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Wrigley Field (Los Angeles)

Coordinates: 34°0′27″N 118°15′58″W / 34.00750°N 118.26611°W / 34.00750; -118.26611
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Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field's opening in 1925
Map
Wrigley Field is located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Location within the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Wrigley Field is located in California
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field (California)
Wrigley Field is located in the United States
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field (the United States)
Address425 E. 42nd Place
Los Angeles, California
Coordinates34°0′27″N 118°15′58″W / 34.00750°N 118.26611°W / 34.00750; -118.26611
OwnerWilliam Wrigley Jr,
City of Los Angeles
OperatorCity of Los Angeles
Capacity22,000 (1925)
20,457 (1961)
Field sizeLeft Field – 340 ft (104 m)
L.C. Field – 345 ft (105 m)
Center Field – 412 ft (126 m)
R.C. Field – 345 ft (105 m)
Right Field – 339 ft (103 m)
Backstop – 56 ft (17 m)
SurfaceNatural grass; Ivy (walls)
Construction
Broke ground1925
OpenedSeptember 29, 1925
Closed1969
Demolished1969
Construction cost$1.5 million
ArchitectZachary Taylor Davis[1]
General contractorA. Lanquist[2]
Tenants
Los Angeles Angels (PCL) (1925–1957)
Hollywood Stars (PCL) (1926–1935, 1938)
Pepperdine Waves (NCAA) (1948)
Los Angeles Angels (MLB) (1961)

Wrigley Field was a ballpark in Los Angeles, California. It hosted minor league baseball teams in the region for more than 30 years. It was the home park for the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League (PCL), as well as for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB) during its inaugural season in 1961. The park was designed by Zachary Taylor Davis, who had designed MLB stadiums Comiskey Park and Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois.[1] The ballpark was used as the backdrop for Hollywood films about baseball, the 1960 TV series Home Run Derby, jazz festivals, beauty contests, and civil rights rallies.[3]

History

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Called Wrigley's "Million Dollar Palace", Wrigley Field was built in South Los Angeles in 1925, and was named after William Wrigley Jr., a chewing gum magnate.[4] Wrigley owned the first tenants, the Los Angeles Angels, a PCL team, and its parent club, the Chicago Cubs. In 1925, the Angels moved to Wrigley Field. Wrigley's Major League stadium (originally "Weeghman Park," then "Cubs Park") on the north side of Chicago was renamed Wrigley Field in 1926.

Wrigley Field in Los Angeles was built to resemble Spanish-style architecture. It was the first of the two ballparks to bear Wrigley's name. Wrigley owned Santa Catalina Island where the Cubs conducted spring training in that island's city of Avalon.

Wrigley Field in the early 1930s

The playing field was aligned northeast (home plate to center field) at an elevation of 185 feet (55 m) above sea level. The boundary street in right field (east) was Avalon Boulevard, with a small parking lot. The other boundaries of the block were 41st Place (north, left field), 42nd Place (south, first base line), and San Pedro Street (west, third base line and a larger parking lot).

Lights were added to the park in 1930. Chicago's Wrigley Field added lights in 1988, when night games were added to the Cubs' home schedule.[4]

Baseball

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Minor League Baseball 1925–1957

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For 33 seasons, 1925 to 1957, the park was home to the Angels, which was a farm team of the Chicago Cubs. For 11 seasons, (1926–1935, 1938) the park was the home of PCL team, the Hollywood Stars. In 1930, the Angels and Stars combined to draw more than 850,000 fans.[4] The Stars moved to a new ballpark, Gilmore Field, west of the Pan Pacific Auditorium. Angel players included Dodgers manager and Hall of Fame member Tommy Lasorda, Phillies, Expos, Twins and Angels manager Gene Mauch, actor Chuck Connors, Gene Baker, and Andy Pafko. The parent club, Chicago Cubs, was the first major league team to play at Wrigley, when it played the Angels in a spring training game in 1926.[4] On March 20, 1949, the major league Cubs played the defending world champion Cleveland Indians in a spring training game before 24,517 people.[4]

The PCL Angels at Wrigley Field, 1952.

