of Great American Ball Park, while the artificial surface was replaced with grass.
This is an Article on Cinergy Field. Page Contains Information, Facts Details or Explanation Guide About Cinergy Field History
"Cookie Cutters"
Big Red Machine
Professional football
Baseball-only
Milestones
Baseball
Football
Concerts
References
External links
See also
List of stadiums