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DETAILS |
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Name |
Avenue
Grounds |
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Years Active |
1875 - 1879 |
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Tenants |
Cincinnati Reds II |
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Seating Capacity |
4,000 |
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Other Names Used |
Base Ball
Park |
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Contractor |
N/A |
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Architect |
N/A |
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Construction Cost |
$15,000 |
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Location |
Monmouth
Street (N) |
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Alabama
Street (S) |
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Baltimore &
Ohio Railroad (E) |
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Mill Creek
(W) |
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What Is There Now |
CSX
Railroad Company |
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Avenue Grounds was home to the second
incarnation of the
Cincinnati Reds. The ballpark was located
four miles north of the city of Cincinnati,
situated in the flood plain of the Mill Creek.
Because the ballpark was a distant reach from
downtown, patrons relied on riding special
trains that departed from the Plum Street depot
or by hopping on the very long and tedious
horse-drawn street cars. Once arriving at the
ballpark, carriages traveling along Monmouth
Street could enter a gate located at the
centerfield fence. Up to 200 carriages could
park between the outfield fences and the Mill
Creek.
Avenue
Grounds was complete with a clubhouse and
refreshment stands located underneath the main
grandstand. Square pavilions and bleachers
extended partially down both foul lines on each
end of the grandstand. Both the bleachers and
the grandstand were about eight feet above the
baseball field and were entirely made of wood.
The ballpark faced
northwest with the field sloping downhill away
from home plate for drainage purposes. The field
itself was peculiar in shape with a deep left
and center field. Both sloped down towards the
Mill Creek. Due to Monmouth Street's close
proximity right field was very shallow. It was
so shallow, in fact, that a high fence was built
to prevent an overabundance of baseballs from
being hit out of the ballpark.
The
Cincinnati Reds called Avenue Grounds their
home for five seasons before vacating the park.
They were the only major league team to play
there. Avenue Grounds still played host to
amateur baseball until the turn of the century,
and it remains unclear when the park was
eventually demolished. The old Avenue Grounds
site is located directly behind the present-day
Hillshire Farms & the Kahn's Company building,
towards the Mill Creek. The CSX Railroad Company
currently owns the former ballpark site, which
is now completely consumed by railroad tracks
and is inaccessible by the general public. |
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