Crosley Field
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Crosley Field | |
|---|---|
| "The Old Boomerang" "Schwab's Field" "Findlay & Western" |
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| Location | Findlay Street and Western Avenue in Cincinnati, Ohio (now demolished) |
| Coordinates | |
| Broke ground | 1911 |
| Opened | April 11, 1912 |
| Closed | June 24, 1970 |
| Demolished | April 19, 1972 |
| Owner | Cincinnati Reds |
| Operator | Cincinnati Reds |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction cost | $225,000 USD |
| Architect | Harry Hake |
| Former names | |
| Redland Field (1912-1933) | |
| Tenants | |
| Cincinnati Reds (NL) | |
| Capacity | |
| 25,000 (1912) 29,603 (1970) |
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| Dimensions | |
| 1912 Left Field - 360 ft (109.7 m) Left-Center - 380 ft (115.8 m) Center Field - 420 ft (128 m) Right-Center - 383 ft (116.7 m) Right Field - 360 ft (109.7 m) Backstop - 38 ft (11.5 m) 1958 Left Field - 328 ft (100 m) Left-Center - 380 ft (115.8 m) Center Field - 387 ft (117.9 m) Right-Center - 383 ft (116.7 m) Right Field - 366 ft (111.5 m) Backstop - 78 ft (23.7 m) |
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Crosley Field was a Major League Baseball park located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the home field of the National League's Cincinnati Reds franchise from 1912 to 1970.
Built during the winter of 1911 and 1912, the park, whose original name was "Redland Field", was used by the Reds until June 26, 1970.
Contents |
[edit] History
Dating back to 1884, the Cincinnati Reds played their home games in several parks located at the intersection of Findlay Street and Western Avenue in Cincinnati's west end after moving there from the Bank Street Grounds, located less than a mile to the northeast.
National League Park was the first facility built on the Findlay and Western site and was so named because then-owner August "Garry" Herrmann refused to have his name attached to the name of the new facility.
Over the course of several years, the position of the diamond and the grandstand were shifted several times. Initially they were at the southwest corner, tucked into the angling intersection. In the 1890s, a new grandstand was built in the southwest corner, and the diamond was shifted, but the old grandstand was retained as bleachers. This was a good thing, because when the new stands burned, the diamond was relocated and the old stands again became the grandstand, albeit temporarily. A concrete, fireproof structure was then built in the southwest corner, in a style reminiscent of Chicago's World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, although the old 1884 structure was again retained as bleachers. In 1893, the park was columned, expanded, and renamed Palace of the Fans. The Palace was heavily influenced by Roman architecture and featured an extravagant facade and opera-style private boxes. In 1911, fire again destroyed the park. The striking (but totally inadequate) Palace was destroyed. Reds ownership decided to make the next park more utilitarian. Redland Field, whose name was a reference to the Reds' name and color, was quickly built for $225,000 by Harry Hake architects. It was one of many classic steel and concrete ballparks constructed during the first ballpark boom era of 1909-1923. Chicago's Wrigley Field and Boston's Fenway Park were also built during this era and remain in use to today.
Throughout its history, Redland/Crosley Field was usually among the smallest parks in either the National or American leagues. It accommodated 25,000 fans in 1912; even at its peak, it never exceeded 30,000 seats, excluding temporary seating areas created for opening day and World Series games. Contributing to this was the fact that there were no bleachers in left or center fields; all outfield seating (about 4,500 seats), were in the semi-trapezoid-shaped right field stands that became known as the "Sun Deck" (or, in the case of night games, the "Moon Deck").
Groundskeeper Mathias "Matty" Schwab, who was hired in 1894 had the sod laid just in time for the Reds' first game at the new park, April 11, 1912. In the game, the Reds rallied from a 5-0 deficit to defeat the Chicago Cubs 10-6. Schwab would be the Reds' groundkeeper until he retired at age 83 in 1963,
When local businessman Powel Crosley Jr. bought the struggling Reds in 1934, team president Larry MacPhail insisted that the ballpark be renamed in honor of the man many thought had rescued the franchise. Thus, the park was renamed "Crosley Field", and Crosley himself took the opportunity to advertise his Crosley cars. Under Crosley's ownership, the park would undergo notable structural renovations.
With the effects of the Great Depression in Cincinnati, the Reds convinced baseball owners to allow night baseball at Crosley Field. Without lights, Larry MacPhail insisted, the team would fold because of low attendance. Baseball owners acquiesced. Thus, 632 individual lamps in eight metal stanchions were erected and on May 24, 1935, the Reds hosted the Philadelphia Phillies and won 2-1 behind right-hander Paul Derringer.
