Chattanooga's Historic Engel Stadium Set to be Razed

Engel Stadium, courtesy of Google images.

One of the country’s oldest baseball cathedrals could soon be history.

The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga announced plans to raze Historic Engel Stadium in favor of a women’s athletic complex to be built on its site. The university plans to redevelop the complex for soccer, softball, and beach volleyball. There is no timeline, but work could start next summer.

Opened in 1930, Engel Stadium was long-time home to the Chattanooga Lookouts until their move to AT&T Field in 2000. Though once a top stadium in the south, it has deteriorated and has been used sparingly, notably for the film “42” in 2013 and for the Southern League Home Run Derby the next year. Future NL MVP and World Series champion Kris Bryant won the contest.

​The stadium was built for around $200,000 and named after the team president, Joe Engel, who came to town the year before to operate the Lookouts.  Engel, the tireless promoter, left his mark in the city, staging an elephant hunt, jackrabbit races, and hiring a female to pitch against Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in an exhibition game, and trading his shortstop for a 25-pound turkey.

Joe Engel playfully forces manager Ki Ki Cuyer to sign his contract at the final game of the season in 1939.

It was a modern steel and concrete “plant” that was a major upgrade over the team's former home, Andrews Field. Engel Stadium featured underground passages from the dugouts to the dressing rooms, clubrooms, executive offices, and every seat offering a clear view of the diamond.

A crowd of more than 16,000 packed the ballpark for the first game, with fans spilling onto the foul lines and even into the outfield to find a place to sit. That was nothing compared to the 24,639 who witnessed a night game against the Memphis Chicks, where a lucky fan could win a house. The old stadium annually attracted large crowds compared to the big cities of Atlanta, Nashville, and Memphis.

​An overflowing crowd stretches onto the field on May 2, 1936, for a win-a-house promo.

The old ballpark was also known for its massive outfield dimensions, especially the corner of straightaway centerfield that was 471 feet from home plate. Harmon Killebrew socked a homerun over the centerfield wall during his stint with the club in 1957. He was the only player to achieve the feat.

Another unique feature was the left-field wall. Because Third Street gradually rose along that side of the park, a “terrace” or hill was built to bridge the grade difference between the field and the street. The word LOOKOUTS was spelled out in large block letters across the slope.

An aerial view of Engel Stadium, notice the condition of the roof and seating, courtesy of Google Images.

Ironically, the Lookouts are moving to a new venue named Erlanger Park, located on the southside of town, next year. It will be built on the old US Pipe and Foundry site and incorporate pre-existing buildings in its design. AT&T Field will be redevelopment into a mixed-use neighborhood.

Sadly, the stadium stands in squalid conditions. The roof is splintered, paint is peeling, weeds are covering the grandstand, there are gaps in the fence posts, and brown grass in the outfield. The Engel Foundation was formed in 2009 to preserve the ballpark, and a lease agreement was made with UTC in 2012 that saw $225,000 raised to repair the ballpark. However, the agreement ended in 2014.

If an old ballpark ever needs a late-inning rally, it would be Engle Stadium.

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Follow all of Marc’s stadium journeys on Twitter @ballparkhunter and his YouTube channel. Email at Marc.Viquez@stadiumjourney.com