Riverfront Stadium From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search For the Riverfront Stadium located in Newark, New Jersey, see Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium. Riverfront Stadium Cinergy Field Riverfront Stadium in 1992 Location 201 East Pete Rose Way Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Broke ground February 1, 1968 Opened June 30, 1970 Closed December 12, 1999 (NFL), September 22, 2002 (MLB) Demolished December 29, 2002 Owner City of Cincinnati Surface AstroTurf 8 (1970–2000) Grass (2001–2002) Construction cost $45 million Architect Heery & Heery FABRAP Capacity 1970-2000 - 52,952 (baseball); 59,754 (football) 2001-2002 - 39,000 Field dimensions 1970-2000 Left field - 330 ft (101 m) Left-center field - 375 ft (114 m) Center field - 404 ft (123 m) Right-center field - 375 ft (114 m) Right field - 330 ft (101 m) Backstop - 51 ft (15 m) 2001-2002 Left field - 325 ft (99 m) Left-center field - 370 ft (113 m) Center field - 393 ft (120 m) Right-center field - 373 ft (113 m) Right field - 325 ft (99 m) Backstop - 41 ft (12 m) Tenants Cincinnati Bengals (NFL) (1970-1999) Cincinnati Reds (NL) (1970-2002) The stadium seen from above in 1980. The Riverfront Stadium site in June, 2006. This photo was taken from the western concourse of Great American Ball Park. A small portion of the Riverfront Stadium site is now occupied by the Reds' Hall of Fame and Museum and Main Street, which was extended when the new park was built. The Cincinnati Bengals' Paul Brown Stadium is in the distance.Riverfront Stadium, later known as Cinergy Field, (2002) was the home of the Cincinnati Reds National 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 June 30, 1970, the Reds hosted the Atlanta Braves in their grand opening, with Hank Aaron hitting the first ever home run at Riverfront. Two weeks later on July 14, Riverfront hosted the 1970 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. This game is best remembered for the often-replayed collision at home plate between the home-grown Pete Rose and catcher Ray Fosse of the Cleveland Indians. In September 1996, Riverfront Stadium was renamed "Cinergy Field" in a sponsorship deal with Greater Cincinnati's energy company, Cinergy Corporation. In 2001, to make room for Great American Ball Park, the seating capacity at Cinergy Field was reduced to 39,000. There was a huge wall in Center Field visible after the renovations. The stadium was demolished by implosion on December 29, 2002. Video clips of its demolition were featured in the music video for the song MakeDamnSure by Taking Back Sunday. Contents [hide] 1 History 1.1 "Cookie-Cutters" 1.2 Big Red Machine 1.3 Professional football 1.4 Baseball-only 2 Milestones 2.1 Baseball 2.2 Football 3 References 4 External links 5 See also [edit] History [edit] "Cookie-Cutters" Riverfront was a multi-purpose, circular "cookie-cutter" stadium, one of many 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, Shea Stadium in New York, RFK Stadium in Washington, D. C., Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego and Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia all opened within a few years and were largely indistinguishable from one another; in particular, it was often confused with fellow Ohio River cookie-cutter Three Rivers Stadium by sportscasters because of the two stadium's similar names and similar designs. The site on which Riverfront Stadium sat originally included the 2nd Street tenement birthplace and boyhood home of cowboy singer and actor Roy Rogers, who joked that he was born "somewhere

between second base and center field." [edit] Big Red Machine Riverfront Stadium during a Cincinnati Reds game vs. the Chicago Cubs on May 23, 1988.Riverfront Stadium quickly earned a place in Cincinnati's century-long baseball tradition as the home of one of the best teams in baseball history. The World Series had visited the Reds' previous home, Crosley Field, just three times in its final 31 years, (1939, 1940, 1961) 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. The World Series would return in 1990, with Cincinnati winning the first two of a four-game sweep of the Oakland Athletics at Riverfront. Baseball purists disliked Riverfront's artificial turf, but Reds' Manager Sparky Anderson and General Manager Bob Howsam 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 Concepción who used the turf to bounce many of his long throws to first. Catcher Johnny Bench and first baseman Tony Perez also