The staff at ebaseballparks.com is at it again. They have been hard at work scouring the vault to bring you images of official MLB uniform patches worn in commemoration of various ballparks. As with the rest of the site, the collection of images will continue to grow as additional patches are unearthed, verified and cataloged for presentation.
On most of the thumbnail images below, you can click to open a new window with a larger, detailed image of the selected patch.
The first recorded recognition of an anniversary patch for a ballpark was in 1973, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Yankee Stadium. Not surprisingly, the patch is rather simple, without great detail as compared to later patches, including the 75th anniversary version patch for Yankee Stadium. Note the distinctive (or retro?) 1970's style "mod" typeface.
Three separate teams wore commemorative ballpark uniform patches in 1987. The White Sox celebrated the 75th anniversary of Comiskey Park. Though the circular patch is more ornate than the Yankee Stadium patch of 1973, elaborate designs were just beginning to crop up.
The first patch honoring Dodger Stadium arrived in 1987 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the ballpark. Hailed as a shrine by many devotees of the game, it is now the second oldest ballpark in the National League.
The Red Sox completed the trifecta in 1987 with a patch commemorating the 75th anniversary of Fenway Park. The patch was similar in content to the White Sox patch for Comiskey park pictured above, but it is more ornate and detailed in it's design.
In 1991, two teams wore commemorative patches for their respective ballparks. The new Comiskey Park open that year, and the White Sox donned this patch as they moved across the street into their new ballpark, and color scheme (black & white from red & navy blue). After that first season, the team continued to wear a Comiskey Park patch.
The commemorative patch for the final season at Memorial Stadium is at the center of one of the stranger moments in uniform lore. The patch was only worn for the first two games of the 1991 season. The Orioles lost both games and ownership had the patches removed believing them to be bad luck and perhaps keeping fans away during "A Season To Remember". The patch featured the distinctive lettering of Memorial Stadium's dedication.
The second uniform patch to honor Dodger Stadium, the 30th anniversary patch of 1992, seemed to sprout wings (really pennants waving in the wind). Nevertheless, a tradition has seemingly been born and another Dodger Stadium uniform patch will come around every five years.
For the first time since 1970, (in 1993) more than one ballpark hosted their last games' in the same season. The Texas Rangers paid homage to their's- Arlington Stadium.
Jacobs Field opened it's gates in 1994 signaling a revitalization of the Indians as well as the city of Cleveland. As the owner of the team bought the naming rights to the ballpark, the patch carries the park name, which is unusual compared to the patch of other ballparks which had their names "rebranded" in '00's speak. As was the case with the White Sox, the Indians continued to wear a Jacobs Field patch after the inaugural season.
1995 marked the 25th anniversary of Veteran's Stadium. To make note of that event, the Phillies wore a patch celebrating that silver season.
Busch Stadium celebrated it's 30th anniversary in 1996. The most beloved of the cookie cutter stadia of the era, the Cardinals honored their ballpark with this patch on their home uniforms.
The third patch honoring Dodger Stadium (35th season) was worn in 1996, 4 years after the 30th anniversary patch and 6 years prior to the 40th anniversary patch of 2002. This may explain some of the problems of the team management of the era.
Comparing the design of the 75th anniversary of Yankee Stadium patch from 1998, to the one from 25 years earlier highlights the advances as to shape, detail and stitching of patch design. This patch also is the first ballpark uniform patch that had home and road versions. Pictured to the left is the home version, the road version had a gray background, rather than white.
The 1999 patch commemorating a final season at County Stadium that wasn't. Due to a tragic crane accident that killed several ironworkers during the construction of Miller Park, extra time was taken to complete that project, and subsequently gave County Stadium another season of ballgames. The Brewers did not wear a commemorative patch in 2000.
Tiger baseball had been played at the corner of Michigan & Trumbull as long as anyone could remember. The patch that the Tigers wore that final season (1999) paid homage to both the ballpark, and the corner which was home to ball fields prior to Tiger Stadium.
What do you do when you are playing the final year in a publicly owned ballpark, which has sold the naming rights to a corporate entity outside of baseball, but you want to make note of the special year anyway? You do what the Giants did in 1999 by putting the ballpark itself on the patch and "Tell It Goodbye", rather than blowing out the candlestick at 3Com.
