List of neutral site regular season Major League Baseball games played in the United States and Canada

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Major League Baseball (MLB) has played multiple regular season neutral site games in the United States at stadiums that are not the home ballpark of an MLB team. Such contests have been arranged by MLB for marketing purposes since the late 1990s, with increasing frequency. Listed below are the results of those games. Exhibition contests, such as preseason games or postseason all-star games, are not included. Also not included are games played in alternate or temporary home ballparks, such as by the Toronto Blue Jays during their 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Beginning with the Fort Bragg Game in 2016, MLB uses the term Specialty Games to refer to neutral-site games during the regular season in the U.S. and Canada.[1]

Neutral site games played in the United States[edit]

Season Date Designated Visitor Score Designated Home Team Attendance Stadium City Ref
1902 June 22 Washington Senators 4–6 Cleveland Bronchos Unknown League Park Fort Wayne, Indiana [2][3]
August 31 Boston Americans 3–1 Cleveland Bronchos [2][4]
1997 April 19 St. Louis Cardinals 1–0 San Diego Padres 37,382 Aloha Stadium Honolulu, Hawaii [5]
April 19 St. Louis Cardinals 2–1 San Diego Padres [6]
April 20 St. Louis Cardinals 2–8 San Diego Padres 40,050 [7]
1998 April 15 Anaheim Angels 3–6 New York Yankees 40,743 Shea Stadium New York City [8][9]
2001 April 1 Texas Rangers 1–8 Toronto Blue Jays 19,891 Hiram Bithorn Stadium San Juan, Puerto Rico [10]
2004 September 13 Montreal Expos 3–6 Florida Marlins 4,003 U.S. Cellular Field Chicago, Illinois [11][12]
September 14 Montreal Expos 6-8 Florida Marlins 5,457 [11][13]
2007 April 10 Los Angeles Angels 6–7 Cleveland Indians 19,031 Miller Park Milwaukee, Wisconsin [14][15]
April 11 Los Angeles Angels 4–1 Cleveland Indians 16,375 [14][16]
April 12 Los Angeles Angels 2–4 Cleveland Indians 17,090 [14][17]
May 15 Texas Rangers 3–4 Tampa Bay Devil Rays 8,443 The Ballpark at Disney's
Wide World of Sports
[a]
Lake Buena Vista, Florida [18]
May 16 Texas Rangers 8–11 Tampa Bay Devil Rays 8,839 [19]
May 17 Texas Rangers 6–8 Tampa Bay Devil Rays 9,635 [20]
2008 April 22 Toronto Blue Jays 4–6 Tampa Bay Rays 8,269 Champion Stadium[a] [21]
April 23 Toronto Blue Jays 3–5 Tampa Bay Rays 8,989 [22]
April 24 Toronto Blue Jays 3–5 Tampa Bay Rays 9,540 [23]
September 14 Chicago Cubs 5–0 Houston Astros 23,441 Miller Park Milwaukee, Wisconsin [24][25]
September 15 Chicago Cubs 6–1 Houston Astros 15,158 [24][26]
2010 June 28 New York Mets 3–10 Florida Marlins 18,073 Hiram Bithorn Stadium San Juan, Puerto Rico [27]
June 29 New York Mets 6–7 Florida Marlins 18,373 [28]
June 30 New York Mets 6–5 Florida Marlins 19,232 [29]
2016 July 3 Miami Marlins 5–2 Atlanta Braves 12,582 Fort Bragg Stadium Fort Bragg, North Carolina [30]
2017 August 20 St. Louis Cardinals 3–6 Pittsburgh Pirates 2,596 Bowman Field[b] Williamsport, Pennsylvania [31]
2017 August 29 Texas Rangers 12–2 Houston Astros 3,485 Tropicana Field St. Petersburg, Florida [32]
August 30 Texas Rangers 8–1 Houston Astros 6,123 [33]
August 31 Texas Rangers 1–5 Houston Astros 3,385 [34]
2017 September 11 New York Yankees 5–1 Tampa Bay Rays 15,327 Citi Field New York, New York [35]
September 12 New York Yankees 1–2 Tampa Bay Rays 21,024 [36]
September 13 New York Yankees 3–2 Tampa Bay Rays 13,159 [37]
2018 April 17 Cleveland Indians 6–1 Minnesota Twins 19,516 Hiram Bithorn Stadium San Juan, Puerto Rico [38]
April 18 Cleveland Indians 1–2 Minnesota Twins 19,537 [39]
August 19 New York Mets 8–2 Philadelphia Phillies 2,429 Bowman Field[b] Williamsport, Pennsylvania [40]
