About Veterans Stadium
Veterans Stadium, affectionately (and sometimes derisively) known as "The Vet," was a multipurpose circular stadium that embodied the cookie-cutter era of American sports architecture. Despite its generic exterior, the Vet became famous for the passionate, sometimes unruly energy of Philadelphia fans.
The Phillies' greatest moment at the Vet came in 1980 when they won their first-ever World Series championship, with Tug McGraw striking out Willie Wilson to clinch the title. The celebration that followed was one of the most emotional in Philadelphia sports history.
The Vet was also infamous for its terrible AstroTurf playing surface, which players despised, and for its holding cell and courtroom beneath the stands — the only stadium in professional sports to have its own jail for unruly fans. The stadium was imploded on March 21, 2004.
Fun facts
- The Vet had a holding cell and courtroom for unruly fans — the only stadium with its own jail.
- The AstroTurf was so bad that players called it "the carpet of death."
- A cat fell from the upper deck during a game and survived, caught by a fan below.
- Phillies fans once booed Santa Claus here — a legend that followed Philadelphia forever.
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