Cleveland Municipal Stadium
Cleveland, Ohio
Groundbreaking: January 1992
1st American League Game: April 4, 1994 (Cle vs. Sea)
Surface: Natural Grass
Nickname: the Jake
Architect: HOK Sport
Construction: Gateway Economic Development Corporation
Cost: $175 million (Gateway project total: $362 million)
Public financing: $84 million from a 15-year "sin" tax on cigarettes and alcohol in Cuyahoga County
Private financing: $91 million from the Indians ownership.
Owner: Cuyahoga County
Seating capacity: 43,405
Playing Field Dimensions:
LF foul line: 325 ft
LF alley: 370 ft
Center field: 405 ft
RF alley: 375 ft
RF foul line: 325 ft
Outfield Fences:
Left field: 19 feet
Center and right: 8 feet.
Hosted World Series: 1995, 1997
Hosted All-Star Game: 1997
In 1985 Richard and David Jacobs bought the Cleveland Indians in the hopes of reversing the fortunes of the strugling franchise. Since 1947, the Indians played exclusively in mammoth Cleveland Municipal Stadium - a huge arena much better suited for the Browns of the NFL. At this time the Tribe were averaging less than 10,000 fans in the 74,000 seat Stadium. The Jacobs knew for the Indians to thrive they must get their own ballpark. After several years of lobbying in 1990 voters approved a new "sin" tax to build a $362 million sports complex in the downtown area which also included parking garages, landscaped urban plazas and a basketball/hockey arena. Construction began in early 1992 and on April 4, 1994, 43,863 fans filled the new ballpark to watch the Indians battle the Seattle Mariners.
Jacobs Field is an urban ballpark in the truest sense, both architecturally and aesthetically. Built within the physical boundaries of three main streets in downtown Cleveland (Ontario to the west, Carnegie to the south, and E. 9th Street to the east), Jacobs Field offers a fan-friendly facility featuring an intimate environment. A truly unique feature at Jacobs Field is the angled seating sections. Located just beyond the dugouts in both the lower and upper decks, the seats are angled 8 to 12 degrees, offering fans who sit in these sections a view of the middle of the diamond minus the crick in the neck. Wonderful views of the downtown skyline can be enjoyed from many seats as well.
At the end of the 2003 season, Jacobs Field totally dissmantled their scoreboards in left field to install the world's largest baseball video screen, measuring approximately 36 feet high by 149 feet wide. Below the scoreboard, a new out-of-town scoreboard replaced the existing one fit into the left-field fence. Unlike the old board, this one features a full-color LED display, which along with Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park were firsts for a Major League facility. Cleveland's version measures 172 feet wide and nine feet high.
The Good: It's not cavernous football stadium.
The Bad: After record-breaking attendance in the late 90's, crowds dipped considerably in 2003 - In fact nearly 5,000 less per game than in their last year in Cleveland Stadium... What's up with THAT?
The Ugly: 3 stories of private suites give parts of the Jake a distinctly "corporate" feel.
Cleveland Indians
2401 Ontario Street
Cleveland, OH 44115
(216) 420-4200
TV: FSN
In-park dining choices: The Market Pavilion - featuring "exhibition style" cooking. The Miller Lite Patio.
Signature concession items include standard fare along with sushi, bratwursts, pierogies, pastries, fresh cut fries, fajitas and The Cuban Panini sandwich.
Cleveland Dining Guide - Best Bets
Directions & Parking
Ballpark Tour & Vacation Packages
Field Box $46
Infield Lower Box $32
Lower Box $30
View Box $26
Lower Reserved $22
Upper Box $18
Mezzanine Seating $16
Bleachers $14
Upper Reserved $10
Upper Outfield Reserved $7
Seating Chart
Purchase Tickets
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NOTES, FACTS AND FEATURES
The ballpark set a major league record between 1995 and early 2001 by selling out 455 straight games. Demand for tickets was so great that they once sold out all 81 home games before opening day.
The seats down both lines are angled towards home plate so that fans don’t need to turn their heads to watch the game.
As in Baltimore, the bullpens are raised above the playing field so that fans can see who is warming up.
A picnic area is located behind the outfield fence.
The name of the park was sold to Indians owner Richard E. Jacobs.
Original plan was for a downtown domed stadium, but local voters rejected an increase in property taxes to fund the proposal.
Base of exterior facade consists of Atlantic green granite; remainder is Kasota stone, limestone, and buff-colored brick.
The $362-million project ($169 million for Jacobs Field) was intended to revitalize downtown Cleveland.
The building measures approximately 120 feet from main concourse to the top of the sunscreen. 19 vertical light towers stand 200 feet above street level, 218 feet above the playing field.
Home plate from Cleveland Stadium was transplanted at end of 1993 season.
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Click on titles for more info
Cleveland Stadium: The Last Chapter
by Jim Toman, Gregory G. Deegan, James A. Toman
Indians Memories
by Tim Long, Don Fox, Tim Browns
Indians Illustrated
by Mark Stang
Take Me Out to the Ballpark: An Illustrated Guide to Baseball Parks Past & Present
by Josh Leventhal, Jessica M. Macmurray
The Ultimate Baseball Road-Trip
by Joshua Pahigian, Kevin O'Connell
Fodor's Baseball Vacations: Great Family Trips to Minor League and Classic Major League Ballparks Across America
by Bruce Adams
America's Ballparks
by Kenneth Hogan
Ballparks of North America: A Comprehensive Historical Reference to Baseball Grounds, Yards and Stadiums, 1845 to Present
by Michael Benson
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