Red Stocking Baseball Park

Red Stocking Base-Ball Park was a baseball grounds in St. Louis, Missouri. It was home to the St. Louis Red Stockings of the National Association during the 1875 season, so it is considered a major league ballpark by those who count the NA as a major league. It was also the home of the short-lived minor league club, the St. Louis Whites, in 1888.

The site is first known to have been used for baseball in about 1867, when it was the home of something called the Veto Club, and was called the Veto Grounds.[1] The grounds were evidently already well-known, as local newspapers in 1867 were calling it the "old" Veto Grounds.

In addition to Red Stocking Park, the venue was also known as Compton Avenue Baseball Park or just Compton Park, as it was bordered by South Compton Avenue (east, first base). Its other boundaries were railroad tracks (south, third base); Edwin Street and Theresa Avenue (west, left field); Spruce Street (north, right field); and with Scott Avenue and Gratiot Street T-ing into Compton from the east. It was used as a baseball venue off-and-on until the late 1890s when it was finally razed.

The site is currently occupied by repair shops used by the MetroLink system.

Historical marker[]

Marker recognizing and commemorating Red Stocking Baseball Park, July 2010

On September 13, 2008 a historical marker recognizing and commemorating the site location was unveiled and presented by the Bob Broeg Chapter of the Society for American Baseball Research, with permission of the Bi-State Development Agency. The marker was financed with funds by the SABR Chapter Ballpark Marker Committee. Local papers reported that the plaque would be installed at the entrance of the Metro building which now occupies the site.

Drawing of the ballpark, 1875

References[]

• Retrosheet. "Park Directory". Retrieved 2006-09-04.
• Pictorial St. Louis. Compton, Richard J.; Dry, Camille N. 1876 Plate-69. Courtesy Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division.

External links[]

• Library of Congress map collection, Pictorial St. Louis, 1875, showing artist's conception of the ballpark
• History of the ballpark

Coordinates: 38°37′39″N 90°13′45″W / 38.6274°N 90.2292°W / 38.6274; -90.2292