played here. The artificial turf covered not only the normal grass area of the ballpark but also what is usually the "skinned" portion of the infield. Only the pitcher's mound, the home plate area, and cutouts around first, second and third bases had dirt surfaces. This was the first stadium in the majors with this "sliding pit" configuration. The new stadiums that would follow (Veterans Stadium, Royals Stadium, Kingdome, Metrodome, Skydome) would install sliding pits as the original layout, and the existing artificial turf fields in San Francisco, Houston, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis would change to the cut-out configuration within the next few years. Riverfront hosted the MLB All-Star Game twice. First in 1970 with President Richard Nixon in attendance, and again in 1988. [edit] Professional football Despite Cincinnati's love of baseball, 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 at the University of Cincinnati Nippert Stadium on 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. Perhaps the most memorable football game at Riverfront was the AFC 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) and 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 (XVI) while playing at Riverfront. Riverfront Stadium also hosted the 1988 AFC Championship, as the Bengals beat the Buffalo Bills 21–10 to advance to their second Super Bowl appearance. During the Bengals' tenure, they posted a 5-1 record in playoff games played in Riverfront Stadium, with victories over the Buffalo Bills (twice), San Diego Chargers, Seattle Seahawks, and Houston Oilers. Their only home playoff loss came to the New York Jets. [edit] Baseball-only When the Bengals moved to Paul Brown Stadium in 2000, the Reds were left as Cinergy Field's only tenant. Prior to the 2001 baseball season, the stadium was remodeled into a baseball-only configuration, and the artificial surface was replaced with grass. To allow room for the construction of Great American Ball Park (which was being built largely over the grounds the stadium already sat on), a large section of the left and center field stands was removed and the distance to the fences was shortened by five feet. The new Great American Ballpark and old Riverfront Stadium were 26 inches apart at its closest point during this time. Consequently, in its last years, the stadium achieved an openness and a degree of aesthetic appeal that it had lacked for most of its existence. In the Reds' final two seasons in the stadium, ongoing construction on Great American was plainly visible just beyond the outfield walls while the team played their games. [edit] Milestones [edit] Baseball The logo the Reds used in 2002 for their final season at Riverfront Stadium/Cinergy Field.First stadium to have its entire field covered by AstroTurf, except for the cutouts around the bases and pitcher’s mound. First hit: Félix Millán, June 30, 1970. First home run: Hank Aaron, June 30, 1970. First Presidential Visit: Richard Nixon, July 14, 1970. First upper deck home run: Tony Perez, August 11, 1970. First World Series game ever played on artificial turf: October 10, 1970 (Reds vs. Baltimore Orioles). First no-hitter: Ken Holtzman, June 3, 1971. First pitcher ever to pitch a No-hitter and hit two Home runs in the same game: Rick Wise, June 23, 1971. Hank Aaron ties the all-time home run record with number 714: April 4, 1974. First stadium to display Metric distances on the outfield walls (100.58 meters down the lines, 114.30 to the alleys, 123.13 to center): 1976. Highest season attendance, 2,629,708: 1976. First rain checks issued: August 30, 1978. First player to Hit for the Cycle: Mike Easler, June 12, 1980. Pete Rose breaks the all-time hit record with number 4,192: September 11, 1985. First player ever to be caught stealing four times in one game: Robby Thompson, June 27, 1986. First perfect game: Tom Browning, September 16, 1988. Longest home run, 473': Mark McGwire, May 5, 2000. [edit] Football First Touchdown: Sam Wyche, September 20, 1970 First Field goal: Horst Muhlmann, September 20, 1970 Corey Dillon breaks the single-game rookie rushing record with 246 yards on December 4, 1997. [edit] References Dittmar, Joseph J. (1997). Baseball Records Registry: The Best and Worst Single-Day Performances and the Stories Behind Them. McFarland & Company. ISBN 0-7864-0293-8 Munsey & Suppes (1996–2004). Riverfront Stadium. Ballparks. Smith, Ron (2000). Riverfront Stadium. The Ballpark Book. The Sporting News. ISBN 0-89204-703-8 Riverfront Stadium Opens. BaseballLibrary.com. [edit] External links A Farewell to Cinergy Field. MLB.com. Cinergy Field: Kiss it Goodbye. Cincinnati.com. Riverfront Stadium/Cinergy Field. Ballparks of Baseball. Riverfront Stadium/Cinergy Field. Stadia of NFL Cinergy Field. BaseballLibrary.com. USGS aerial photo [edit] See also List of stadiums Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Riverfront Stadium Preceded by Nippert Stadium Home of the Cincinnati Bengals 1970–1999 Succeeded by Paul Brown Stadium Preceded by Crosley Field Home of the Cincinnati Reds 1970–2002 Succeeded by Great American Ball Park Preceded by RFK Stadium Oakland-Alameda County

