Cooper Stadium, Baseball stadium in Columbus, United States
Cooper Stadium is a former baseball stadium in Columbus, Ohio, built in 1931 and closed in 2008. It had grandstands along the first and third base lines, a grass area beyond the outfield fence where fans could watch while grilling, and a roof over the infield seats with private boxes above.
Opened in 1931 as Red Bird Stadium, it was built for the Columbus Red Birds using the same blueprints as Rochester's Red Wing Stadium. Over the decades it hosted several teams, including the Columbus Clippers from 1977 to 2008, and was renamed in 1984 to honor Harold Cooper.
For many years, the stadium was a social hub in Franklinton, where families gathered for baseball games and other events. The outfield grass area, where people could grill and watch the game, gave the place a relaxed, picnic-like feel that set it apart from other ballparks.
The site is now fenced off and partly demolished, so it is not a place to visit for a game or a tour. You can still see the remaining third base side and bleachers from the street, but keep a safe distance and respect the barriers.
The stadium was the first minor league ballpark to install artificial turf on the field, though it later returned to natural grass. In 2008, the final game drew a crowd of 16,770, the third largest in the stadium's history.
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