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League Park (Cincinnati)
Encyclopedia
League Park was a Major League
baseball
park located in Cincinnati, Ohio
, United States
. It was the home of the Cincinnati Reds
from 1884 through 1901.
The ballpark was on an asymmetrical block bounded by Findlay Street (south), Western Avenue (northeast, angling), York Street (north) and McLean Avenue (west). The "Findlay and Western" intersection was the home field of the Reds from 1884 through June 24, 1970, when the team moved to Riverfront Stadium
.
The location of the diamond
and consequently the main grandstand
seating area was shifted several times during the park's existence. Some of the moves resulted in different names being assigned to the ballpark during its 86½ seasons of use:
. Following the 1883 season, the Reds were forced to abandon the park, because the lease had been bought out from under them by the new Cincinnati entry in the one-year wonder called the Union Association
.
The Reds had to find a new location, and they found one less than a mile away from their old park, a few blocks to the southeast on Western Avenue, at the northwest corner of where Findlay Street intersected Western. Thus the Reds remained in the West End, and fans had only to traverse Western Avenue to see the team of their choice.
The new facility was variously called Cincinnati Base Ball Grounds (or Park), Western Avenue Grounds, American Park (while in the AA), and then its most enduring pre-1912 name, League Park (beginning 1890). The small grandstand for the new park was built in the southeast corner of the block, tucked into the actue angle made by the intersection. Although the diamond would be moved back and forth between the southeast and the southwest corners several times, the little 1884 structure would be retained for 28 seasons, and would come in handy. However, it got off to a bad start. It was constructed hastily, and during the opening day game a portion of the stand collapsed, killing one spectator and injuring several others.
The park was also very short to right field, with balls hit over the right field fence counting only as a double, until additional land was acquired a few weeks into the season. This increased the distance to right by 50 feet and made the field normal-sized.
The first game to be played at American Park was on April 9, 1884. It was an exhibition game against the then National League Cleveland Blues
. The Reds first official home opening day at American Park was on May 1, 1884 against their American Association rival the Columbus Buckeyes
. Cincinnati lost that game 10-9 in heartbreaking fashion.
The season itself saw a good deal of competition between the Reds and the Unions. Although many called the Union the "Onion League" due to its lopsided distribution of talent, the Cincinnati Unions were a fairly strong team and drew fans away from the Reds. Once the Union folded, the Reds opted to remain at Findlay and Western, and would continue to do so for the better part of nine decades. Thus the Reds had the city to themselves in 1885.
Although the Reds were not participants in the 1885 World Series
, their ballpark was. The contest, between the Chicago White Stockings
of the NL and the St. Louis Browns
of the AA, staged some of its games at neutral sites. The Reds' ballpark was the site for the final two games of the Series, a disputed match that officially ended in a draw.
When the Reds returned to the National League
in 1890, the name of the park would come to be known as League Park, in reference to the team's original and now current circuit. In those days, the National League was typically referred to in media as "the League", since there was only one "League" and (for ten years) one "Association".
In 1894 the ballpark went through some major changes. The owner of the Reds, John Brush, would build a brand new grandstand and add an amphitheater. In order to build a new grandstand he had the diamond shifted from the southeast corner (Findlay and Western) to the southwest corner (Findlay and McLean). Brush chose to retain the old seating as a right field pavilion. This would prove to be a wise decision.
The name of the ballpark was not changed. Because of the relocated diamond, some historians refer to it as League Park II. The center field area was painted black in 1895 to form a batter's eye
screen. Some sources (such as Benson) claim this was the first such screen in baseball.
On May 28, 1900, the ballpark caught on fire, burning the 1894 grandstand. The Reds considered moving to East End Park
where the short-lived "Kelly's Killers" Association club had played in 1891. Instead, they opted to shift the diamond back to its original location in the southeast corner, reusing the original grandstand, which was not significantly harmed in the fire due to a gap between the two seating areas. They played a month's worth of games on the road, returning to their reconfigured home on June 28.