Coliseum Host of the All-Star Game 1970 1988 Succeeded by Tiger Stadium Anaheim Stadium [show]v • d • eCincinnati Bengals Founded in 1968 • Based in Cincinnati, Ohio The Franchise Franchise • History • Players • Seasons • Draft Stadiums Nippert Stadium • Riverfront Stadium • Paul Brown Stadium Culture Battle of Ohio • Bengals-Steelers Rivalry • Who Dey Lore Freezer Bowl Head Coaches Brown • Johnson • Rice • Gregg • Wyche • Shula • Coslet • LeBeau • Lewis Division Championships (6) 1970, 1973, 1981, 1988, 1990, 2005 Super Bowl Appearances (2) XVI • XXIII Retired Numbers 54 Seasons 1968 • 1969 • 1970 • 1971 • 1972 • 1973 • 1974 • 1975 • 1976 • 1977 • 1978 • 1979 • 1980 • 1981 • 1982 • 1983 • 1984 • 1985 • 1986 • 1987 • 1988 • 1989 • 1990 • 1991 • 1992 • 1993 • 1994 • 1995 • 1996 • 1997 • 1998 • 1999 • 2000 • 2001 • 2002 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008 • 2009 Current League Affiliations League: National Football League • Conference: American Football Conference • Division: North Division [show]v • d • eCincinnati Reds Formerly the Cincinnati Red Stockings and the Cincinnati Redlegs • Based in Cincinnati, Ohio The Franchise History • Seasons • Records • Players • Managers • Broadcasters Ballparks Lincoln Park Grounds • Avenue Grounds • Bank Street Grounds • League Park • League Park II • Palace of the Fans • Crosley Field • Riverfront Stadium • Great American Ball Park Culture Mr. Red • The Big Red Machine • The Nasty Boys • Dowd Report • Hall of Fame Rivalries Battle of Ohio • Ohio Cup (1989 to 1996) • Ohio Cup (2008 onwards) Important Figures Johnny Bench • Eric Davis • Bid McPhee • Ken Griffey • Ken Griffey, Jr. • Bob Howsam • Paul Derringer • Barry Larkin • Ernie Lombardi • Joe Morgan • Frank Robinson • Tony Perez • Pete Rose • Johnny Vander Meer • George Wright • Dave Concepción • Ted Kluszewski • George Foster • Joe Nuxhall • Sparky Anderson • Marge Schott Retired Numbers 1 • 5 • 8 • 10 • 13 • 18 • 20 • 24 • 42 Key Personnel Owner: Robert Castellini • General Manager: Walt Jocketty • Manager: Dusty Baker World Series Championships (5) 1919 • 1940 • 1975 • 1976 • 1990 National League Championships (9) 1919 • 1939 • 1940 • 1961 • 1970 • 1972 • 1975 • 1976 • 1990 Seasons (127) 1882 • 1883 • 1884 • 1885 • 1886 • 1887 • 1888 • 1889 • 1890 • 1891 • 1892 • 1893 • 1894 • 1895 • 1896 • 1897 • 1898 • 1899 • 1900 • 1901 • 1902 • 1903 • 1904 • 1905 • 1906 • 1907 • 1908 • 1909 • 1910 • 1911 • 1912 • 1913 • 1914 • 1915 • 1916 • 1917 • 1918 • 1919 • 1920 • 1921 • 1922 • 1923 • 1924 • 1925 • 1926 • 1927 • 1928 • 1929 • 1930 • 1931 • 1932 • 1933 • 1934 • 1935 • 1936 • 1937 • 1938 • 1939 • 1940 • 1941 • 1942 • 1943 • 1944 • 1945 • 1946 • 1947 • 1948 • 1949 • 1950 • 1951 • 1952 • 1953 • 1954 • 1955 • 1956 • 1957 • 1958 • 1959 • 1960 • 1961 • 1962 • 1963 • 1964 • 1965 • 1966 • 1967 • 1968 • 1969 • 1970 • 1971 • 1972 • 1973 • 1974 • 1975 • 1976 • 1977 • 1978 • 1979 • 1980 • 1981 • 1982 • 1983 • 1984 • 1985 • 1986 • 1987 • 1988 • 1989 • 1990 • 1991 • 1992 • 1993 • 1994 • 1995 • 1996 • 1997 • 1998 • 1999 • 2000 • 2001 • 2002 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008 • 2009 Minor League Affiliates Louisville Bats (AAA) • Carolina Mudcats (AA) • Sarasota Reds (A) • Dayton Dragons (A) • Billings Mustangs (Rookie) • Gulf Coast Reds (Rookie) • VSL Reds (Rookie) Coordinates: 39°5′47.7″N 84°30′30.3″W / 39.096583°N 84.508417°W / 39.096583; -84.508417 Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverfront_Stadium" Categories: Cincinnati Bengals | Cincinnati Reds | Multi-purpose stadiums | Defunct American football venues | Defunct National Football League venues | Defunct Major League Baseball venues | Demolished sports venues in the United States | Sports venues in Cincinnati, Ohio | 1970 establishments | 2002 disestablishments | Major League Baseball All-Star Game venues