Last Man Standing -- Stadium Edition

John Marzano Olympic Hero

has fancy plans, and pants to match
Dope
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2001
24,548
A couple of weeks ago, I was reading somewhere that Alex Rodriguez is the only active major leaguer who went through the 1994 strike. I found that fascinating because a. holy crap, ARod is old b. it's been awhile since we had labor unrest and c. (most importantly) I'm fascinated with a person who is the last to do something. Below is a list of "modern era" ballparks (i.e. nothing like the Huntington Grounds) and I wonder who was the last person around to play there. 
 
For example, Mile High Stadium in Denver closed in 1994, had ARod played a major league game there, he'd be the last man standing when it came to Mile High. I am pretty sure that Eddie Matthews is the last person to play at Braves Field but I'm not 100% certain. 
 
As a fun exercise, let's try to figure out who the last person who played at these parks were. 
 
 
City Stadium Name Year Closed
Atlanta                   Fulton County Stadium   1996
Baltimore               Memorial Stadium        1991
Boston                   Braves Field                 1952   Eddie Matthews
Cincinnati               Crosley Field               1970       Nolan Ryan
Cincinnati               Riverfront                     2002
Cleveland               League Park                1946
Cleveland               Cleveland Stadium      1993
Dallas                     Arlington Stadium        1993
Denver                    Mile High Stadium       1994
Detroit                    Tiger Stadium               1999
Houston                  Astrodome                   1999
Kansas City            Municipal Stadium        1972    Nolan Ryan
Los Angeles            Wrigley Field                1961   Carl Yastrzemski
Los Angeles            Coliseum                      1961
Miami                      Pro Player Stadium      2011
Milwaukee              County Stadium           2000
Minnesota               Metropolitan Stadium  1981
Minnesota               HHH Metrodome         2009
Montreal                 Jarry Park                     1976
Montreal                 Olympic Stadium          2004
New York City         Yankee Stadium           2008
New York City         Ebbets Field                 1957
New York City         Polo Grounds               1963  Pete Rose
New York City         Shea Stadium               2008
Philadelphia            Baker Bowl                   1938
Philadelphia            Shibe Park                    1970    Nolan Ryan
Philadelphia            Veteran's Stadium         2003
Pittsburgh               Forbes Field                   1970   Nolan Ryan
Pittsburgh               Three Rivers Stadium     2000
St. Louis                 Sportsman's Park           1966
St. Louis                 Busch Stadium                2005
San Diego              Jack Murphy Stadium      2003
San Juan PR          Hiram Bithorn Stadium    2004  Endy Chavez
San Francisco        Seal's Stadium                1959   Willie McCovey
San Francisco        Candlestick Park             1999
Seattle                    Sick's Stadium                1969    Rick Dempsey
Seattle                    Kingdome                        1999
Toronto                   Exhibition Stadium          1989    Ken Griffey Jr.
Washington DC      Griffith Stadium               1961    Carl Yastrzemski
Washington DC      RFK                                 2007
 
Obviously, there are going to be a lot of current players who played at Pro Player or Yankee Stadium (among others), but hopefully we can keep this thing going. 
 
Let's have at it!
 

E5 Yaz

Transcends message boarding
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Apr 25, 2002
90,025
Oregon
Graig Nettles for Sicks Stadium. He played there in the only season it was used in the majors, 1969, and retired in 1988. Ryan was still in the NL in 69.
 

DJnVa

Dorito Dawg
SoSH Member
Dec 16, 2010
53,850
For Hiram Bithorn Stadium in Puerto Rico, Endy Chavez played there in 2004 and last played in the majors last season.
 
Maicer Izturis was on the Expos that year, but as near as I can tell, did not participate in any of the games in PR.
 

E5 Yaz

Transcends message boarding
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Apr 25, 2002
90,025
Oregon
Griffith Stadium looks like it was Carl Yastrzemski
 

Vinho Tinto

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 9, 2003
7,047
Auburn, MA
Ken Griffey Jr is probably the answer for Exhibition Stadium (Toronto). He played a game at Toronto in late April 1989. SkyDome opened up in early June.
 

E5 Yaz

Transcends message boarding
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Apr 25, 2002
90,025
Oregon
Freddy Linn said:
Willie McCovey's rookie year was in Seal's Stadium and he retired in 1980.
 