After a season and a half of playing in the charred ballpark, the Reds built what they expected to be a more permanent new grandstand, again in the southwest corner, and again retaining the original seating, and again with a gap between the seating areas that would prove fortuitous. The original seating had changed somewhat over time, as the middle section no longer sat higher than the rest, and the entire structure was roofed.
The look of the new grandstand was striking, and the owners came up with a striking new name for the park: Palace of the Fans
.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
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...
park located in Cincinnati, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was the home of the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
from 1884 through 1901.
The ballpark was on an asymmetrical block bounded by Findlay Street (south), Western Avenue (northeast, angling), York Street (north) and McLean Avenue (west). The "Findlay and Western" intersection was the home field of the Reds from 1884 through June 24, 1970, when the team moved to Riverfront Stadium
Cinergy Field
Riverfront Stadium , later known as Cinergy Field , was the home of the Cincinnati Reds National League baseball team and the Cincinnati Bengals National Football League team. Located on the Ohio River in downtown Cincinnati, the stadium was best known as the home of "The Big Red Machine," as the...
.
The location of the diamond
Infield
Infield is a widely used term in sports terminology, its meaning depends on the sport in which it is used.- In baseball :In baseball the baseball diamond plus a region beyond it , has both grass and dirt, in contrast to the more distant, usually grass-covered outfield...
and consequently the main grandstand
Grandstand
A grandstand is a large and normally permanent structure for seating spectators, most often at a racetrack. This includes both auto racing and horse racing. The grandstand is in essence like a single section of a stadium, but differs from a stadium in that it does not wrap all or most of the way...
seating area was shifted several times during the park's existence. Some of the moves resulted in different names being assigned to the ballpark during its 86½ seasons of use:
- 1884–1901: League Park
- 1902–1911: Palace of the FansPalace of the FansPalace of the Fans was a Major League baseball park located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the home of the Cincinnati Reds from 1902 through 1911....
- 1912–1970: Redland Field, renamed Crosley FieldCrosley FieldCrosley Field was a Major League Baseball park located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the home field of the National League's Cincinnati Reds from 1912 through June 24, 1970, and the original Cincinnati Bengals football team, members of the second and third American Football League...
in 1934
History
During the Cincinnati Reds first two season, the club played at the Bank Street GroundsBank Street Grounds
The Bank Street Grounds is a former baseball park located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The park was home to three major league baseball teams. The first National League Cincinnati Reds club in 1880, the current Cincinnati Reds franchise from 1882 to 1883 and the Cincinnati Outlaw Reds of the Union...
. Following the 1883 season, the Reds were forced to abandon the park, because the lease had been bought out from under them by the new Cincinnati entry in the one-year wonder called the Union Association
Union Association
The Union Association was a league in Major League Baseball which lasted for only one season in 1884. St. Louis won the pennant and joined the National League the following season...
.
The Reds had to find a new location, and they found one less than a mile away from their old park, a few blocks to the southeast on Western Avenue, at the northwest corner of where Findlay Street intersected Western. Thus the Reds remained in the West End, and fans had only to traverse Western Avenue to see the team of their choice.
The new facility was variously called Cincinnati Base Ball Grounds (or Park), Western Avenue Grounds, American Park (while in the AA), and then its most enduring pre-1912 name, League Park (beginning 1890). The small grandstand for the new park was built in the southeast corner of the block, tucked into the actue angle made by the intersection. Although the diamond would be moved back and forth between the southeast and the southwest corners several times, the little 1884 structure would be retained for 28 seasons, and would come in handy. However, it got off to a bad start. It was constructed hastily, and during the opening day game a portion of the stand collapsed, killing one spectator and injuring several others.
The park was also very short to right field, with balls hit over the right field fence counting only as a double, until additional land was acquired a few weeks into the season. This increased the distance to right by 50 feet and made the field normal-sized.
