The new Hollywood Stars played their first game at Wrigley against the home-team Angels on April 2, losing before 15, to open the season. The Hollywood Stars played their last home games at Wrigley on August 30 by splitting a double header with Seattle losing the first game and winning the finale before 11, Wrigley Field was used because the Los Angeles Coliseum Commission would not allow professional sports.
The first of two World Heavyweight Championship boxing matches held at Wrigley took place on April 17, Joe Louis knocked out Jack Roper in of the first round retaining the title before a crowd estimated between 23, and 30, including many gate crashers. Mike Jacobs was happy with the event and said he would schedule more championship fights in Los Angeles if the Coliseum would allow professional sports. The Angels again had Wrigley Field to themselves. The Stars were given opening day at home at Gilmore Field which had not been ready for the start of the season.
Jigger Statz took over as player-manager of the Angels. After the season, major-league baseball almost came to Los Angeles and Wrigley Field. At the baseball winter meeting held at the Palmer House in Chicago beginning on December 9, the American League unanimously voted down an unnamed proposal made to Don Barnes, president of the St. On May 17, the Angels and Rainiers split a double header at Wrigley before 15, paid plus servicemen.
This was the largest Wrigley crowd in 10 years. Seattle won the opener in 14 innings and the Angels won the second game also which was shortened to five innings by agreement so the teams could catch a northbound train. On August 4, the Army restricted night lighting along the Pacific Coast from Canada to Mexico and as far inland as miles. Although the order did not go into effect until August 20, the Angels played the last night baseball game on August 7 through the end of the season.
Jack Salveson pitched the Oakland Oaks over the Angels The 3, fans bid goodbye to night baseball after the seventh inning when all the lights were extinguished and the fans stood and held lighted matches during the sounding of taps and the singing of the national anthem.
Because of the war, the season was shortened to games and the night baseball ban remained. The Angels won the pennant by 21 games over San Francisco. Large crowds showed up at Wrigley for two double headers. On May 23, 19, saw the Angels and Stars split a double header with the Angels winning the opener and the Stars coming back with 5 runs in the seventh inning to overcome a Angel lead and win On June 28, the Angels and Seals split a Sunday double header before 19,, the largest daytime paid crowd in Wrigley history.
The Angels won the series six games to one and drew 31,; this pushed the attendance for the first four series of the year to , The Angels won the PCL again in More and more players were entering the military and the quality of baseball suffered. In , there was talk of the PCL becoming a third major league because of stadiums like Wrigley and Seals Stadium and the growing population on the west coast.
With the war over, crowds flocked to the ballparks. The Angels drew a record , at Wrigley while finishing in the middle of the pack. This was the start of booming glory days for the PCL. The Angels and Seals battled for the PCL pennant all through the season and, for the first time ever, finished in a flat-footed tie.
A one game playoff was scheduled for September 29 at Wrigley Field. There were standees all over the place but none on the field for this game because of official objections. Lefty Cliff Chambers started for the Angels in search of his 24th win. Righty Jack Brewer started for the Seals. There was no score in the bottom of the eighth.
With one out and the bases loaded, cleanup hitter Clarence Maddern came up and hit the first pitch far over the left field wall. The team mobbed Maddern at home plate. With two out, Larry Barton hit a ball into the bleachers for a lead. Chambers closed out the ninth for a 5-hit shutout. This is often considered the greatest game in Wrigley Field history. Home attendance reached ,, the Angels all-time record. Near the end of the season, the Angels televised their first game.
No one knew that this would be that start of a downhill slide for minor-league baseball. The Angels slipped to third in but home attendance was a robust , By the middle of , all weekend games were on television and more weekday games.
The desire for major-league baseball in Los Angeles was demonstrated at Wrigley Field on March 20, The defending World Champion Cleveland Indians played the Cubs in a spring training game before 24, paying customers. It was the second greatest crowd in Los Angeles baseball history. The Cubs won in 10 innings. The quality of play was excellent and few of the thousands who were corralled along the outfield wall or standing at the back of the grandstand left before the finish.
The fans were treated to seeing both Bob Feller and Bob Lemon pitch. In , Hollywood hired their radio broadcaster, Fred Haney, as manager, developed a working agreement with the Brooklyn Dodgers and rose to the top of the PCL. The Angels sank to last place and attendance dwindled to just over , However, on May 15, the Padres and their rising star, Luke Easter , drew the largest paid crowd ever at Wrigley, 23,, for a double header.
The Angels won the first game though the Padres protested when Easter was called out on a pickoff at first base that was followed by a home run. He was originally called safe because the ball was not in play, but, after the three umpires had a long discussion, the call was changed.
The Padres won the second game In the early s, television became pervasive in American society. Many families were getting television sets and the popular shows of the day were embraced by the culture. People stayed home to watch television and the entire entertainment industry suffered.