2019 June 13 Detroit Tigers 3–7 Kansas City Royals 25,454 TD Ameritrade Park Omaha, Nebraska [41]
August 18 Chicago Cubs 7–1 Pittsburgh Pirates 2,503 Bowman Field[b] Williamsport, Pennsylvania [42]
2021 August 12 New York Yankees 8–9 Chicago White Sox 7,832 Field of Dreams Dyersville, Iowa [43]
August 22 Los Angeles Angels 0–3 Cleveland Indians 1,832 Bowman Field[b] Williamsport, Pennsylvania [44]
2022 August 11 Chicago Cubs 4–2 Cincinnati Reds 7,823 Field of Dreams Dyersville, Iowa [45]
August 21 Boston Red Sox 3–5 Baltimore Orioles 2,467 Bowman Field[b] Williamsport, Pennsylvania [46]
2023 August 20 Philadelphia Phillies 3-4 Washington Nationals 2,473 [47]
2024 June 20 San Francisco Giants St. Louis Cardinals Rickwood Field Birmingham, Alabama [48]
August 18 New York Yankees Detroit Tigers Bowman Field[b] Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Game notes[edit]

  • The Cleveland Bronchos moved two of their 1902 games to Fort Wayne because laws against Sunday games were enforced in Cleveland but not in Fort Wayne. The venue, League Park, was also called Jail Flats after its general location.[2]
  • The 1997 Padres Paradise Series in Honolulu were the first regular-season MLB games played in Hawaii.[49] The April 19 games were a twi-night doubleheader with attendance reported only for the second game.[50][51]
  • The New York Yankees moved one game to Shea Stadium in 1998 because Yankee Stadium was temporarily closed for inspections and repairs after a steel beam fell from its upper deck.[9]
  • The Florida Marlins moved two games with the Montreal Expos in September 2004 to U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago due to Hurricane Ivan.[11][52]
  • The Cleveland Indians moved three of their 2007 games to Milwaukee due to a heavy snowstorm in Cleveland.[14]
  • The Houston Astros moved two of their 2008 games to Milwaukee due to the effects of Hurricane Ike.[24] Game 1 featured the first neutral-site no-hitter thrown by Chicago Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano.[53]
  • The 2016 Fort Bragg game was the first MLB game played on an active military base and the first MLB game played in the state of North Carolina.[54] Only veterans, active military personnel, and family were allowed to be spectators at the game.[55]
  • Due to Hurricane Harvey, the 2017 Houston Astros moved their August 29–31 series with the Texas Rangers to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.[52][56]
  • Due to Hurricane Irma, the 2017 Tampa Bay Rays moved their September 11–13 series with the New York Yankees from Tropicana Field to Citi Field in New York City.[52][57][58]
  • The 2019 MLB in Omaha game was the first MLB game played in the state of Nebraska.[59]
  • The 2021 MLB at Field of Dreams Game was the first MLB game played in the state of Iowa. A random drawing for the opportunity to purchase tickets for the game directly from MLB was restricted to residents of Iowa.[60]
  • The 2024 Giants–Cardinals game will be the first MLB game played in the state of Alabama.[61] Willie Mays played in the Negro Leagues at Rickwood Field from 1948 to 1950. The game is a replacement for the Field of Dreams game due to construction at the site in Iowa.[48]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b The Ballpark at Disney's Wide World of Sports and Champion Stadium are different names, for sponsorship reasons, of the same stadium.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Sponsorship of Bowman Field changed in 2021. For consistency in the results table, the non-commercial name of the venue is used.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Waldstein, David (June 20, 2023). "Going Back in Time, M.L.B. Will Play a Game at Rickwood Field". The New York Times. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Griggs, Bill; Nitz, Jim. "League Park (Fort Wayne)". SABR.org. Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  3. ^ "Washington Senators at Cleveland Bronchos Box Score, June 22, 1902". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  4. ^ "Boston Americans at Cleveland Bronchos Box Score, August 31, 1902". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  5. ^ "St. Louis Cardinals at San Diego Padres Box Score, April 19, 1997". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  6. ^ "St. Louis Cardinals at San Diego Padres Box Score, April 19, 1997". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  7. ^ "St. Louis Cardinals at San Diego Padres Box Score, April 20, 1997". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  8. ^ "New York Yankees 6, Anaheim Angels 3". Retrosheet. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  9. ^ a b Mathews, Joe (April 16, 1998). "Even glamorous New York faces problems of age; Yankee Stadium's falling beam merely the latest breakdown". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on June 21, 2021. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  10. ^ "Toronto Blue Jays 8, Texas Rangers 1". Retrosheet. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  11. ^ a b c "Marlins to play Expos in Chicago". ESPN. Associated Press. September 9, 2004. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  12. ^ "Florida Marlins 6, Montreal Expos 3". Retrosheet. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  13. ^ "Florida Marlins 8, Montreal Expos 6". Retrosheet. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  14. ^ a b c d "Indians to host Angels in Milwaukee". ESPN. Associated Press. April 9, 2007. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  15. ^ "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim vs Cleveland Indians Box Score: April 10, 2007". Baseball-Reference.com.
  16. ^ "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim vs Cleveland Indians Box Score: April 11, 2007". Baseball-Reference.com.
  17. ^ "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim vs Cleveland Indians Box Score: April 12, 2007". Baseball-Reference.com.
  18. ^ "Texas Rangers at Tampa Bay Devil Rays Box Score, May 15, 2007". Baseball-Reference.com.
  19. ^ "Texas Rangers at Tampa Bay Devil Rays Box Score, May 16, 2007". Baseball-Reference.com.
  20. ^ "Texas Rangers at Tampa Bay Devil Rays Box Score, May 17, 2007". Baseball-Reference.com.
  21. ^ "Toronto Blue Jays at Tampa Bay Rays Box Score, April 22, 2008". Baseball-Reference.com.
  22. ^ "Toronto Blue Jays at Tampa Bay Rays Box Score, April 23, 2008". Baseball-Reference.com.
  23. ^ "Toronto Blue Jays at Tampa Bay Rays Box Score, April 24, 2008". Baseball-Reference.com.
  24. ^ a b c Levine, Bruce (October 21, 2020). "Cubs Classics: Carlos Zambrano's no-hitter in Milwaukee". Marquee Sports Network.
  25. ^ "Chicago Cubs at Houston Astros Box Score, September 14, 2008". Baseball-Reference.com.
  26. ^ "Chicago Cubs at Houston Astros Box Score, September 15, 2008". Baseball-Reference.com.
  27. ^ "Florida Marlins 10, New York Mets 3". Retrosheet. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  28. ^ "Florida Marlins 7, New York Mets 6". Retrosheet. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  29. ^ "New York Mets 6, Florida Marlins 5". Retrosheet. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  30. ^ "Miami Marlins at Atlanta Braves Box Score, July 3, 2016". Baseball-Reference.com.
  31. ^ "St. Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates Box Score, August 20, 2017". Baseball-Reference.com.
