America's Classic Ballpark | |
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| Former names | Reading Municipal Memorial Stadium GPU Stadium |
|---|---|
| Location | 1900 Centre Avenue Reading, Pennsylvania 19605 |
| Coordinates | 40°21′57″N 75°56′1″W / 40.36583°N 75.93361°W |
| Public transit |  BARTA bus: 19, 20 |
| Owner | City of Reading |
| Operator | Reading Baseball G.P. |
| Capacity | 10,000 [5] |
| Field size | LF – 330 feet (100 m) CF – 400 feet (120 m) RF – 330 feet (100 m) |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | July 26, 1947[1] |
| Opened | April 15, 1951 |
| Construction cost | $656,674 ($7.71 million in 2023 dollars[2]) |
| Architect | Muhlenberg Brothers[3] |
| General contractor | Potteiger Construction Company[4] |
| Tenants | |
| Reading Indians (EL) (1952–1961) Reading Red Sox (EL) (1963–1964) Reading Fightin Phils (EL/Double-A Northeast) (1967–present) | |
FirstEnergy Stadium is a 10,000-seat baseball-only stadium in Reading, Pennsylvania, that hosted its first regular season baseball game in 1951. The park is home to the Reading Fightin Phils of the Eastern League. It was voted the second best place to see a baseball game by Minor League News in 2006. It is also the first ballpark to ever receive the annual Digital Ballparks.com Ballpark Of The Year Award, which it was awarded in 2002. It is the first American baseball stadium to reach a total attendance of ten million without ever serving a team higher than AA.
- ^ "Break Soil for Stadium". Reading Eagle. July 27, 1947. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
- ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ "Plans for Municipal Stadium Delivered to City Officials". Reading Eagle. February 1, 1949. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
- ^ "Work Proceeds on Schedule at Stadium Site". Reading Eagle. February 8, 1950. Retrieved February 27, 2012.
- ^ Leon, Matt (17 May 2011). "Minor League Ballpark Guide". CBS. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
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