War Memorial Stadium--Buffalo

[PeteU]

I was watching The Natural on television last night and just couldn't help noticing what a strange and unique ballpark War Memorial Stadium was. Clearly, it was built with football first in mind, with the majority of seating going down the third base line, but it reminded me a lot of Cleveland Stadium with the Depression era architecture and the vast emptiness.

Did anyone on this board ever get a chance to go to War Memorial Stadium, and if so, what were their impressions of the place. Does anyone have any good pictures? I found a few:

http://www.frontiernet.net/~rochballparks/buffalo/87_3rdbaseside.jpg

http://www.stadiumsofnfl.com/past/warmain.jpg

http://www.frontiernet.net/~rochballparks/buffalo/87_diamondfromwayup.jpg

http://www.buffalohistoryworks.com/photograph/photographs/war-memorial-2.jpg

(Thanks to frontier.net, stadiumsofnfl.com, and buffalohistoryworks.com for the pictures)

I found it interesting how the Bisons clustered a bunch of their signage in the center field stands, and how the roofed pavillion in right field resembled Tiger Stadium, Old Comiskey Park, or for us young uns, The Ballpark in Arlington.

On a somewhat related note, when it comes to The Natural, did you prefer the book ending where Hobbs strikes out, or the movie ending where Hobbs goes yard and the light tower explodes and shoots fireworks? Call me a sentimentalist--and I'm sure the author had his reasons for making Hobbs strike out--but I'm a sucker for the happy ending any day.

[l3igrol3]

Great topic, great pics.

As far as the Natural, I myself prefer the movie version. The book version is too similar to Casey and the Mudville Nine. Just that scene with the light exploding, the whole way its shot is magic, to me.

[Aa3rt]

PeteU-I recalled that Buffalo's War Memorial Stadium was locally referred to as the "Rockpile". An Internet search yielded this site:

Buffalo's "Rockpile" (http://rockpile.buffalonet.org)

Make sure that you go all the way to the bottom of the first page-there's a link there that will lead you to 3 more pages of photos and text, including a photo of Robert Redford in the stadium.

Construction on War Memorial Stadium was started in 1935 by the WPA (Works Progress Administration) and completed in 1938.

I recall that for at least 1 year in the late 1960's the Buffalo Bisons were the Washington Senators AAA farm team. They changed affiliations in 1969 to the Montreal Expos and in 1970 the Expos moved the Bisons out of Buffalo in mid-season to Winnipeg, to resume play as the Winnipeg Whips. You can read more here:

Buffalo Bisons/Winnipeg Whips (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnipeg/Peninsula_Whips)

[Seattle1]

http://www.buffalohistoryworks.com/photograph/photographs/war-memorial-2.jpg

So what was the distance down the rightfield line anyway?

[SHOELESSJOE3]

I was watching The Natural on television last night and just couldn't help noticing what a strange and unique ballpark War Memorial Stadium was. Clearly, it was built with football first in mind, with the majority of seating going down the third base line, but it reminded me a lot of Cleveland Stadium with the Depression era architecture and the vast emptiness.

Did anyone on this board ever get a chance to go to War Memorial Stadium, and if so, what were their impressions of the place. Does anyone have any good pictures? I found a few:

http://www.frontiernet.net/~rochballparks/buffalo/87_3rdbaseside.jpg

http://www.stadiumsofnfl.com/past/warmain.jpg

http://www.frontiernet.net/~rochballparks/buffalo/87_diamondfromwayup.jpg

http://www.buffalohistoryworks.com/photograph/photographs/war-memorial-2.jpg

(Thanks to frontier.net, stadiumsofnfl.com, and buffalohistoryworks.com for the pictures)

I found it interesting how the Bisons clustered a bunch of their signage in the center field stands, and how the roofed pavillion in right field resembled Tiger Stadium, Old Comiskey Park, or for us young uns, The Ballpark in Arlington.