  32. ^ "Texas Rangers vs Houston Astros Box Score: August 29, 2017". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  33. ^ "Texas Rangers vs Houston Astros Box Score: August 30, 2017". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  34. ^ "Texas Rangers vs Houston Astros Box Score: August 31, 2017". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  35. ^ "New York Yankees vs Tampa Bay Rays Box Score: September 11, 2017". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  36. ^ "New York Yankees vs Tampa Bay Rays Box Score: September 12, 2017". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  37. ^ "New York Yankees vs Tampa Bay Rays Box Score: September 13, 2017". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  38. ^ "Cleveland Indians 6, Minnesota Twins 1". Retrosheet. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  39. ^ "Minnesota Twins 2, Cleveland Indians 1". Retrosheet. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  40. ^ "New York Mets at Philadelphia Phillies Box Score, August 19, 2018". Baseball-Reference.com.
  41. ^ "Detroit Tigers at Kansas City Royals Box Score, June 13, 2019". Baseball-Reference.com.
  42. ^ "Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates Box Score, August 18, 2019". Baseball-Reference.com.
  43. ^ "Chicago White Sox vs. New York Yankees, at Field of Dreams, August 12, 2021 Matchups, Preview". Baseball-Reference.com.
  44. ^ "Cleveland Indians vs. Los Angeles Angels, at , August 22, 2021 Matchups, Preview". Baseball-Reference.com.
  45. ^ Wittenmyer, Gordon (August 16, 2021). "Field of Dreams 2: Cubs-Reds featured in planned Iowa sequel". NBC Sports Chicago. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  46. ^ @ChrisCotillo (August 22, 2021). "Red Sox will play the Orioles in the 2022 Little League Classic, MLB announces. Set for Aug. 21, 2022 in Williamsport, PA" (Tweet). Retrieved August 22, 2021 – via Twitter.
  47. ^ Zolecki, Todd (August 21, 2022). "Phillies Nationals to play in 2023 Little League Classic". MLB.com. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  48. ^ a b Axisa, Mike (June 20, 2023). "Giants and Cardinals to play 2024 game at Alabama's Rickwood Field, MLB will include Willie Mays tribute". CBS Sports. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  49. ^ "Padres to play Cardinals in Hawaii". Associated Press. February 25, 1997. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
  50. ^ "St. Louis Cardinals at San Diego Padres Box Score, April 19, 1997 (Game 1)". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
  51. ^ "St. Louis Cardinals at San Diego Padres Box Score, April 19, 1997 (Game 2)". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
  52. ^ a b c "Rays series vs. Yankees moved from Tropicana Field to Mets' Citi Field". FOX Sports. September 8, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  53. ^ Jenkins, Chris (September 15, 2008). "Zambrano throws no-hitter as Cubs beat Astros 5-0". Yahoo! Sports. Associated Press. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  54. ^ Carter, Andrew (July 3, 2016). "Fort Bragg celebrates history in first Major League Baseball game in North Carolina". The News & Observer. Archived from the original on July 5, 2016. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
  55. ^ Jaffe, Jay (July 3, 2016). "Marlins top Braves on historic night at Fort Bragg". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
  56. ^ "TEX-HOU moved to Rays' park; millions donated". MLB. August 29, 2017. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
  57. ^ "Yanks-Rays series off to Citi Field due to Irma". September 8, 2017. Archived from the original on September 9, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  58. ^ Spain, Kevin. "How Hurricane Irma is affecting sports this weekend". USA Today. Archived from the original on January 25, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  59. ^ McCosky, Chris (June 20, 2018). "Tigers, Royals to play in Omaha before 2019 CWS". The Detroit News. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
  60. ^ Castrovince, Anthony (August 10, 2021). "Field of Dreams FAQ: All you need to know". MLB.com. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  61. ^ Andres, Patrick (June 20, 2023). "MLB to Honor Willie Mays With Special 2024 Juneteenth Game at Historic Ballpark". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 21, 2023.