Jack Russell Memorial Stadium

Home plate entrance to Jack Russell Memorial Stadium, Aug-2003.

Looking in from the left-field line.

Like many fields, this one points northeast.

• Location: Greenwood and Seminole avenues, Clearwater, Fla.
• Opened: 1955
• Closed: 2003 (for pro baseball)
• Home team: Clearwater Phillies, Florida State League (1985-2003); spring training, Philadelphia Phillies (1955-2003)
• Capacity: 6,917

Chronological Tour: Stop 254

Rating: 3 baseballs

The park was named after a 15-year major league pitcher who came to settle in Clearwater and spearheaded the stadium construction drive. It consists of a lower section with stadium seats, as well as an upper section of aluminum seating that reminded me of The Diamond in Richmond, Va., and aluminum bleachers down the lines. A section along the third-base line had been converted into a picnic pavilion. The field faces a rather conventional northeast.

I saw the penultimate game at the park. The next night, Robin Roberts, among others, was to make a special appearance to close the park; however, I had other plans.

A note of irony accompanies the closing of the park. Wilbur Snapp was the organist at Jack Russell Stadium for two decades; in 1985 he was ejected by the umpires when he played “Three Blind Mice” after a particularly contentious call. He died 6-Sep-2003, exactly two weeks after his beloved ballpark shut down.