Former Home of the College World Series

Walking up to Rosenblatt for a doubleheader, Aug-1998.

The seating bowl is partially covered by an oversized press box.

The expanse of the ballpark for the College World Series is clearly visible.

Chronological Tour: Stop 142

• Location: 13th Street at I-80, Omaha, Neb. (map it using Google Maps)
• Opened: 1948 as Omaha Municipal Stadium
• Additional names: Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium (1964)
• Demolished: 2012
• Home team: Omaha Cardinals, Western League (1948-54), American Association (1955-59); Omaha Dodgers, American Association (1961-62); Omaha Royals, American Association (1969-97), Pacific Coast League (1998, 2002-10); Omaha Golden Spikes, Pacific Coast League (1999-2001)
• Capacity: 24,000 (1999)

Rating: 3 baseballs

This is a shame, since the capacity certainly wasn’t needed during the 72 dates Omaha’s entry in the minor leagues (known in most seasons as the Royals, after the parent club in Kansas City) was in town. Even a decent crowd, approaching ten thousand, left the park looking half empty – because it was.

I was there for a doubleheader in 1998, and there was plenty of room to move around what turned out to be a fairly functional 50-year-old facility. A Triple-A game was always a good alternative if you couldn’t get a ticket to the College World Series.

Both the College World Series and the O-Royals left the ballpark after the 2010 season. A new park for the CWS opened in 2011, with the NCAA agreeing to play their Division I baseball championship there through at least 2035, while the Pacific Coast League team relocated to a new park in Papillion, south of Omaha in Sarpy County. The stadium structure at Rosenblatt was demolished in the summer of 2012 to allow for expansion at the adjacent Henry Doorly Zoo.

NOTE: I have no information on availability of College World Series tickets. Please contact the NCAA.