Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium

File:The score board.JPG

The Far Eastern Championship Games (also known as Far East Games) was a small Asian multi-sport competition considered to be a precursor to the Asian Games. In 1912, E.S. Brown, president of the Philippine Athletic Association and Manila Carnival Games, proposed the creation of the "Far Eastern Olympic Games" to China and Japan. It was at that time that Governor-General William Cameron Forbes was the president of the Philippine Amateur Athletic Association from 1911-1913. Governor-General Forbes formed the Far Eastern Olympic Association.{{cite web|title=Far Eastern Championship Games|url=http://ocasia.org/game/GamesL1.aspx?9QoyD9QEWPfemU/arvY96w==|publisher=Olympic Council of Asia|accessdate=3 May 2014}}

File:Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium 5.JPG

The first Far Eastern Championship Games was held in the Manila Carnival Grounds in Malate, Manila, Philippines on February 4, 1913. Forbes was also the one who formally declared the games open. Six countries participated in the eight-day event: The Philippine Islands, Republic of China, Empire of Japan, British East Indies (Malaysia), Kingdom of Thailand and British crown colony Hong Kong. The Philippines also hosted the games in 1925 and 1934.

The Manila Carnival Grounds was redeveloped into the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in 1934, named in honor of the country's national hero, Jose Rizal, before the 10th Far Eastern Games. Baseball was a main event in every Far Eastern Games and in that year, the games were played at the new Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium. Legendary American New York Yankees players Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth hit the first and second home runs, respectively on December 2, 1934. The game that saw the participation of an all-star team, which included Gehrig, Ruth and Philadelphia Athletics MVP Jimmie Foxx, was one of the highlights of the stadium’s history. The record is etched on the walls of the baseball stadium.

File:Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium WWII.jpg

In February 1945, the Japanese forces built a defensive stronghold in their retreat against the advancing American infantry. The stronghold was built in the Harrison Park area, which included De La Salle College and the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium. The 1st Cavalry Division of the Americans defeated the Japanese by utilizing three tanks, demolitions, and flamethrowers.{{cite web |url=http://corregidor.org/bom/drtmhuber_b.html |title=The Battle of Manila |author=Dr. Thomas M. Huber |website=The Battle of Manila Scrapbook |accessdate=3 May 2014}} The Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium suffered devastation due to the war.

By April 1945, garrisoned American & Filipino soldiers under the United States Army, Philippine Commonwealth Army & Philippine Constabulary were playing baseball before thousands of spectators at the ruins of the stadium after the liberation.{{cite news|title=Baseball Returns to the Philippines|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=M_srAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ILoEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4101%2C3734992|accessdate=22 January 2016|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=Times Daily|date=16 April 1945}} The stadium was repaired with the floodlights of the then newly renovated stadium first opened by January 1946.{{cite news|title=Night Baseball in the Philippines|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xmEKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=EksDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2321%2C4764460|accessdate=22 January 2016|newspaper=Ellensburg Daily Record|date=26 December 1945}}

The stadium was the venue of the 1954 Asian Baseball Championship. The year 1954 is considered as the beginning of the golden era in Philippine baseball history as the Philippines won first place in the Asian Baseball Championships. The Philippines was the inaugural champions of the Asian Baseball Championships in 1954 but finished fourth in seven of the next eight editions of the biennial events. {{cite web |url=http://www.mister-baseball.com/philippines-preparing-baseball-renaissance/ |title=Philippines Preparing for Baseball Renaissance |author=Gabriel Fidler |website=Baseball Stitch Ring |accessdate=3 May 2014}}

The Rizal Memorial Stadium is considered to be an Art Deco architectural design that incorporated streamlines and simpler lines, flat surfaces and rounded edges. The design represented stability and modernity.{{cite web |url=http://www.ncca.gov.ph/about-culture-and-arts/articles-on-c-n-a/article.php?i=89 |title=National Commission for Culture and the Arts |website=NCCA |accessdate=3 May 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140503185316/http://www.ncca.gov.ph/about-culture-and-arts/articles-on-c-n-a/article.php?i=89 |archivedate=3 May 2014 }}

The complex, built under the supervision of architect Juan Arellano, started construction in 1927.{{cite web|url=https://ph.news.yahoo.com/rizal-memorial-declared-historical-landmark-000500871.html==|title=Rizal Memorial Declared Historical Landmark|author=Manila Bulletin|website=Yahoo News Philippines|accessdate=4 May 2014}}

Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium (Malate, Manila; 11-23-2019).jpg|The stadium's facade featuring Art Deco lettering

Rizal Memorial Sports Complex Baseball Stadium Pit Bull.jpg|Stadium's bullpen

RMSjf9924 04.JPG|Grandstand of the stadium

• Rizal Memorial Sports Complex
• Rizal Memorial Stadium
• Rizal Memorial Coliseum

{{Commons Category}}

• [http://www.titansbaseballclub.org/Features9.htm Revisiting an Aging Mecca]
• [http://pinoybasebol.wordpress.com/rizal-memorial-baseball-stadium/ Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium]

{{Sports venues in the Greater Manila Area}}

{{coord|14|33|42|N|120|59|34|E|type:landmark|display=title}}

Category:Sports venues in Manila

Category:Baseball venues in the Philippines

Category:Art Deco architecture in the Philippines

Category:Buildings and structures in Malate, Manila

Category:Juan M. Arellano buildings

Category:Sports venues completed in 1934

Category:1934 establishments in the Philippines