MacArthur Stadium

MacArthur Stadium was the home of the Syracuse Stars, later named the Syracuse Chiefs, in the International League from 1934 to 1996 (except for 1956 to 1960, when the franchise was inactive in the IL). It was originally known as Star Park and was later renamed in honor of General Douglas MacArthur. The stadium was a fixture on the north side of Syracuse, NY, for more than 60 years. A fire damaged the ballpark in 1969, forcing the Chiefs to relocate home games for the remainder of that season to Oneonta and other nearby cities.

A distinguishing feature of "Big Mac," as the stadium was affectionately known by locals, was its distant center field fence, officially listed at 434 feet from home plate. The wall was originally known as the Green Monster, a la the famous left field wall at Fenway Park, but in the late 1970s, when the Chiefs became a Toronto Blue Jays affiliate, the wall was painted blue. Richie Zisk, while playing for the Charleston Charlies, became the first player to homer over the fence, with Danny Walton becoming the first Chief to clear it.

By the 1990s, a push began to replace MacArthur, primarily motivated by newly installed standards concerning the quality of minor-league ballparks -- a policy that prompted a wave of upgrades and replacements to many aging parks like MacArthur. While a downtown location was considered, team and local officials decided to build a new ballpark directly next to Big Mac. After originally being scheduled to open in 1996, P&C Stadium opened in 1997, after which MacArthur was demolished.