Phoenix Public Library's Phoenix Municipal Stadium I Former Home of the Phoenix Stars Phoenix Senators Phoenix Giants Former Spring Home of the New York Giants New York Yankees |
The creation of Phoenix Municipal Stadium in 1947 meant professional baseball would
finally be returning to the city of Phoenix for the first time in 15 years.
Pro ball had previously called Riverside Park home, but when the Arizona-Texas
League shut down operations during the depression, it left the park abandoned.
The Az-Tex League would return in 1937 but by then, Riverside Park was no longer
in the circuit. After the Az-Tex league suspended operations for the war, they
would return in 1947 just as the city was building the new Phoenix Municipal
Stadium for their purpose. Pro ball could finally return to the city in the form
of the "Phoenix Senators". They would also have some great rivalries as Tucson,
Globe-Miami (AZ) and Bisbee joined the league from Arizona with El Paso being
the lone Texas team and Juarez Mexico's Estadio Carta Blanca being the 6th team.
The Juarez Indios however would move to the Phoenix metro area's Mesa Rendezvous
Park, mid season. Phoenix Municipal Stadium's new "Phoenix Senators" would
be a Class C franchise and despite the league holding several affiliations, the
Senators would play this stretch as a co-op team. Phoenix Municipal was also
back in the hunt for a Major League franchise to call Phoenix Municipal, their
spring home. By 1948 they had found that franchise in the form of the San Francisco
Giants who would make Phoenix Municipal Stadium their training grounds every
March from 1948 until 1964, with the exception of one season … 1951 when the
New York Yankees would take over this field. |