| League Park Cleveland, Ohio |
Tenants: Cleveland Spiders (NL 1891-99); Cleveland Indians (AL 1901-46); Cleveland
Buckeyes (NAL 1943-48); Cleveland Rams (NFL 1937, 1942, 1944-45)
Groundbreaking: 1891
1st National League Game: May 1, 1891
Last American League Game: September 21, 1946
Demolished: 1951
Surface: Natural Grass
Architect: Osborn Engineering
Seating capacity: 9,000 (1891); 21,414 (1910)
Owner: Cleveland Indians
Playing Field Dimensions:
LF foul line: 385 ft (1910); 375 ft (1942)
Left Field alley: 400 ft
Center Field: 420 ft
Right Field alley: 340 ft
RF foul line: 290 ft
Outfield Wall height:
LF: 5 ft
CF: 20 ft - 35 ft
RF: 45 ft
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Buckeyes (NAL 1943-48); Cleveland Rams (NFL 1937, 1942, 1944-45)
Groundbreaking: 1891
1st National League Game: May 1, 1891
Last American League Game: September 21, 1946
Demolished: 1951
Surface: Natural Grass
Architect: Osborn Engineering
Seating capacity: 9,000 (1891); 21,414 (1910)
Owner: Cleveland Indians
Playing Field Dimensions:
LF foul line: 385 ft (1910); 375 ft (1942)
Left Field alley: 400 ft
Center Field: 420 ft
Right Field alley: 340 ft
RF foul line: 290 ft
Outfield Wall height:
LF: 5 ft
CF: 20 ft - 35 ft
RF: 45 ft
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Professional baseball in Cleveland began June 2, 1869 when the Cleveland Forest Citys met the Cincinnati Red Stockings. Cleveland was represented
in baseball's first pro league, the National Association of 1871. That club disbanded in 1872. Cleveland's return to pro baseball came in 1879 in the
National League (established in 1876).
After six seasons, Cleveland dropped from the N.L. before the 1885 campaign. In November of 1886, a Cleveland team was admitted to the major
league American Association, replacing Pittsburgh's team that moved to the N.L.Following two seasons in the A.A., Cleveland returned to the N.L. in
1889.
In 1890, Cleveland had two big league teams, one in the N.L. and one in the new Players' League. The P.L. folded after the 1890 season, which also
marked the end of the A.A. and left the N.L. as a major league baseball monopoly.
Cleveland enjoyed ultimate success and failure in the N.L. from 1891 through 1899. Led by Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, the Cleveland Spiders
began play at a new ballpark, League Park, located at the corner of East 66th Street and Lexington Avenue, on May 1, 1891.
League Park sat 9,000 on wooden seats at the time. The Spiders of the National League played there until going out of business after a disastrous 20–
134 season in 1899, due to having their best players stripped from their roster by an unscrupulous owner, Frank DeHaas Robison. They were replaced
the very next year by an entry in the brand new American League.
The wooden stadium was rebuilt for the 1910 season, with concrete and steel grandstands, now seating 21,414. The Indian's owner, "Sunny" Jim
Dunn, renamed the park after himself, so the new stadium was called Dunn Field. After ownership changed hands from the Dunn estate to a
syndicate led by John Sherwin and Alva Bradley in 1927, the name reverted to League Park.
The Indians began playing night, holiday and weekend games at the far larger Cleveland Stadium in 1932, although in some years following they
played exclusively at League Park. They split games between the two stadiums off and on until the end of the 1946 season. Lights were never
installed at League Park, and thus night games were not regularly played there. However, at least one night game was played on July 27th, 1931,
between the Homestead Grays and the House of David -- who borrowed the portable lighting system used by the Kansas City Monarchs. For 1947,
under the ownership of Bill Veeck, the Indians moved to Cleveland Stadium full-time. League Park became the last stadium used in Major League
Baseball never to install permanent lights.
in baseball's first pro league, the National Association of 1871. That club disbanded in 1872. Cleveland's return to pro baseball came in 1879 in the
National League (established in 1876).
After six seasons, Cleveland dropped from the N.L. before the 1885 campaign. In November of 1886, a Cleveland team was admitted to the major
league American Association, replacing Pittsburgh's team that moved to the N.L.Following two seasons in the A.A., Cleveland returned to the N.L. in
1889.