On a somewhat related note, when it comes to The Natural, did you prefer the book ending where Hobbs strikes out, or the movie ending where Hobbs goes yard and the light tower explodes and shoots fireworks? Call me a sentimentalist--and I'm sure the author had his reasons for making Hobbs strike out--but I'm a sucker for the happy ending any day.

I grew up in Buffalo and as far back as I can go remember the Buffalo Bisons of the International League and the football Bills using the park. I do recall as a young boy my dad taking me to track events and some Saturday night stock car races. At one time it was called Civic Stadium.

[Aa3rt]

So what was the distance down the rightfield line anyway?

I found a another thread where the dimensions are listed as: L 350, C 410, R 310. (That right field line measurement looks a tad questionable to me.)

[Seattle1]

I found a another thread where the dimensions are listed as: L 350, C 410, R 310. (That right field line measurement looks a tad questionable to me.)

Yeah it looks a lot shorter than that if you ask me.

[Elvis]

Yeah it looks a lot shorter than that if you ask me.

Can't be much more than 250 ft., if that.

That's a cool park, but I'd hate to be sitting in the back of the 3rd base grandstand--you'd have TWO sets of poles to see through! :o I've never seen that before or since.

Actually, it kind of reminds me of Portland's ballpark:

http://www.ballparkreviews.com/portor/pge2.jpg

[Rome Colonel]

I saw both baseball and football games at the stadium. I remember seeing Johnny Bench there in 1967 just a few days before he was called up to the Reds. Of course the true Buffalo ballpark was Offerman Stadium which was torn down after the 1960 season:

http://fixbuffalo.blogspot.com/2006/08/offerman-stadium-1956.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fixbuffalo/203578028/

http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ny/erie/postcards/bison.jpg

War Memorial looks primitive today but iin the 60s a number of NFL teams were playing in smaller facilities. The Kansas City Chiefs were still playing at Municipal Stadium in 1971, which I'm sure was smaller than War Memorial.

[Elvis]

War Memorial looks primitive today but iin the 60s a number of NFL teams were playing in smaller facilities. The Kansas City Chiefs were still playing at Municipal Stadium in 1971, which I'm sure was smaller than War Memorial.

Wrigley Field was still home of the Bears in 1970.

[POLO GROUNDS 1957]

Here is a nice pin .

[Urbanshocker13]

I saw both baseball and football games at the stadium. I remember seeing Johnny Bench there in 1967 just a few days before he was called up to the Reds. Of course the true Buffalo ballpark was Offerman Stadium which was torn down after the 1960 season:

http://fixbuffalo.blogspot.com/2006/08/offerman-stadium-1956.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fixbuffalo/203578028/

http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ny/erie/postcards/bison.jpg

War Memorial looks primitive today but iin the 60s a number of NFL teams were playing in smaller facilities. The Kansas City Chiefs were still playing at Municipal Stadium in 1971, which I'm sure was smaller than War Memorial.
Thanks for the great pics, Looked like there were houses right over the wall! I wounder if their houses got hit with homeruns :happy:

[penncentralpete]

speaking of watching "The Natural", i saw it again, too, and noticed even more glaring errors in the flick. i remember in one of the scenes, redford hits a WALK-OFF HR in the TOP of a ninth inning, but the other evening i noticed the pitcher WOUND UP with runners on 1st and 3rd! the stadium is beautiful though (IMHO). i would have loved to play there. pete

[POLO GROUNDS 1957]

Here is a seating diagram of the stadium.

[POLO GROUNDS 1957]

Here is a photo showing the bisons locker room at war memorial stadium.

[POLO GROUNDS 1957]

Here is a scorecard from the stadiums last season.i love the looks of this stadium it reminds me of my Polo Grounds. i was in buffalo in 1988 but did not make it to the stadium.this stadium beats any of todays stadium with old time class.

[POLO GROUNDS 1957]

Here is a nice view of war memorial stadium