McCovey looks correct. I thought it might have been Tim McCarver, who played later into 1980 than McCovey; but McCarver's 1959 games did not include a trip to SF
 

E5 Yaz

Transcends message boarding
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Apr 25, 2002
90,025
Oregon
Freddy Linn said:
Jim Kaat pitched at Wrigley Field in LA and retired 22 years later.
 
Yaz played there and lasted later into 1983 than Kaat
 

E5 Yaz

Transcends message boarding
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Apr 25, 2002
90,025
Oregon
Early guess (still checking) for Sportsman's Park is Don Sutton. (Ryan didn't pitch there)
 
edit: This is incorrect. Sportsman's Park went kaput on May 8, 1966. Sutton pitched in StL in the first Busch Stadium
 

John Marzano Olympic Hero

has fancy plans, and pants to match
Dope
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2001
24,548
E5 Yaz said:
Early guess (still checking) for Sportsman's Park is Don Sutton. (Ryan didn't pitch there)
 
edit: This is incorrect. Sportsman's Park went kaput on May 8, 1966. Sutton pitched in StL in the first Busch Stadium
 
It's strange to me that teams would begin a season at an old park and mid-way through the year open a new one. I think that the Jays were the last to do that, if IIRC.
 

HriniakPosterChild

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 6, 2006
14,841
500 feet above Lake Sammammish
John Marzano Olympic Hero said:
It's strange to me that teams would begin a season at an old park and mid-way through the year open a new one. I think that the Jays were the last to do that, if IIRC.
 
No, the M's did it in 1999. Opening Day at Safeco was after the All-Star break.
 
I don't think anyone sets out to do this, but construction sometimes takes longer than planned.
 

SeanBerry

Knows about the CBA.
SoSH Member
Jan 23, 2003
3,599
Section 519
Sorry to flood the thread.
 
My best guess for Sportsman's Park is Steve Carlton. Don Sutton! Sutton's last MLB game was August '88. Steve Carlton's was in April 88.
 

canderson

Mr. Brightside
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
39,440
Harrisburg, Pa.
Nolan Ryan retired after the 1993 season and played in Arlington Stadium. It closed after that season and the Ballpark in Arlington opened in 1994 so you can add him to another (if I'm reading this thread correctly). 
 

SeanBerry

Knows about the CBA.
SoSH Member
Jan 23, 2003
3,599
Section 519
McCovey has L.A. Coliseum too, right?
 
Canderson...it's the last player left in MLB after a stadium has closed. You're looking at it from the opposite.
 

E5 Yaz

Transcends message boarding
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Apr 25, 2002
90,025
Oregon
SeanBerry said:
Sorry to flood the thread.
 
My best guess for Sportsman's Park is Steve Carlton. Don Sutton! Sutton's last MLB game was August '88. Steve Carlton's was in April 88.
 
Sutton didn't pitch in Sportsman's (see above)
 

SeanBerry

Knows about the CBA.
SoSH Member
Jan 23, 2003
3,599
Section 519
Guessing Jamie Moyer (retired in 2012) has Cleveland Stadium, Memorial Stadium and Arlington.
 
EDIT: Freddy Linn beat me to it.
 

wibi

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
11,839
ARod has the last game played in the Kingdome.  What's more interesting is the manager for the Angels in that game is the current manager for the Cubs
 

E5 Yaz

Transcends message boarding
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Apr 25, 2002
90,025
Oregon
Early guess for the LA Coliseum: Lou Brock, who pinch ran in one game there in 1961 and retired after 1979
 

mikeford

woolwich!
SoSH Member
Aug 6, 2006
29,537
St John's, NL
Looks like Jimmy Rollins is the winner for Cincy's Riverfront/Cinergy Field. September 22, 2002
 
Think he's the only active guy who got in the game that day. 
 

mt8thsw9th

anti-SoSHal
SoSH Member
Jul 17, 2005
17,120
Brooklyn
Vinho Tinto said:
Ken Griffey Jr is probably the answer for Exhibition Stadium (Toronto). He played a game at Toronto in late April 1989. SkyDome opened up in early June.
 
Omar Vizquel played there in May, and played two seasons longer than Griffey.
 

