Progressive Field
From SoSH
| Location: | Cleveland, Ohio |
| Opened: | April 4, 1994 |
| Owner: | Cuyahoga County |
| Surface: | Kentucky Bluegrass |
| Architect: | HOK Sport |
| Current Capacity: | 43,345 |
| Build Cost: | $175 Million |
| Tenants: | Cleveland Indians (1994 - Present) |
Contents |
Stadium History
For years, baseball in Cleveland was played in the cold, cramped, mammoth Cleveland Municipal Stadium. "The Mistake by the Lake," as they called it, had been the home of Cleveland baseball since it first opened in 1932. Cleveland Municipal Stadium had more than 74,000 seats (more than any other major league park) but few of those seats were filled when the Indians played. That all changed when Jacobs Field, which has only 43,345 seats, opened in 1994. Attendance suddenly boomed. In their first year at the new park, Cleveland averaged 39,121 fans per game. The final 28 games before a season-ending strike all sold out.
Jacobs Field is similar in look and feel to Baltimore’s Camden Yards, opened two years earlier. But the Indians did some things with their ballpark that the Orioles didn’t. The seats down both lines are angled towards home plate so that fans don’t need to turn their heads to watch the game. An area behind first base is designated Kidsland, with special concessions and features. Then there are the bullpens, which feature three mounds. As in Baltimore, the bullpens are raised above the playing field so that fans can see who is warming up.
Because of great teams, from 1995 until April 4, 2001, the Indians set a major league record of 455 sellouts of Jacobs Field.
On January 11, 2008, the Indians announced that Jacobs Field would be renamed Progressive Field under the terms of a 16-year naming rights deal with Progressive Insurance.[1]
Field Dimensions
| Left Field | Left Center | Center Field | Right Center | Right Field |
| 325' | 370' | 405' | 375' | 325' |
Wall Height
| Left Field | Center Field | Right Field |
| 19’ | 8’ | 8’ |
Ground Rules
In addition to adhering to the Universal Ground Rules, Progressive field employs the following ground rules:
DUGOUT AND PHOTOGRAPHERS' AREAS
- Ball striking roofs or color facings of dugouts, camera pits or diamond suites: Out of Play
OUTFIELD AREA
- Batted ball in flight striking the flat area in front of right field seating area and beyond right field wall: Home Run.
Trivia
- Original plan was for a downtown domed stadium, but local voters rejected an increase in property taxes to fund the proposal.
- Indians bullpen is located in deep right-center, visitors in right-field corner, each with three pitching mounds.
- The building measures approximately 120 feet from main concourse to the top of the sunscreen.
- Bullpens are elevated 4 feet 6 inches above playing field.
- Funded by a 15-year "luxury tax" on alcohol and cigarette sales passed in a May 1990 referendum.
- First property for site was acquired in December 1985; the entire site was acquired by Spring 1988.
- Home plate from Cleveland Municipal Stadium was transplanted at end of 1993 season.
- Hosted the 1995 World Series, where the Indians lost to the Atlanta Braves.
- Site of the 1997 All-Star game.
External Links
- Progressive Field - Ballparks.com
- Progressive Field - Wikipedia