Movies, nightclubs, theater and sports attendance all declined. Moreover, as the major leagues began televising games, the interest in the minor leagues declined drastically and many leagues folded. One can imagine the difference in interest in watching a major-league game live on television as compared to listening to a minor-league radio recreation, sometimes hours after the game was completed.
Live major league radio, The Game of the Day, also hurt the minor leagues. The PCL, despite its near major league status, was no exception. As more games became televised to spur interest and generate additional revenue, attendance declined. The problem was compounded for the Angels. The Stars became a Pittsburgh farm team and prospered; they finished ahead of the Angels every year from through The Angels were owned by the moribund Cubs who could not provide the top caliber talent.
In , the Stars introduced playing day games in shorts which caused a major stir throughout baseball. Thus, the Angels had substantial problems keeping fan interest and attendance at Wrigley Field. The PCL was the only league to qualify. To become a major league, the PCL would have to substantially increase attendance and implement park upgrades to 25, seating.
The classification did allow the PCL to pay higher salaries and keep players who might have gone to the majors. The PCL never came close to meeting the requirements for major-league status. Despite the problems, there were some memorable moments, primarily between the Angels and Stars. On April 7, , 23, fans attended the Hollywood win over the Angels in the largest paid crowd for a PCL game in Los Angeles surpassing 23, for an Angel-Padre double header on May 15, and second only to 23, for a San Francisco-Oakland game in Hollywood swept a double header from the Angels in 10 innings and before 17, fans who rioted during the first game on August After the bottom of the 10th, another fan attacked Runge and wrestled him to the ground.
He was pulled off Runge and pummeled by infielder Gene Handley of the Stars. The Angels made seven errors to compound their frustration. The second game was played with 35 extra police patrolling the field and the stands under the personal direction of Los Angeles Police Chief William Parker. Attendance for the 8-game series was 85,, a Wrigley Field record and brought the Angel attendance to , gross, although the paid attendance was much less. The question of how to bring major-league baseball to Los Angeles persisted and presented the classic chicken and egg problem.
No team would come without a major-league stadium and no one would create a major-league stadium without a team. Many thought that Wrigley Field could be upgraded to 40, to 50, seats.
However, this would entail condemnation of private housing and businesses around the stadium and could not be accomplished quickly. Phillip K. Wrigley , owner of the Cubs and Angels, knew that he would not pay for the upgrades although he promoted them. Veeck had the reputation of being able to sell anything to anybody.
However, Veeck failed to unload Wrigley at a price satisfactorily to Wrigley. Would you have bought a used stadium from that man? Ned Cronin, in the Los Angeles Times in February , suggested using public funds to build a new stadium in Chavez Ravine to attract a team. No one responded to this suggestion. The desire for major-league baseball was again demonstrated during spring training in In the first game, Willie Mays hit three home runs on consecutive at bats in a Giant win before 17, The next day 24, fans packed Wrigley to see a Giant win.
Dusty Rhodes slugged a pinch-hit home run, Johnny Antonelli repeated his Game 2 Series win, and Willie Mays made an exceptional running catch in deep center field to retire Al Smith. Los Angeles fans could almost feel like they were at the World Series. Ticket selling was stopped 30 minutes before game time and at least 2, fans were turned away.
Bilko had been the regular first baseman for the Cardinals in and had hit 21 home runs but struck out times and hit only. He slumped in , was traded to the Cubs. Bilko did not appear able to displace Dee Fondy from the Cubs first base job and the announcement received little fanfare. The Angels won six of the final eight games from the Stars at Wrigley to tie the season series On Wednesday, August 31, 15, saw an Angel triumph at night.
The next evening, Ladies Night, 18, witnessed a Stars win and the Sunday double header, swept by the Angels and drew 15, The Angels and Stars finished in a tie for third in the PCL and, because there were no playoffs, the teams agreed to play a 5-game series at Wrigley for the City Championship.
The anticipation was for high attendance based on the final series that they played. The Stars won the first game on September 13 and the second with three runs in the ninth inning in a game that took a very unusual to play.
The Stars won the final game on Sunday with six home runs to the Angels none before 11, Joe Trimble struck out Steve Bilko with the tying run at third to end the game. Bilko was held homerless for the series. Total attendance for the five games was a disappointing 36, with only the last game exceeding 10, Lazzeri had set the PCL home run record with 60 in in games. In the season, attendance at several PCL cities, particularly Oakland, San Francisco and Sacramento, was disappointing and John Holland, Angel President, announced that they would play all day games in except for Friday nights.
One of the greatest middleweight fights of all time was held at Wrigley on May 18, Sugar Ray Robinson knocked out of Carl Bobo Olson with a perfect left hook in of the fourth round to retain the middleweight championship before 18, The fight was nationally televised but blacked out locally. A press box and broadcasting booths were constructed in the upper deck directly behind home plate. Other improvements included a food court in the upper deck.
