On This Date in Sports June 24, 1970: Rise of the Cookie Cutter

It is the final game at Crosley Field. The intersection at Findlay and Western had been home to the Cincinnati Reds since 1884. Rebuilt twice, it took on its current form in 1912 and was home to the first major league night game in 1935. The Reds would beat the San Francisco Giants 5-4 as Johnny Bench and Lee May hit back-to-back home runs in the eighth off Juan Marichal after the game home plate was dug up and taken to the Reds’ new Riverfront Stadium.

The Cincinnati Reds played at the exact location at the intersection of Findlay and Western since 1884. The stadium was initially built as League Park with wooden stands. It was rebuilt and named the Palace of the Fan in 1902. The Palace of the Fans was among the most stunning parks at the turn of the century with its Greco-Roman pillars. The stadium was rebuilt into a modern concrete structure in 1912. It was initially called Redland Field, a name it would carry until it was renovated in 1934 when it was renamed Crosley Field.

The Reds’ new stadium was initially scheduled for the start of the 1970 season. However, construction delay led to Cincinnati playing the first half of the season at Crosley Field. The Reds' final game at Crosley Field was on Wednesday Night, with 28,027 fans on hand to see the first-place Reds take on the San Francisco Giants. The Reds, led by a first-year manager, held a record of 48-21 entering the game, while the Giants were sitting at 32-36 under manager Charlie Fox. Jim McGlothin got the start for Cincinnati, while Juan Marichal made the start for the Giants. The Giants built a 4-2 lead in the fourth inning. In the eighth inning, the Reds took control as Johnny Bench and Lee May hit back-to-back homers off Marichal. Each was the final two hits at Crosley Field as the Reds won 5-4. On a grounder to the pitcher, Wayne Granger won as Bobby Bonds made the last out. 

Riverfront Stadium on the banks of the Ohio River across from Kentucky represented the standard in stadiums. It was multipurpose, sterile, practical, and lacked character or charm. At the same time, the Reds were transitioning from classic Crosley Field to Riverfront Stadium; the Pirates were moving from Forbes Field to Three Rivers Stadium. The Pirates won a doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs on June 28th to close Forbes. After the All-Star Break, they opened Three Rivers Stadium with a 3-2 loss to the Reds on July 16th. The two teams would play in the NLCS in 1970. The Reds would win and fall to the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series. The Reds and Pirates would face each other four times in the NLCS during the 1970s.

There was nearly no discernible difference between Riverfront Stadium and Three Rivers Stadium. Both were round and on the Ohio River, though in Pittsburgh, it was also near the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers, each combined to form the Ohio River. Both stadiums featured symmetrical dimensions and artificial turf, adding to the sterile charmless feel. The multipurpose stadiums became popular with the growth of professional football. The round stadium began with DC Stadium, later RFK Stadium in Washington, Busch Stadium in St. Louis, and Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta. Though both were different in designs and décor, it was the start of the era of the cookie-cutter stadium. In 1971, Veterans Stadium made its debut in Philadelphia. 

The utilitarian cookie-cutter stadiums were designed to save costs for a dual purpose while hosting baseball and football teams. Since the stadiums were round, it provided a poor fan experience for both sports. The large seating capacity for football took away from the intimacy of baseball. Rounding away from the field made the game a rumor for football fans watching in the upper deck.