When most people hear the name “Wrigley Field,” they picture brick walls, ivy and a team with the longest World Series drought in Major League Baseball. But two years before the Chicago stadium became known as Wrigley Field, there was already another ballpark with the same name in Los Angeles, California.
The story began in 1921, a few years after William K. Wrigley Jr. became principal owner of the Chicago Cubs. Wanting to acquire a minor league team in California, he acquired the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League. (Not to get confused with the current Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) After failing to find a place for the newly acquired Los Angeles Angels, he decided to build his own ballpark. Wrigley hired architect Zachary Taylor Davis, who had designed Cubs Park (now known as Chicago’s Wrigley Field) to design the stadium after Cubs Park.
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| Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League |
Wrigley Field was a perfectly symmetrical ballpark with more than 20,000 seats on the corner of 42nd Place and Avalon Boulevard in South Central Los Angeles.
For 33 seasons, 1925 to 1957, the park was home to the minor league team Los Angeles Angels. The minor league baseball days ended when the Brooklyn Dodgers transferred to Los Angeles in 1958. Rumors swirled Los Angeles, that the Dodgers would perhaps use Wrigley Field as their temporary home while awaiting construction of their new stadium. Dodger owner Walter O' Malley criticized the stadium for having small dimensions, but the real reason why he opted out for the Los Angeles Coliseum was because it sat 93,000 people.
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| Wrigley Park Supporter hoping the Dodgers would call it home |
The stadium became vacant until 1961, when the now LA Angels of Anaheim became a Major League Baseball team. The team used this stadium for only one year until they awaited their new stadium in Anaheim. The stadium then became very popular for filming. Before MLB integrated the Home Run Derby to the MLB All Star Game, famous baseball players would come to this field and film a home run derby style show
The stadium once again became vacant and with the rise of two Major League Baseball Stadium the venue became vacant and only used for other recreation events. The city of Los Angeles decided to demolish the stadium for a new recreational facility and a medical facility. Demolition began in March 1969. The once futuristic and first known Wrigley Field disappeared and is often forgotten due to Wrigley Field in Chicago still serving as a home to the Chicago Cubs.
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| Wrigley Park being demolished in 1969 |
Interesting Facts:
Cubs Park was renamed to Wrigley Field until 1927. Almost 5 years after L.A's Wrigley Field
William K. Wrigley's company Wrigley's Chewing Gum
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| 1920's ad for Wrigley's Gum |
Los
Angeles' Wrigley Field was the original Wrigley Field, bearing the
name when it opened in 1925 as the Cubs ballpark was known as Cubs
Park - See more at: http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/past/LAWrigleyField.htm#sthash.XVvWyKxy.dpuf
Los
Angeles' Wrigley Field was the original Wrigley Field, bearing the
name when it opened in 1925 as the Cubs ballpark was known as Cubs
Park. - See more at: http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/past/LAWrigleyField.htm#sthash.XVvWyKxy.dpuf
Los
Angeles' Wrigley Field was the original Wrigley Field, bearing the
name when it opened in 1925 as the Cubs ballpark was known as Cubs
Park. - See more at: http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/past/LAWrigleyField.htm#sthash.XVvWyKxy.dpuf
Los
Angeles' Wrigley Field was the original Wrigley Field, bearing the
name when it opened in 1925 as the Cubs ballpark was known as Cubs
Park. - See more at: http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/past/LAWrigleyField.htm#sthash.XVvWyKxy.dpuf
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