One of the most influential stadiums ever built would have to be the Astrodome. For the first time real grass was replaced with synthetic turf, and the rest is, as we say, history. Of course, it wasn't always that way. There was real grass when the ballpark opened. It would not grow once the glass roof panels were painted over to protect players from getting injured by batted balls lost in the glare. The Astros said goodbye in 1999.
In 2000, the Astros opened Enron Field. Facing a similar dilemma as the Giants, the patch for the new ballpark features the silhouette of the retractable roof, without actually naming the sponsor. Given the events that were to come prior to the 2002 season, it seems to have been a blessing to leave the name off the uniform patch.
The Giant also moved into their
new ballpark in 2000. Pacific Bell Ballpark was everything that
Candlestick wasn't. Like the Enron Field patch above, these is
no mention of the ballpark name on the patch. However, unlike
the Astros' solution there is no silhouette of the ballpark either.
Comerica Park opened in 2000, rounding out the trio of ballparks to open it's gates that year. The patch sports the team, the year, and the obligatory lack of specific reference to the ballpark name. The stylized grid work across the top of the patch was The representation of The ballpark.
The Pirates said goodbye to Three Rivers Stadium in 2000. As one of the dreaded cookie cutter stadiums of the 1960's / 1970's, it is unclear as to how golden their time in the ballpark really was.
For the 2002 season, the Dodgers again paid tribute to their ballpark with yet another commemorative uniform patch. While many consider Dodger Stadium the cream of the ballpark crop, it may be time to end the 5 year cycle of patch, though this patch may be the class of their lot.
Following on the lead of the Giants in 1999, the Reds 2002 uniform patch commemorating the final season at Riverfront Stadium / Cinergy Field, displayed the outer rim of ballpark and the downtown skyline without naming (or would it be renaming) the ballpark.
The Reds wore this patch in 2003 for their inaugural season in the Great American Ballpark. As is now standard, ballparks that have their naming rights purchased are not directly mentioned.
The Padres said "Goodbye To The Q" in 2003. No longer the "Murph", Jack Murphy Stadium, (or even the original name of San Diego Stadium), the Pads make a passing reference to Qualcomm.
Veterans Stadium was never renamed, and as such the patch worn on the Phillies uniforms of 2003 clearly make direct reference to the Vet, in addition to an image of the ballpark.
The Mets honored their ballpark with a 40th anniversary patch in 2004. Shea Stadium was the 3rd oldest ballpark in the National League in 2004. The stylized pitcher and batter now seen in neon outside the ballpark were only added to the facade in the early 1990's.
The Indians celebrated their 10th anniversary at Jacobs Field in 2004 by wearing this patch on their uniforms during their 11th season in the ballpark.
The Phillies wore this Citizens Bank Park patch in 2004 for their first season in the new ballpark. The use of the Liberty Bell is similar to how it was portrayed within Veterans Stadium.
The Cardinals wore a farewell patch to Busch Stadium in 2005. In addition to borrowing the redbird on bat motif from their uniforms, there is a rendition of the ballpark. The name of the ballpark appears- Busch Stadium. Whether it is corporate- a beer company, or private- the family with controlling interest in a beer company, we leave to you to decide. Regardless, the patch is one of the better looking ones to grace an MLB uniform.
The patch celebrating the first season for the newest Busch Stadium in 2006, while fine, pales in comparison to the one above for the last season in the original Busch Stadium. Highlighting some of the distinctive features of the new ballpark, the patch doubles the number of Cardinals perched at the ballpark.
The Nationals wore this patch in the latter part of the 2007 season. As RFK was only a temporary facility for the team, there was only a muted celeration of its passing (again) as a baseball facility.
The Nationals opened Nationals Park versus the Braves on a chilly Sunday night in March 2008. As is the practice with naming rights, the patch makes no reference to the ballpark name. Ironically, the naming rights have not been sold as of May, 2008.
The House that Ruth Built (and The House that Lindsey Rebuilt) will succumb to the needs for greater revenue generating luxury boxes, high end restaurants, etc. Whether the facility truly needed to be replaced id debatable. The Yankees will wear this patch for the 2008 season.
Across town, in Flushing, the Mets will say goodbye to Shea Stadium one week after Yankee Stadium hosts its last regular season game. The patch depicts the exterior of the ballpark both as how it originally appeared (on the left) and how it currently looks (on the right).