Columbia Park
Encyclopedia
For other places known as Columbia Park, see Columbia Park (disambiguation)
Columbia Park or Columbia Avenue Grounds was a baseball
stadium
that formerly stood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. It was the first home of the Philadelphia Athletics baseball team from the team's founding in 1901
until their move to Shibe Park in 1909.
Columbia Park was on the block bordered by North 29th Street, Columbia Avenue (now Cecil B. Moore
Avenue), North 30th Street, and Oxford Street in the Brewerytown
section of Philadelphia (beer sales were prohibited in the park). The cost of construction was $35,000. The stadium was very small, and originally had a seating capacity
of only 9,500. This was eventually increased to 13,600 by the addition of bleacher seating in the outfield. During some sold out games, unofficial additional seating could be found on top of the adjoining homes. There was only one dressing room, for the home team; visiting teams had to change at their hotels.
The opening game in Columbia Park was held on April 26, 1901
, after the first two games were rained out. The Athletics played the Washington Nationals (Senators)
in front of an overflow crowd of 10,524, with some fans standing on the outfield walls and the roofs of nearby houses. The Athletics lost 5-1, despite three hits by second baseman
Nap Lajoie
.
The Athletics won two American League
pennants
in Columbia Park, one in 1902 and one in 1905. The 1905 World Series
was held in the Park; the Athletics lost to the New York Giants
4 games to 1.
The stadium also briefly served as the home of the Philadelphia Athletics football club
, before the team folded in 1902. The Athletics leased the ballpark to the independent Negro League club, the Philadelphia Giants
. The Giants played at the ballpark while the Athletics were on the road. The Giants were the first club to play night-baseball in Philadelphia when they played under portable lights on June 4, 1902. The Philadelphia Phillies
temporarily called Columbia Park home in 1903
while Baker Bowl
was repaired after a balcony collapse on August 8, 1903. The Phillies played sixteen games at Columbia Park in August and September 1903.
The final game played at the park took place on October 3, 1908
; the visiting Boston Americans defeated the Athletics 5-0 in the second game of a doubleheader. The lack of seating at Columbia Park was the main reason the Athletics left for Shibe Park. After the Athletics left, the park was almost entirely abandoned. Columbia Park was eventually demolished in the 1910s to make way for new homes.
The sod from Columbia Park was transplanted to Shibe Park after the 1908 season.
Columbia Park (disambiguation)
Columbia Park can refer to:* Columbia Park, a former baseball stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.* Columbia Park , a former baseball field in Altoona, Pennsylvania* Columbia Park, a neighborhood in Minneapolis, Minnesota...
Columbia Park or Columbia Avenue Grounds was a baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
that formerly stood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. It was the first home of the Philadelphia Athletics baseball team from the team's founding in 1901
1901 Philadelphia Athletics season
The Philadelphia Athletics season involved the A's finishing 4th in the American League with a record of 74 wins and 62 losses. The franchise that would become the modern Athletics originated in 1901 as a new franchise in the American League....
until their move to Shibe Park in 1909.
Columbia Park was on the block bordered by North 29th Street, Columbia Avenue (now Cecil B. Moore
Cecil B. Moore
Cecil Bassett Moore was a Philadelphia lawyer, civil rights activist who led the fight to integrate Girard College, president of the local NAACP, and member of Philadelphia's City Council....
Avenue), North 30th Street, and Oxford Street in the Brewerytown
Brewerytown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Brewerytown is a neighborhood in the North Philadelphia district of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. An unofficial region, Brewerytown runs approximately between the Schuylkill River's eastern bank and 25th Street, bounded by Cecil B. Moore Avenue to the north and Parrish...
section of Philadelphia (beer sales were prohibited in the park). The cost of construction was $35,000. The stadium was very small, and originally had a seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
of only 9,500. This was eventually increased to 13,600 by the addition of bleacher seating in the outfield. During some sold out games, unofficial additional seating could be found on top of the adjoining homes. There was only one dressing room, for the home team; visiting teams had to change at their hotels.
The opening game in Columbia Park was held on April 26, 1901
1901 Philadelphia Athletics season
The Philadelphia Athletics season involved the A's finishing 4th in the American League with a record of 74 wins and 62 losses. The franchise that would become the modern Athletics originated in 1901 as a new franchise in the American League....
, after the first two games were rained out. The Athletics played the Washington Nationals (Senators)
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
in front of an overflow crowd of 10,524, with some fans standing on the outfield walls and the roofs of nearby houses. The Athletics lost 5-1, despite three hits by second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
Nap Lajoie
Nap Lajoie
Napoléon "Nap" Lajoie , also known as Larry Lajoie, was an American Major League Baseball second baseman. He was born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island...
.
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
pennants
Pennant (sports)
A pennant is a commemorative flag typically used to show support for a particular athletic team. Pennants have been historically used in all types of athletic levels: high school, collegiate, professional etc. Traditionally, pennants were made of felt and fashioned in the official colors of a...
in Columbia Park, one in 1902 and one in 1905. The 1905 World Series
1905 World Series
- Game 1 :Monday, October 9, 1905 at Columbia Park in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaA pitchers' duel took place between Christy Mathewson and Eddie Plank. Both pitchers got out of jams and were able to shut the offense down. In the Giants top of the fifth, Mathewson singled, but was forced by Roger...
was held in the Park; the Athletics lost to the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
4 games to 1.
The stadium also briefly served as the home of the Philadelphia Athletics football club
Philadelphia Athletics (NFL)
The Philadelphia Athletics were a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1902. The team was member of what was referred to as the National Football League. This league has no connection with the National Football League of today. The whole "league" was a curious...
, before the team folded in 1902. The Athletics leased the ballpark to the independent Negro League club, the Philadelphia Giants
Philadelphia Giants
The Philadelphia Giants were a Negro league baseball team that played from 1902 to 1916. From 1904 to 1909 they were one of the strongest teams in black baseball, winning five eastern championships in six years. The team was organized by Sol White, H. Walter Schlichter, and Harry Smith.- Founding...
. The Giants played at the ballpark while the Athletics were on the road. The Giants were the first club to play night-baseball in Philadelphia when they played under portable lights on June 4, 1902. The Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
temporarily called Columbia Park home in 1903
1903 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies season was a season in American baseball. The team finished seventh in the National League with a record of 49-86, 39½ games behind the Pittsburgh Pirates.- Regular season :...
while Baker Bowl
Baker Bowl
Baker Bowl is the best-known popular name of a baseball park that formerly stood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Its formal name, painted on its outer wall, was National League Park. It was also initially known as Philadelphia Park or Philadelphia Base Ball Grounds.It was on a small...
was repaired after a balcony collapse on August 8, 1903. The Phillies played sixteen games at Columbia Park in August and September 1903.
The final game played at the park took place on October 3, 1908
1908 Philadelphia Athletics season
The Philadelphia Athletics season involved the A's finishing sixth in the American League with a record of 68 wins and 85 losses.- Roster :- Starters by position :...
; the visiting Boston Americans defeated the Athletics 5-0 in the second game of a doubleheader. The lack of seating at Columbia Park was the main reason the Athletics left for Shibe Park. After the Athletics left, the park was almost entirely abandoned. Columbia Park was eventually demolished in the 1910s to make way for new homes.
The sod from Columbia Park was transplanted to Shibe Park after the 1908 season.