The sixth night game at Crosley Field was particularly notable for its wildness. The visiting St. Louis Cardinals, the Reds' rival and the defending World Series champions, were in town, and the fans showed up in droves. As the game progressed, the throng of Reds fans forced people onto the field of play which caused mass confusion for the police and umpires. Reds manager Chuck Dressen could only follow the game via the scoreboard. At one point, he was heard to say: "I see the Cardinals got a run — but I don't know how they got it".
During an eighth inning officials' time out, a local burlesque performer named Kitty Burke came out of the crowd, picked up the Reds outfielder Floyd "Babe" Herman's bat, stepped into the batter's box, and dared the Cardinals' starter, Paul "Daffy" Dean, to throw her a pitch. He accommodated Burke with a soft toss; Burke grounded weakly to first base. The "pinch hit" appearance was never recorded as an official one, but nonetheless, Burke began promoting herself as the first woman in major league history. Allegedly, the Reds gave her a uniform.
After the 1937 seasons, home plate was moved out by twenty feet, decreasing the park's dimensions. In the middle of their pennant winning season of 1939, the Reds added roofed upper decks to the left and right field pavilions. This gave Crosley Field some 5,000 additional seats and the appearance it would retain for the rest of its existence.
Crosley Field would host the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in 1938 and again in 1953.
[edit] Distinguishing Characteristics
As previously noted, Crosley Field was usually among the smallest parks in Major League Baseball. The cozy dimensions, in particular the short center field "porch", made over-the-fence home runs commonplace. Although the "official" distance was 390 feet (118.8 meters), pitchers were certain it was far shorter.
Arguably, Crosley Field's most notorious feature was the fifteen-degree left field incline, called "the terrace", which was used in lieu of a more typical dirt warning track. The terrace was a natural feature that flummoxed many opposing left fielders. Much of the park was below street level. Crosley Field was several feet deep at its deepest point; the top of the left field terrace alone was about a foot below street level. The reason the terrace was in play was because in the pre-Redland era, batters often complained of the sun being in their eyes. The cheapest alternative open to the club was to put it in play. By and large, the terrace was not popular among players. Even the great George Herman "Babe" Ruth was victimized by it on May 28, 1935, as a member of the Boston Braves. It was his first year in the National League and, ultimately the final year of his Hall of Fame career. As Ruth ascended the terrace, he fell on his face.
Frank Robinson, however, loved it. When the Baltimore Orioles were planning their future home, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Robinson, an Orioles executive who, as an "old" 30-year-old, was traded by Reds general manager Bill DeWitt to the Baltimore club for pitcher Milt Pappas, pitcher Jack Baldschun, and outfielder Dick Simpson, unsuccessfully lobbied to get the team to install a terrace in left field.
When the Houston Astros' new facility, Minute Maid Park, (formerly Enron Field) was being built, a prominent addition to the field was a Crosley Field-inspired 30-degree center field incline with a flagpole. "Tal's Hill", however, has been met with overwhelming derision by Astros fans.
To commemorate their Crosley Field years, the Main Street entrance of the Cincinnati Reds' new park, Great American Ball Park, features a monument called "Crosley Terrace" that features inclines and statues of Crosely-era stars Joe Nuxhall, Ernie Lombardi, Ted Kluszewski, and Frank Robinson. References to the terrace are also visible.
[edit] Non-Reds uses
Through much of its history, Crosley Field was used for other things than Cincinnati Reds baseball games. The Negro League's Cincinnati Tigers in 1936 and 1937 called Crosley home and the original 1937 Cincinnati Bengals football team played home games there.
During World War I, the city's police force staged a review at Redland Field on October 17, 1917.
On August 21, 1966, Crosley Field The Beatles, who were in the midst of their final American and Canadian tour, gave a show there. The concert had been scheduled for the previous day, but was rained out.
Other events held there included a Roy Rogers rodeo, a political rally for Wendell Wilkie, and an Ice Capades show.
[edit] Decline
Crosley Field's decline began in earnest in the mid-1950s with the automobile supplanting the train as the main method of transportation. Crosley Field was located in the dense west end. Businesses (such as the Superior Towel and Linen Service ("The Laundry") and a large factory) bounded the park on three sides. The neighborhood was not suited for the automobile; parking increasingly became a major problem in the last fifteen years of Crosley Field's existence, as did crime — especially during night games.