On February 21, 1957, the Dodgers bought a team in Fort Worth, Texas, Wrigley Field, the Angels franchise and their territorial rights for $3 million.[4] L.A. Wrigley's minor league baseball days ended when the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National League transferred to Los Angeles in 1958. The PCL Angels franchise relocated as the Spokane Indians to Avista Stadium in Spokane, Washington.[5]

The Dodgers considered using Wrigley Field, the Rose Bowl in Pasadena and the Los Angeles Coliseum.[4][6][7] The team opted for four seasons in the 93,000-seat L.A. Coliseum, which had a 251-foot foul line in left field, while awaiting construction of Dodger Stadium, with a seating capacity of 56,000.[8][9][10]

Major League Baseball: Los Angeles Angels

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In October 1960, MLB expanded the American League from eight to 10 teams. Teams were awarded to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. The L.A. franchise was awarded to Gene Autry and Bob Reynolds, and was called the Los Angeles Angels.[4]

The home opener on April 27 was a 4–2 loss to the Minnesota Twins before a crowd of 11,931.[4][11] In attendance were Vice President Richard Nixon, Casey Stengel, Ford Frick, Joe Cronin, and Ty Cobb.[4]

On October 1, 1961, the Cleveland Indians beat the Angels 8-5 before 9,868 fans. Steve Bilko hit the last home run in Wrigley.[12]

The 1961 Angels were led in hitting by Albie Pearson with a .288 batting average, in home runs by Leon Wagner with 28, and runs batted in by Ken Hunt with 84. The pitching staff was led by Ken McBride with 12 wins. Future World Series winning manager Chuck Tanner played in seven games.[13] The team drew 603,510 fans.[14]

Professional boxing

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Wrigley was used frequently for boxing. Six world title boxing bouts were held there, including the 1939 Joe Louis-Jack Roper fight. Sugar Ray Robinson also boxed at Wrigley Field. Robinson won the Middleweight Championship on May 18, 1956, knocking out Carl Olson before 18,000 fans.[4][15] On August 18, 1958, in a Heavyweight Championship fight, Floyd Patterson defeated Roy Harris with 17,000 in attendance.[4]

Football

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1938 NFL Pro-Bowl

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Several weeks after the completion of the 1938 season, the first NFL Pro Bowl was held at Wrigley Field on January 15, 1939.[15][16][17] Sammy Baugh was among those on the rosters that matched the champion New York Giants against All-Star NFL players.[18][19][20]

Pepperdine University

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The Pepperdine Waves college football team played home games at Wrigley Field in 1948.

Soccer

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On May 28, 1959, the park hosted a soccer friendly match between England and the United States; England won 8–1 in front of 13,000.[21] On June 1, 1960, Scottish Champions Hearts defeated England's Manchester United 4–0 in front of a crowd of 11,000.[22] The U.S. Men's National Team played a World Cup qualifier against Mexico on November 6, 1960, drawing 3–3 before 9,500 people.[23]

Wrigley Field hosted the replay of the 1964 National Challenge Cup final between the Los Angeles Kickers and Philadelphia Ukrainians. The Kickers won 2–0.[24][25]

Movies and television filming

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Being closer to Hollywood than the other major league baseball fields at the dawn of motion pictures, Wrigley Field was a popular place to film baseball movies. The first film known to have used Wrigley as a shooting location was 1927's Babe Comes Home, a silent film starring Babe Ruth. Some well-known movies filmed there were The Pride of the Yankees (1942) and Damn Yankees (1958). When Frank Capra filmed the public rally scene at Wrigley for Meet John Doe in August 1940, massive sprinklers simulated a downpour because the director included one rainy scene in each movie as good luck.[26] The film noir classic Armored Car Robbery (1950) had its title heist set at Wrigley.

The ballpark later found its way into television, serving as the backdrop for the Home Run Derby series in 1960, a popular show filmed in 1959 which featured one-on-one contests between baseball's top home run hitters, which had a revival in 1989 when it aired on ESPN, and later on ESPN Classic.[27] Episodes of shows as diverse as The Twilight Zone ("The Mighty Casey", 1960), The Munsters ("Herman The Rookie", 1965), and Mannix ("To Catch a Rabbit", 1969) were also filmed there. Some closeups were filmed there for insertion into the 1951 film Angels in the Outfield, a film otherwise set at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. A 1932 movie short starring Babe Ruth, titled Just Pals, was also filmed at Wrigley Field.

Jazz concerts

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Leon Hefflin, Sr. produced the first largest outdoor jazz entertainment event of its kind, the Cavalcade of Jazz, held at Wrigley as part of the Central Avenue jazz scene and showcased over 125 artists from 1945 to 1956.[28] The Cavalcade of Jazz concerts were the stepping stone to success for such stars as Toni Harper, Dinah Washington, Roy Milton, Frankie Lane and others.[29] He also hosted a beauty contest at the events. His first COJ show starred Count Basie & His Orchestra, Joe Liggins & His Honeydrippers, Valaida Snow, Big Joe Turner, the Peters Sisters, Slim & Bam (Slim Gaillard and Bam Brown), and more artists on September 23, 1945, with a crowd of 15,000.[30]

Demolition

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Following the Angels' departure after the 1961 season, Wrigley Field had no regular tenants. By then the park was owned by the city, and various events were staged. On May 26, 1963, a large crowd attended a civil rights rally featuring Martin Luther King Jr. By 1966 the park was being used for soccer matches.

