| Jack Russell Memorial Stadium was the spring home of the Philadelphia Phillies from the time it opened in 1955 until 2004 when the brand new Spectrum Field opened just a couple miles down the road. It also was home to a Florida State League team from the mid 1980's until 2003. While this park was suitable just a decade ago, now all MLB teams demand top notch facilities for their spring training, thus the decision was made to abandon Jack Russell. The stadium was tucked away in a residential neighborhood, so I'm sure location was also a factor in the decision to move to a new park. After some indecision by the city with what to do with the ballpark, they decided in early 2007 to tear it down. When I visited in May of '07, the dismantling had already started and was completed later that summer. The bleacher sections down each line were kept up, but the main grandstand was knocked down. Fortunately, the park remains in use for amateur baseball.
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