Silver Stadium
| Former names | Red Wing Stadium (1929–1968) |
|---|---|
| Location | 500 Norton Street Rochester, NY 14621 |
| Coordinates | 43°11′15″N 77°36′40″W / 43.18755°N 77.61099°WCoordinates: 43°11′15″N 77°36′40″W / 43.18755°N 77.61099°W |
| Owner | Rochester Community Baseball, Inc. |
| Operator | Rochester Community Baseball, Inc. |
| Capacity | 15,000 (1929–1987) 12,503 (1987–1994) 11,502 (1995–1996) |
| Field size | Left field: 320 feet (98 m) Center field: 420 feet (130 m) Right field: 315 feet (96 m) |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1928 |
| Opened | May 2, 1929 |
| Renovated | 1987 |
| Closed | September 10, 1996 |
| Demolished | Late 1997 – early 1998 |
| Construction cost | $415,000 ($5.79 million in 2017 dollars) |
| Architect | George W. Thompson |
| General contractor | Harrison Dann |
| Tenants | |
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Rochester Red Wings (IL) (1929–1996) Rochester Braves (AFL) (1936) Rochester Tigers (AFL) (1936–1937) New York Black Yankees (NNL) (1948) |
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Silver Stadium was a baseball stadium located at 500 Norton Street in Rochester, New York. It was the home stadium for the Rochester Red Wings of the International League from 1929 to 1996, and for the New York Black Yankees of the Negro National League for their final season in 1948. The ballpark also briefly hosted professional football as it was the home field for the Rochester Braves (second American Football League) in 1936 and the Rochester Tigers (second American Football League) in 1936 and 1937.
The facility opened May 2, 1929, as Red Wing Stadium. It was renamed Silver Stadium on August 19, 1968, for Morrie Silver, then the president of Rochester Community Baseball, Inc. Silver Stadium hosted its final event, a Governors' Cup playoff game between the Columbus Clippers and the Red Wings, on September 10, 1996, and was demolished in late 1997 and early 1998. The site is now an industrial and office park.
Silver Stadium cost $415,000 to construct and opened on May 2, 1929, as Red Wing Stadium. At the time, the stadium had a maximum capacity of 15,000. The park was built in the middle of a thriving urban residential neighborhood, which like most suffered a decline in the latter half of the century. Plentiful parking for automobiles, not a huge concern at the time it was built, became an issue as more and more fans drove their cars to the ballpark.
In late 1956, the St. Louis Cardinals, then the major league affiliate of the Rochester Red Wings and also the owners of Red Wing Stadium and the Red Wings, were exploring the possibility of removing the franchise from their minor league system. In response, Morrie Silver, a Rochester businessman, spearheaded an effort to purchase both assets from the Cardinals. A total of 8,222 stockholders, including Silver, came together to form Rochester Community Baseball, Inc. (RCB) The effort was ultimately successful as RCB purchased both assets on February 27, 1957, ensuring that the team would remain in Rochester for the 1957 season and beyond. Red Wing Stadium was renamed Silver Stadium in Silver's honor on August 19, 1968.
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