# Why were the Raiders and Bucaneers playing on a baseball field last night? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 27, 2004, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-raiders-and-bucaneers-playing-on-a-baseball-field-last-night/266372 "2004-09-27T22:40:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kel\_Varnsen\_Latex\_Division](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@Kel\_Varnsen\_Latex\_Division](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kel_Varnsen_Latex_Division)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-raiders-and-bucaneers-playing-on-a-baseball-field-last-night/266372/21 "2004-09-28T05:19:48Z")
The Chicago Bears used to play at Wrigley Field (home of the Cubs). The Chicago Sting (soccer) used to play there, too. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-raiders-and-bucaneers-playing-on-a-baseball-field-last-night/266372/22 "2004-09-28T12:41:23Z")
> [@BobT](#): > > In 1960 the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum hosted four football teams: USC, UCLA, the Chargers, and the Rams. And the LA Dodgers played baseball there that year as well. > > What the field looked like by the end of the year must have been pretty frightening. I’ve seen pictures of Memorial Coliseum set up for baseball, and the amount of wear on the turf was the least of its problems. It just wasn’t the right shape for a baseball field. It was 425 feet to center, 440 to right-center, and 250 down the left field line. They put up a fence in left field to make it a little tougher to knock the ball out, 40 feet high, and made of chicken wire so the people behind could see through it. And it was Los Angeles, in the middle of summer, with no shade in sight. The fans were dropping like flies. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-raiders-and-bucaneers-playing-on-a-baseball-field-last-night/266372/23 "2004-09-28T13:32:22Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > Both Yankee (Giants) and Shea (Jets) Stadiums were used for football as well as baseball until the MEadowlands Sports Complex was built. Yankee Stadium has been redesigned and can’t be used for football anymore, but Shea Stadium is still dual use even though the Jets have been gone for years. Fenway Park was used for both sports during the early days of the AFL. This was done despite the fact that it’s too small for football: part of the end zone was cut off. Lots of other older stadums were used for dual use: the Polo Grounds, for instance, was, during its history, home to three baseball teams (Giants, Yankees, and Mets) and at least two football teams (Giants and Titans). ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-raiders-and-bucaneers-playing-on-a-baseball-field-last-night/266372/24 "2004-09-28T13:43:19Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > Kansas City hasn’t had dual-use since Municipal Stadium was torn down in 1972. Actually, strictly speaking, they have one now: Arrowhead is also the home of KC’s Major League Soccer franchise, the Wiz(ards). That resulted in a recent Chiefs game where soccer-pitch markings were clearly visible. Referring to the UK, I can only think of one dual-use “stadium” there. Up to the mid-1990’s, Northamptonshire Cricket Club and Northampton Town FC shared a ground. And if that doesn’t win the “most obscure groundsharing agreement” award, nothing will. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-raiders-and-bucaneers-playing-on-a-baseball-field-last-night/266372/25 "2004-09-28T13:47:27Z")
> [@Duke](#): > > And if that doesn’t win the “most obscure groundsharing agreement” award, nothing will. It depends on whether they ever played polo at the Polo Grounds. ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-raiders-and-bucaneers-playing-on-a-baseball-field-last-night/266372/26 "2004-10-02T01:02:16Z")
> [@Robot Arm](#): > > It depends on whether they ever played polo at the Polo Grounds. Apparently not: [http://www.projectballpark.org/history/nl/polo2.html](http://www.projectballpark.org/history/nl/polo2.html) Apparently polo was never played at the last (and probably most famous) stadium called the Polo Grounds. That stadium was named for an earlier one at a different location where polo had been played. While we are on the subject of shared NYC sports arenas I remember when the Yankees were playing their games at Shea Stadium while Yankee Stadium was being remodeled in the mid 1970s. ISTR the football Giants had to play their games there that year too, as well as the Jets (could be wrong, I was a young 'un then). ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-raiders-and-bucaneers-playing-on-a-baseball-field-last-night/266372/27 "2004-10-02T01:07:03Z")
> [@Laughing Lagomorph](#): > > Apparently polo was never played at the last (and probably most famous) stadium called the Polo Grounds. That stadium was named for an earlier one at a different location where polo had been played. Except, the NY Giants (baseball) played at the original Polo Grounds - the ones where polo was played. ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-raiders-and-bucaneers-playing-on-a-baseball-field-last-night/266372/28 "2004-10-02T01:17:54Z")