Following the season, the Cubs expanded the bleachers, adding a restaurant in the batter's eye and a window to Sheffield Avenue in right field.
In the winter of , Wrigley Field underwent a major field renovation project to remove the field's crown, install an intricate drainage system and create a new playing surface. Prior to the season, the back of the centerfield scoreboard was fully renovated for the first time since it was installed in Restrooms were remodeled and fitted with new fixtures, a new viewing. Prior to the campaign, the right-field Budweiser bleachers were transformed to include the Budweiser Patio.
The area provided fans with a rooftop experience inside the ballpark, and added a foot LED board just above the right field fence. The restoration and expansion of Wrigley Field, known as The Project, is complete. This multi-year upgrade ensured the viability of the ballpark for future generations of Cubs fans, while preserving the beauty, charm and historic features fans have come to know and love.
The Project, which started at the conclusion of the baseball season, included structural upgrades, improved player facilities, fan amenities, outfield signage, two outfield video boards, premier clubs, upper-level outdoor concourse, expanded concessions, improved restroom facilities, enhanced connectivity and Wi-Fi and more.
Wrigley Field History. Wrigley Field, which was built in , is the second-oldest ballpark in the majors behind Boston's Fenway Park Wrigley Field Basics. Height of wall:. Distances from plate:. Left field - feet Left-center - feet Center field - feet. Right-center - feet Right field - feet. The Friendly Confines has been the site of such historic moments as:.
Babe Ruth's "called shot," when Ruth allegedly pointed to a bleacher location during Game 3 of the World Series. Ruth then hit Charlie Root's next pitch for a homer. Gabby Hartnett's famous "Homer in the Gloamin' " September 28, , vs. Pittsburgh's Mace Brown. Both Vaughn and Toney threw no-hitters for 9. In a small mezzanine section with private boxes for wealthy patrons was added.
One of the Cubs' latter-day hallowed traditions was broadcaster Harry Caray, known for his huge eyeglasses and big voice. He died in , and the whole city mourned One small blemish in this fine ballpark is that the exterior of the grandstand along the left and right sides looks a little worn, with rust on the screens and structural beams.
Prior to the season, three rows of box seats were added between the dugouts, and in a few rows of seats were added between the visitor's dugout first base side and the bullpen.
Prior to the season, the Cubs completely rebuilt and expanded the bleachers, raising the seating capacity by nearly two thousand. This annoyed the neighborhood fans "freeloaders"? This took to an extreme degree what penny-pinching fans did at Shibe Park in the s, and the Cubs tried to negotiate a deal to at least recoup some of the lost revenue. The expanded bleachers hung over the adjoining sidewalks, like the temporary bleachers built during the World Series of , , and But wait, there was more!
Further enhancements have been made in the past couple years, including a new video board that was installed above the wall in the right field corner prior to the season.
In addition, the seating rows in that corner were replaced by a new terraced dining section. But the biggest change took place in , with another complete overhaul of the bleachers and a second, even bigger video board in left center field.
The bleachers in the "power alleys" now have twenty rows rather than sixteen rows, as was the case from until Besides diminishing the historic character of "The Friendly Confines," the view from the rooftops across Waveland and Sheffield is now severely obstructed, sparking another round of legal disputes. Construction of that phase of renovation was finished in June Prior to the season, the bullpens were moved under the bleachers in right-center and left-center field. This allowed for three additional rows of seats to be added along the foul lines, thereby reducing foul territory by about 2, square feet.
During the following winter, most of the lower deck was demolished and then rebuilt, providing for new practice batting area and other enhanced amenities for players.
Both dugouts were rebuilt about feet farther from home plate. Next year it is expected that many upper deck seats will be converted into luxury suites. Will that be all? Other recent improvements include the new office building and Cubs team store on the west side of the stadium, as well as a new grass park on which fans can gather, and a new set of external staircases for easier fan access to the upper deck and rear portion of the lower deck.
Finally, the exterior of the stadium has been embellished with green-painted wrought iron trimming, along with red tile. It is a vast improvement over the previous rather shabby chain link exterior. The civic love affair between the Cubs and Chicago lives on, as everyone agrees on the inestimable value of this shrine to the National Pastime.
For some odd reason, the Chicago Bears played their home games at Wrigley Field for several decades, even though the much-bigger and more appropriate Soldier Field was available downtown. The Bears finally moved there in The football gridiron just barely fit Wrigley Field, and one corner of the end zone actually extended into the visitor's right side dugout!
It was the first such hockey special event played at a Major League Baseball stadium. In October , the Cubs made it all the way to the National League Championship Series for the first time since One year later they not only won their first National League pennant since but their first World Series championship since ! Click on the section headings below to display OR to hide the respective menu of photos, and then click on the camera icons to see the photos, one by one. Also see panoramic photos , below.
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