In 1890, Cleveland had two big league teams, one in the N.L. and one in the new Players' League. The P.L. folded after the 1890 season, which also
marked the end of the A.A. and left the N.L. as a major league baseball monopoly.
Cleveland enjoyed ultimate success and failure in the N.L. from 1891 through 1899. Led by Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, the Cleveland Spiders
began play at a new ballpark, League Park, located at the corner of East 66th Street and Lexington Avenue, on May 1, 1891.
League Park sat 9,000 on wooden seats at the time. The Spiders of the National League played there until going out of business after a disastrous 20–
134 season in 1899, due to having their best players stripped from their roster by an unscrupulous owner, Frank DeHaas Robison. They were replaced
the very next year by an entry in the brand new American League.
The wooden stadium was rebuilt for the 1910 season, with concrete and steel grandstands, now seating 21,414. The Indian's owner, "Sunny" Jim
Dunn, renamed the park after himself, so the new stadium was called Dunn Field. After ownership changed hands from the Dunn estate to a
syndicate led by John Sherwin and Alva Bradley in 1927, the name reverted to League Park.
The Indians began playing night, holiday and weekend games at the far larger Cleveland Stadium in 1932, although in some years following they
played exclusively at League Park. They split games between the two stadiums off and on until the end of the 1946 season. Lights were never
installed at League Park, and thus night games were not regularly played there. However, at least one night game was played on July 27th, 1931,
between the Homestead Grays and the House of David -- who borrowed the portable lighting system used by the Kansas City Monarchs. For 1947,
under the ownership of Bill Veeck, the Indians moved to Cleveland Stadium full-time. League Park became the last stadium used in Major League
Baseball never to install permanent lights.
Because of a need to squeeze the ballfield into the
Cleveland street grid, the stadium was rather oddly shaped
by modern standards. It was only 290 feet down the right
field line—though batters still had to surmount a 60-foot (18
m) fence to hit a home run (by comparison, the Green
Monster at Fenway Park is only 37 feet high). The fence in
left field was only five feet tall, but batters had to hit the
ball 375 feet down the line to hit a home run, and it was
fully 460 feet to the scoreboard in the deepest part of
center field. The diamond, situated in the northwest
corner of the block, was slightly tilted counterclockwise,
making right field not quite as easy a target as Baker Bowl's
right field, for example.
After the demise of the Negro American League Cleveland
Buckeyes following the 1950 season, League Park was no
longer in use as a regular sports venue. Most of the
structure was demolished the next year. The Cleveland
Browns football team would continue to use the aging
facility as a practice field until the late 1960s.
Cleveland street grid, the stadium was rather oddly shaped
by modern standards. It was only 290 feet down the right
field line—though batters still had to surmount a 60-foot (18
m) fence to hit a home run (by comparison, the Green
Monster at Fenway Park is only 37 feet high). The fence in
left field was only five feet tall, but batters had to hit the
ball 375 feet down the line to hit a home run, and it was
fully 460 feet to the scoreboard in the deepest part of
center field. The diamond, situated in the northwest
corner of the block, was slightly tilted counterclockwise,
making right field not quite as easy a target as Baker Bowl's
right field, for example.
After the demise of the Negro American League Cleveland
Buckeyes following the 1950 season, League Park was no
longer in use as a regular sports venue. Most of the
structure was demolished the next year. The Cleveland
Browns football team would continue to use the aging
facility as a practice field until the late 1960s.
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League Park today
Today the site is a public park. A small section of the exterior brick facade (along the first-base side) still stands, as well as the old ticket office
behind what was the right field corner. The last remnant of the grandstand, crumbling and presumably unsafe, was taken down ca. 2002 as part
of a renovation process to the decaying playground.
The park is currently slated for a massive renovation/rebuild that will restore it to its original state.
A vintage baseball club, the Cleveland Blues was suppose to begin play at League Park in 2009 but has been stopped as they wait for the money
to pay for the new field.
Today the site is a public park. A small section of the exterior brick facade (along the first-base side) still stands, as well as the old ticket office
behind what was the right field corner. The last remnant of the grandstand, crumbling and presumably unsafe, was taken down ca. 2002 as part
of a renovation process to the decaying playground.
The park is currently slated for a massive renovation/rebuild that will restore it to its original state.
A vintage baseball club, the Cleveland Blues was suppose to begin play at League Park in 2009 but has been stopped as they wait for the money
to pay for the new field.