BGrif21125

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
4,625
Washington, DC

mt8thsw9th

anti-SoSHal
SoSH Member
Jul 17, 2005
17,120
Brooklyn
Memorial Stadium--Arthur Rhodes?
 
edit - no, Jim Thome also played there September 15, 1991.
 
Thome also played at Texas September 15, 1993, which was after Moyer's last appearance there on August 29th.
 

E5 Yaz

Transcends message boarding
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Apr 25, 2002
90,025
Oregon
Kevin Jewkilis said:
 
The stadium that closed at the end of 1973 and was basically replaced over the 1975-1976 seasons, while the Yankees played their home games in Queens.
 
Not arguing, but wondering: If we were to include that refurbishment, why not include various refurbishing of Commiskey, for instance, and other places around the majors? Would this mean the 1976-2008 Toilet counts as a "different" stadium?
 

mt8thsw9th

anti-SoSHal
SoSH Member
Jul 17, 2005
17,120
Brooklyn
Tiger Stadium may be Carlos Beltran. Adrian Beltre for the Astrodome. Aramis Ramirez for Three Rivers Stadium (Bronson Arroyo could be in the picture if he returns and manages to outlast Ramirez by a bit; Beltran also played there in 2000). 
 

snowmanny

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 8, 2005
15,672
E5 Yaz said:
 
Not arguing, but wondering: If we were to include that refurbishment, why not include various refurbishing of Commiskey, for instance, and other places around the majors? Would this mean the 1976-2008 Toilet counts as a "different" stadium?
My 1935 Who's Who in Baseball says that the Red Sox play in "New Fenway Park," which of course replaced the old one that burned down.
 

Deweys New Stance

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 8, 2001
2,888
Here to Eternity
I believe the answer for League Park in Cleveland is Ted Williams, who was Bid Adieu by Hub fans exactly one day after Mickey Vernon's final game appearance for the Pirates.

Yogi Berra just missed being the answer; he was called up by the Yanks a couple weeks after their final appearance there in September 1946.

Edit: upon further review, I'm changing my answer to Early Wynn, who pitched there for the Senators in 1942, and who barely hung on in the majors into 1963 in his pursuit of 300 wins. The fact that the Indians played in both League Park and Cleveland Stadium for many seasons complicates the research on this one.
 

E5 Yaz

Transcends message boarding
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Apr 25, 2002
90,025
Oregon
Of all people, Brad Penny might be the answer for Three Rivers. Pitched a game there during its final season.
 
Jimmy Rollins didn't play there, although he was active in 2000. Rafael Furcal played at Three Rivers, but his final game was three months before Penny's
 

Casilda

New Member
Jul 14, 2005
7
Per Baseball Reference, last game at RFK in 2007 was on Sept. 23rd, Nats against Phillies, Nats winning 5 to 3. That was the odd year the Nats came in 4th, amidst the multiple last place finishes.
 
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WAS/WAS200709230.shtml
 
There are, in retrospect, a disturbing amount of active Phillies or former Phillies in that game. Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Michael Bourn, Shane Victorino, Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth, Carlos Ruiz, Cole Hamels....On the one hand, it was a good team. On the other, it was 8 years ago....
 
And on my Nats, we had the great 1-9 of D'Angelo Jimenez, Ronnie Belliard, Zim (one of these guys is not like the other,) Austin Kearns, Tony Batista, Jesus Flores, Justin Maxwell, Nook Logan, and Joel Hanrahan in his starting days. How the entire Nats fanbase didn't just start the games drunk, I have no idea. Thank god I still lived in Boston then, and hadn't moved back to DC yet. Zim is active, Justin Maxwell is hanging on as a reserve outfielder, and I think that's it. (Ryan Zimmerman, even though he's made of glass, will always be beloved in DC for being the one shining spot of talent in the days we had Austin Kearns as our cleanup hitter and were thrilled about our 4th place finish.)
 

mt8thsw9th

anti-SoSHal
SoSH Member
Jul 17, 2005
17,120
Brooklyn
E5 Yaz said:
Jimmy Rollins didn't play there, although he was active in 2000. Rafael Furcal played at Three Rivers, but his final game was three months before Penny's
 
Aramis Ramirez played his home games there in 1998, and 2000.