In the early-1960s, Powel Crosley was courted by a group seeking to return a National League franchise to New York City to replace the Dodgers and the Giants, who had moved to Los Angeles and the San Francisco after the 1957 season, respectively. The moves left the American League Yankees as the city's sole baseball team. However, Crosley was unwilling to move.
Complicating matters was that legendary football coach Paul Brown, the founder of the Cleveland Browns who had been deposed by new owner Art Modell in 1963, was wanting to get back into professional football. He was granted an American Football League franchise called the Bengals that would play in Cincinnati. However, a contingency of that agreement was that an appropriate facility be ready by the time the 1970 National Football League season began, which would be the first season that the AFL was fully merged with the NFL.
An agreement was struck to build a multi-purpose facility on the dilapidated riverfront section of the city. Riverfront Stadium seated about 60,000 people and was deemed a logical solution to a myriad of problems.
It was believed that the Sunday, September 28, 1969 game against the Houston Astros, which was that year's last home game for the Reds (who won 4-1), would be the final game ever at Crosley Field. However, delays in final construction of Riverfront Stadium (the facility's working title), led to the Reds opening the season at Findlay and Western against the former Montreal Expos (who are now the Washington Nationals). New additions to the Reds that season were figures who would become Reds legends: manager George Lee "Sparky" Anderson and shortstop Dave Concepción, who had actually been signed by the Reds as an amateur free agent in 1967 as a pitcher.
The Reds played in Crosley Field up to June 24, 1970. The last game was against the San Francisco Giants. It became a legendary game in Reds history due to the way it ended. With the Reds trailing Juan Marichal and the Giants 4-3 in the eighth inning, catcher Johnny Bench tied the game on a solo home run. The next batter, first baseman Lee May won it on a solo home run of his own. The ninth inning was a relatively easy one for Reds reliever Wayne Granger; Bobby Bonds grounded out to first base.
One of the highlights of the closing festivities was mayor Gene Ruehlmann taking home plate out of the ground and taking it via helicopter (which had landed on the field), to Riverfront Stadium and installing it in the artificial turf. After a brief road trip to Houston, which saw them sweep the Houston Astros, they returned to Cincinnati and opened Riverfront Stadium against the Atlanta Braves. They lost 8-2.
After the season, the Cincinnati Reds and the city, which had agreed to buy Crosley Field, were at an impasse over how much Crosley Field was worth. The Reds wanted $3.5m; the city countered with a $1.5m offer. Eventually the case went to court. The city contended that since Crosley Field's playing field was extremely depressed, it would need to be filled — a costly and time-consuming affair. The Reds countered that since Interstate 75 would run by it, the site would become premium real estate. and they should be fairly compensated for the increase in value. They also brought in an expert witness: Peter Edward Rose. Rose espoused the positives of Crosley Field.
Eventually, a jury set the sale price at $2.5m. After the sale was made official, the city turned the park into an auxiliary auto impound lot while the Queensgate project was finalized. Two years later, the demolition of Crosley Field began in earnest. The park was soon gutted; seats sold for $10 and fans and present and former club employees scrounged for mementos. On April 19, 1974, Pete Rose, Jr. pulled a lever that sent a wrecking ball into the side of Crosley Field. By the fall, just the faint outline of the grandstand remained. Today, seven buildings occupy the site. The left field terrace area is now a parking lot, but it's still distinguishable due to its slope and its location next to York Street. Dalton Street, which formerly dead-ended into Findlay Street, was extended through the former field of play.
[edit] Rebirth, Part One
In 1974, Larry Luebbers of Union, Kentucky, built a replica of the Crosley Field playing field on his farm. To that, he added memorabilia such as seats, signage, and the old Crosley ticket booth, painted advertising on the fences and opened it for the Cincinnati Suds professional softball team, which he also owned. However, by 1984, it was gone, too. Luebbers was forced to sell his farm to pay off his creditors.
