Compadre Stadium
| Location | 1425 W Ocotillo Road, Chandler, Arizona |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 33°14′40″N 111°51′51″W / 33.24444°N 111.86417°W |
| Capacity | 5,000 |
| Field size |
Left Field - ft Center Field - ft Right Field - ft |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1985 |
| Opened | 1986 |
| Closed | 1997 |
| Demolished | 2014 |
| Construction cost | $1.6 million |
| Tenants | |
|
Milwaukee Brewers (AL) (spring training) (1986-1997) Chandler Diamondbacks (AFL) (1992-1993) Arizona League Brewers (Arizona League) (1988-1995) | |
Compadre Stadium was a stadium located in Chandler, Arizona. It was the spring training home of the Milwaukee Brewers from 1986 to 1997 and the home field of the Arizona Fall League Chandler Diamondbacks. The ballpark was privately financed by local developers and built at a cost of $1.6 million in 1985.
History
In 1982, Chandler mayor Jim Patterson first approached the Brewers about moving their spring training facility from Sun City to Chandler. Patterson was aware that the owners of the Brewers' minor league ballpark in Sun City had sold the facility to private developers and the Brewers would soon need a new spring home. After leaving office, Patterson built a 2,700-acre (11 km2) development he named Ocotillo, in which he placed the ballpark.[1]
In April 1985, the Brewers agreed to move their spring training camp from Sun City, Arizona, to Chandler where local authorities planned to build a 20-acre (81,000 m2) complex in exchange for the Brewers signing a 10-year lease. The Brewers moved into Compadre Stadium for the 1986 Cactus League spring training. [2]
A gas explosion inside the Brewers' locker room at Compadre Stadium during the 1986 spring training seriously burned several of the Brewer coaches. There was some speculation that hasty construction on the stadium had led to the explosion.
The Brewers departed Compadre after the 1997 season, and began Cactus League play the following year at the newly built Maryvale Baseball Park on the west side of the city of Phoenix, where the team holds spring training to this day.
Abandonment and Demolition
The stadium structure and field went unused and fell into a state of disrepair after only being used for twelve seasons. After the Brewers departed, some of the minor league practice fields on the site were taken over by the city of Chandler to create a local park, the Snedigar Recreation Center.[3] The seats were removed from the grandstand and animals were allowed to graze in the outfield area, but otherwise the facility was left intact.[4]
In January 2014, Standard Pacific Homes purchased the property and three months later submitted a proposal to tear down the ballpark and redevelop the lot as a new residential community.[5] Demolition of the remaining complex began in late July 2014.[6]
Notes
- ↑ Haudricourt, Tom (1986-04-18). "Boom town pitches in to greet Brewers". The Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1.
- ↑ "Brewers agree to move camp". The Milwaukee Journal. April 18, 1985. Part 3, p. 7.
- ↑ "Abandoned Chandler field going to seed", East Valley Tribune, February 27, 2005
- ↑ Russell, Doug (March 7, 2012). "There used to be a ballpark...". OnMilwaukee.com. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
- ↑ Mitchell, Michelle (April 8, 2014). "Chandler's Compadre Stadium may be replaced by homes". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
- ↑ Williams, Chris (August 5, 2014). "Chandler stadium demolition to make way for new homes". KPNX. Retrieved March 4, 2015.