In October 1968, the ballpark was renamed Gilbert Lindsay Community Center as a first step in renovating the site. Demolition was underway by January 1969. The resulting city park has a ball field in the northwest corner of the property, which was once a parking area. The diamond is locally known as "Wrigley Field", and is the home of Wrigley Little League baseball and softball.[31] The original site of the Wrigley diamond and grandstand is occupied by the Kedren Community Mental Health Center and another parking lot.

References

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Notes

  1. ^ a b "PCAD - Wrigley Field, Los Angeles, CA". Pacific Coast Architecture Database.
  2. ^ Gordon, Jim. "Wrigley Field (Los Angeles)". Society for American Baseball Research.
  3. ^ "The First Wrigley Field: More Than Baseball". Peek in the Stacks. California State University, Northridge. April 23, 2024. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Gordon, Jim. "Wrigley Field (Los Angeles) – Society for American Baseball Research". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
  5. ^ "Los Angeles Wrigley Field - history, photos and more of the Los Angeles Angels former ballpark". ballparksofbaseball.com.
  6. ^ "Wrigley Field Probable New Dodger Home" (PDF). The Daily Iowan. Iowa City, Iowa: University of Iowa. Associated Press. January 14, 1958. p. 5. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  7. ^ "O'Malley picks Wrigley Field, then holds off". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. January 14, 1958. p. 2, part 2.[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ "LA Dodgers can perform in Coliseum". Lodi News-Sentinel. United Press. January 18, 1958. p. 6.
  9. ^ "Rose Bowl officials, Dodgers will dicker". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Associated Press. December 18, 1957. p. 22.
  10. ^ "Dodgers out of Rose Bowl". Sarasota Journal. Associated Press. January 14, 1958. p. 10.
  11. ^ "1961 Los Angeles Angels Schedule". Baseball-Reference.com.
  12. ^ "Cleveland Indians at Los Angeles Angels Box Score, October 1, 1961". Baseball-Reference.com.
  13. ^ "1961 Los Angeles Angels Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  14. ^ "Los Angeles Angels Attendance, Stadiums, and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com.
  15. ^ a b Thurman, Jim (December 23, 2013). "10 L.A. Sports Venues That Are No More". L.A. Weekly. Archived from the original on April 6, 2019. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  16. ^ "Giants beat Stars; Ward Cuff is hero". Milwaukee Journal. United Press. January 16, 1939. p. L-7. Archived from the original on July 31, 2012. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  17. ^ "New York's Giants defeat All-Stars". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Associated Press. January 16, 1939. p. 6.
  18. ^ McLemore, Henry (January 16, 1939). "'Super' pro grid game proves flop on Coast". The Pittsburgh Press. United Press. p. 19.
  19. ^ Guenther, Jack (January 16, 1939). "Giants down professional all-star grids in charity tilt". Youngstown Vindicator. United Press. p. 9.
  20. ^ "1938 NFL Pro Bowlers". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  21. ^ Courtney, Barrie (December 2005). "England - International Results 1950-1959 - Details". RSSSF. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  22. ^ "1960-06-01 Wed Hearts 4 Manchester United 0". LondonHearts.com. London Hearts Supporters Club. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  23. ^ "U.S. Soccer Stars Rally to Tie Mexico". Los Angeles Mirror. November 7, 1960. Retrieved September 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ Baxter, Kevin (September 24, 2024). "L.A. Kickers players finally get their long-deserved U.S. Open Cup tribute". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  25. ^ Fontela, Jonah (September 21, 2024). "The City of Angels & the Open Cup: LA's Epic History from the '58 Kickers to Today". U.S. Soccer Federation. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  26. ^ Chapman, John (September 2, 1940). "Looking at Hollywood". Chicago Tribune.
  27. ^ McShane, Larry (July 29, 1989). "'Home Run Derby' is back, back, back on ESPN". Ocala Star-Banner. Associated Press. p. 4D.
  28. ^ O'Connell, Sean J. (2014). Images of America: Los Angeles's Central Avenue. Jazz Arcadia Publishing. pp. 36, 70–71.
  29. ^ Bryant; et al. (1998). Central Avenue Sounds: Jazz in Los Angeles. University of California Press Berkeley. pp. 188–189.
  30. ^ "15,000 Persons at Wrigley Field for 'Jazz Cavalcade'". California Eagle. September 27, 1945.
  31. ^ "Wrigley Little League". eteamz.com. Archived from the original on September 10, 2011. Retrieved September 13, 2021.

Bibliography

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Events and tenants
Preceded by
First Ballpark
 Home of the
Los Angeles Angels
1961 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
First Stadium
 Home of the
NFL All-Star Game
1938 		Succeeded by
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