Buffalo Stadium - Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous

It was the home of the Negro American League Houston Eagles from 1949 to 1950. Many future Cardinals such as Dizzy and Daffy Dean, Enos Slaughter, Pepper Martin, "Ducky" Medwick, and Tex Carleton and many others played for the Houston Buffs. Two large black buffaloes stood on both sides of the left-center field scoreboard facing each other. Originally, outfield distances were 344 feet (105 m) to left field, 430 feet (130 m) to center field, and 344 feet (105 m) to right field and capacity accommodated 12,000. In 1938, outfield dimensions were slightly modified to 345 feet (105 m) to left, 440 feet (130 m) to center, and 325 feet (99 m) to right while capacity increased to 14,000. The heights of outfield fences varied: left and right field fences were 12 feet (3.7 m) high, left-center scoreboard was 24 feet (7.3 m) high, and the center field fence was 18 feet (5.5 m) high.

According to sports lore, it was after a rainout at Buffalo Stadium that Roy Hofheinz got the idea for a domed stadium, after his daughter Dene wondered aloud why they couldn't play baseball indoors. That idea would become the Astrodome.

Before Buff Stadium, baseball teams in Houston played at West End Park from 1907 until 1927; Buff Stadium was built on the East End of Houston. West End Park was located at the southeast corner of Andrews and Heiner Streets, on the southwest edge of present-day downtown. Home plate's specific location is commemorated by a plaque in the Houston Sports Hall of Fame, which makes up part of the Fingers Furniture Store.