Aerial view from Six Flags Over Texas right across the street.
It was Nolan Ryan week…the final week of games at Arlington Stadium. The new Ballpark at Arlington would open in Spring 1994.
I was in Dallas for the NAB convention. Another ballpark trip I didn’t have to pay for. The week before I got a phone call at work from old radio friend Dave Dillon, PD of KODA/Houston, inviting me to a Texas Rangers–California Angels game with other radio friends Dean James, PD of KSCS/Dallas and BJ Shea, who does a talk show in Seattle. We sat in the second deck behind home plate. The ballpark was a converted old minor league park and the seats were mostly bleacher-style benches with the vast majority of them in the outfield. Peanut shells would drop down below like at a high school football game.
It was a big night at the old ballpark, though. An unusually large crowd of 60,000 because it was the final start for Nolan Ryan at Arlington Stadium. Ryan addressed the crowd before the game and naturally drew a huge applause. The Angels won, 2-1. Ryan had a no-decision and Craig Lefferts took the loss. Chuck Finley won his 15th for California. Tory Lovullo, future Red Sox bench coach and interim manager, now manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks, played 2b for the Angels and scored the winning run.
I don’t know the price of this ticket because I didn’t have to pay for it. Hang on-I just spotted the price between the row and seat numbers. Odd place to put it. The ticket was $9.