Cleveland Blues (NL)
The Cleveland Blues were a Major League Baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio that operated in the National League from 1879 to 1884. In six seasons their best finish was third place in 1880. Hugh Daily threw a no-hitter for the Blues on Sept. 13, 1883. Besides Daily, notable Blues players...
. The Reds first official home opening day at American Park was on May 1, 1884 against their American Association rival the Columbus Buckeyes
Columbus Buckeyes (minor league)
According to information compiled by baseball historian Ray Nemec of the Society for American Baseball Research , the Columbus Buckeyes were a men's baseball team in the International Association during the 1877 season, along with several other American teams and two Canadian teams, the London...
. Cincinnati lost that game 10-9 in heartbreaking fashion.
The season itself saw a good deal of competition between the Reds and the Unions. Although many called the Union the "Onion League" due to its lopsided distribution of talent, the Cincinnati Unions were a fairly strong team and drew fans away from the Reds. Once the Union folded, the Reds opted to remain at Findlay and Western, and would continue to do so for the better part of nine decades. Thus the Reds had the city to themselves in 1885.
Although the Reds were not participants in the 1885 World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
, their ballpark was. The contest, between the Chicago White Stockings
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
of the NL and the St. Louis Browns
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
of the AA, staged some of its games at neutral sites. The Reds' ballpark was the site for the final two games of the Series, a disputed match that officially ended in a draw.
When the Reds returned to the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
in 1890, the name of the park would come to be known as League Park, in reference to the team's original and now current circuit. In those days, the National League was typically referred to in media as "the League", since there was only one "League" and (for ten years) one "Association".
The name of the ballpark was not changed. Because of the relocated diamond, some historians refer to it as League Park II. The center field area was painted black in 1895 to form a batter's eye
Batter's eye
The batter's eye or batter's eye screen is a solid-colored, usually dark area beyond the center field wall of a baseball stadium, that is the visual backdrop directly in the line of sight of a baseball batter, while facing the pitcher and awaiting a pitch. This dark surface allows the batter to see...
screen. Some sources (such as Benson) claim this was the first such screen in baseball.
On May 28, 1900, the ballpark caught on fire, burning the 1894 grandstand. The Reds considered moving to East End Park
East End Park (Cincinnati)
East End Park is a former major league baseball park located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The ballpark, which is also known to baseball historians as Pendleton Park, was home to the Cincinnati Reds of the American Association during the 1891 baseball season...
where the short-lived "Kelly's Killers" Association club had played in 1891. Instead, they opted to shift the diamond back to its original location in the southeast corner, reusing the original grandstand, which was not significantly harmed in the fire due to a gap between the two seating areas. They played a month's worth of games on the road, returning to their reconfigured home on June 28.
After a season and a half of playing in the charred ballpark, the Reds built what they expected to be a more permanent new grandstand, again in the southwest corner, and again retaining the original seating, and again with a gap between the seating areas that would prove fortuitous. The original seating had changed somewhat over time, as the middle section no longer sat higher than the rest, and the entire structure was roofed.
The look of the new grandstand was striking, and the owners came up with a striking new name for the park: Palace of the Fans
Palace of the Fans
Palace of the Fans was a Major League baseball park located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the home of the Cincinnati Reds from 1902 through 1911....
.
Sources
- Cincinnati's Crosley Field: The Illustrated History of a Classic Ballpark by Greg Rhodes and John Erardi, 1995, Road West Publishing
- Baseball Library.com
- Green Cathedrals, by Phil Lowry, 1992
- Baseball Parks of North America, by Michael Benson, 1989
- The Cincinnati Reds, by Lee AllenLee Allen (baseball)Leland Gaither "Lee" Allen was an American sportswriter and historian on the subject of baseball. He was known for an accessible writing style that made history more interesting, typically focusing on the people in the stories as much as the events. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Allen was the son...
, Putnam, 1948.