> [@Neurotik](#): > > Except, the NY Giants (baseball) played at the original Polo Grounds - the ones where polo was played. You’re right, of course. I’m having trouble finding info online about that original location though…especially what year polo stopped being played there. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-raiders-and-bucaneers-playing-on-a-baseball-field-last-night/266372/29 "2004-10-02T03:37:41Z")
> [@Laughing Lagomorph](#): > > Apparently not: > > [http://www.projectballpark.org/history/nl/polo2.html](http://www.projectballpark.org/history/nl/polo2.html) > > Apparently polo was never played at the last (and probably most famous) stadium called the Polo Grounds. That stadium was named for an earlier one at a different location where polo had been played. > While we are on the subject of shared NYC sports arenas I remember when the Yankees were playing their games at Shea Stadium while Yankee Stadium was being remodeled in the mid 1970s. ISTR the football Giants had to play their games there that year too, as well as the Jets (could be wrong, I was a young 'un then). When Yankee stadium was remodeled, one baseball and two football seasons (I’m pretty sure) were lost. In at least one of those seasons, the Giant’s played in the Yale Bowl at Yale University. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-raiders-and-bucaneers-playing-on-a-baseball-field-last-night/266372/30 "2004-10-02T03:57:42Z")
[quote] Denver too when the Rockies first came to town. I saw a Rockies game at Mile High. It was a ridiculous looking place for baseball.[/quote[ Unlike many of the others, there was never an actual intention to make Mile High a _major league_Baseball stadium. They just wedged the Rockies in there for a couple years while they built the real field. For a while before that it was the home field of the minor league Zephyrs, and I believe is still the record for the largest minor league team stadium. But it was really ugly and stupid to watch baseball at any time, particulary with major league hitters at high altitude. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-raiders-and-bucaneers-playing-on-a-baseball-field-last-night/266372/31 "2004-10-02T16:11:53Z")
Up until very recently Montreal’s Olympic Stadium was a dual use facility too, hosting CFL games as well as the soon to be Washington Whatchamacallits baseball team. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-raiders-and-bucaneers-playing-on-a-baseball-field-last-night/266372/32 "2004-10-02T16:17:46Z")
[QUOTE=wolfman] [quote] Denver too when the Rockies first came to town. I saw a Rockies game at Mile High. It was a ridiculous looking place for baseball. [/quote[ Unlike many of the others, there was never an actual intention to make Mile High a _major league_Baseball stadium. They just wedged the Rockies in there for a couple years while they built the real field. For a while before that it was the home field of the minor league Zephyrs, and I believe is still the record for the largest minor league team stadium. But it was really ugly and stupid to watch baseball at any time, particulary with major league hitters at high altitude.[/QUOTE] It may well have been ugly, but from the Rockies’ owners point of view it sure wasn’t stupid. They set the Major League season attendence record in Mile High Stadium of over 4 million, and that record isn’t going to be broken any time soon, because no current club has the seating capacity to break the record. That’s a lot of revenue from tickets, hot dogs and t-shirts. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-raiders-and-bucaneers-playing-on-a-baseball-field-last-night/266372/33 "2004-10-03T06:04:01Z")
> [@Northern Piper](#): > > Now we just call them the Als. Or, since they’re playing here this weekend, “the Roughriders’ next victim.” (He said, with fingers crossed…) Woo-hoo! Riders 35, Als 19! Green is the Colour, Football is the game… ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-raiders-and-bucaneers-playing-on-a-baseball-field-last-night/266372/34 "2004-10-03T06:44:15Z")
And on Saturday 10/2, the Twins-Indians game at the Metrodome in Minneapolis had to be suspended at the end of 11 innings because they needed to convert the stadium for football later that night (U of Minnesota). The Twins were not happy. There was a curfew in place that no inning could start after 2:30 PM CDT. ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-raiders-and-bucaneers-playing-on-a-baseball-field-last-night/266372/35 "2004-10-03T12:02:15Z")
> [@BobT](#): > > And on Saturday 10/2, the Twins-Indians game at the Metrodome in Minneapolis had to be suspended at the end of 11 innings because they needed to convert the stadium for football later that night (U of Minnesota). > > The Twins were not happy. > > There was a curfew in place that no inning could start after 2:30 PM CDT. I know, wasn’t that ridiculous? The game has playoff implications. What the heck time did they start playing if they got 11 innings in before 2:30? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-the-raiders-and-bucaneers-playing-on-a-baseball-field-last-night/266372.md?page=1)