[edit] Rebirth, Part Two
At about the time Larry Luebbers' Crosley recreation failed, Marvin Thompson, the then city manager of the Cincinnati suburb of Blue Ash, came up with the idea to make one of the ballfields of a planned community sports complex a recreation of Crosley Field. Administrative aide Mark Rohr was put in charge. He tracked down memorabilia for the park; what he couldn't find was often donated by fans. Items such as usher's uniforms, signage, rooftop pennants, and a field microphone were given to the new project, which opened in 1988 with an Old Timer's game (which has since been discontinued). The scoreboard, which is a recreation, carries information from the final game. The field also has a white wall with "CROSLEY FIELD" in red letters in the appropriate font. It was met with overwhelmingly positive reviews from fans old enough to remember the real park as well as many retired Reds players such as Pete Rose, Joe Nuxhall, and Jim O'Toole. A wall features a number of plaques commemorating Crosley-era Reds greats. Additionally, 400 seats from the original field were installed at the Blue Ash replica.
In an interview with author Greg Rhodes, Rohr, who wasn't a baseball fan when the project began, stated: "Sometimes I have a hard time understanding the people who come and stare at this place with tears in their eyes; a woman actually hugged the ticket booth and kissed it". The field is also used regularly by teams in various levels of play.
A field with the exact dimensions of Riverfront Stadium, which was renamed Cinergy Field in 1996, was built next to it.
[edit] Trivia
- The first over-the-fence home run struck at Redland/Crosley Field was by outfielder Pat Duncan on June 2, 1921.
- Ernie Lombardi once hit a home run that landed in a truck traveling beyond the outfield fence. The truck carried the ball for 30 miles.
- In 1937, the Mill Creek flooded, submerging the field under 21 feet (6.4 meters) of water. As a lark, Reds pitcher Lee Grissom and the team's traveling secretary, John McDonald, got into a rowboat and entered Crosley Field over the left field fence and rowed to the area of the pitcher's mound.
- Across the left field wall on York Street, a sign on the Superior Towel and Linen Service plant advertised a downtown clothier, Seibler Suits, which rewarded any player hitting the sign with a suit. Wally Post, who won eleven, led the Reds in this unofficial statistical category; Willie Mays led all visitors with seven. Its demolition in the early-1960s netted 38 parking spaces.
- The Goat Run, additional rows of seats which decreased the right field porch from 366 feet (111.5 meters) to 342 feet (104.2 meters) was added specifically for slugging, sleeveless left-handed batter Ted Kluszewski presumably to increase his home run total. However, "Klu" rarely hit home runs in the area and it was removed after the 1958 season.
- On June 11, 1967, Houston outfielder Jimmy Wynn hit a home run towards the path cut for the stretch of Interstate 75 before it was paved, which was located beyond the center field. This shot has been portrayed in many films and television shows.
- Although the Reds have won five World Series, only two were won during their Crosley Field era: in 1919 and 1940. And, of the five, only the 1940 series is the only one where the deciding game was won in Cincinnati. Sadly, the celebration was marred by the August 3, 1940 suicide of Willard Hershberger, the Reds' backup catcher. When regular catcher Ernie Lombardi went down with a finger injury, Hershberger, who hit for a very good average but had little power, stepped in and played admirably. However, he began hearing rumors that some teammates were insinuating that his poor game "calling" had cost the Reds games in July and August. On August 2, 1940, with Hershberger again behind the plate during a game against the last place Boston Braves at Braves Field in Boston, the Reds lost. Ultimately, the Braves would win only 65 games that year. A despondent Hershberger told manager Bill McKechnie that "my father killed himself, and I'm going to do it, too!" [1] The next day, he failed to appear for the game. The hotel manager used his pass key to allow a police officer and the Reds' traveling secretary access. They found Willard Hershberger in the bathtub with his wrists and throat slit. He remains the only major league player to commit suicide during a season. The Reds would go on to defeat the Detroit Tigers 4-3 in the World Series. Coincidentally, a despondent and destitute Ernie Lombardi himself attempted suicide in 1953, but received life-saving medical treatment and lived until 1977.
[edit] References
Cincinnati's Crosley Field: The Illustrated History of a Classic Ballpark by Greg Rhodes and John Erardi, 1995, Road West Publishing
[edit] External links
- Tribute site
- Info on Crosley Field re-creation in Blue Ash, Ohio
- Crosley Field diagram at Clem's Baseball
- Crosley Car Owners Club (CCOC)
| Preceded by Palace of the Fans 1902–1911 |
Home of the Cincinnati Reds 1912–1970 |
Succeeded by Riverfront Stadium 1970–2002 |
| Preceded by Griffith Stadium |
Host of the All-Star Game 1938 |
Succeeded by Yankee Stadium |
| Preceded by Shibe Park |
Host of the All-Star Game 1953 |
Succeeded by Cleveland Stadium |
