Funds Safeco

Admin | December 27, 2011 | Comments Off

Funds Safeco

Funds Safeco

In the early part of the 20th century, baseball stadiums were mostly made of wood; seats were mounted on various levels and outfield walls contained product advertisements. Professional baseball, in its infancy, was not a proven business entity. Wooden stadium structures were inexpensive to build; that was attractive to team owners who were not assured that professional baseball would turn a profit.

Wooden Baseball Parks

"Classic” wooden parks of the 1800s and 1900s included Bennett Park (Detroit Tigers; 1896-1911), Columbia Park (Philadelphia Athletics; 1901-1909), Eastern Park (Brooklyn Grooms; 1891-1897), Oriole Park, I-IV (Baltimore Orioles; 1882-1902), Palace of the Fans (Cincinnati Reds; 1902-1911) and West Side Park, I-II (Chicago White Stockings, Chicago Cubs; 1885-1915). Fire destroyed American League Park (Washington Senators; 1901-1911), National League Park (Philadelphia Phillies; 1887-1894) and the Polo Grounds III (New York Giants; 1890-1911). As baseball became profitable, team owners were forced to look at long-term facility solutions.

Classic Baseball Stadiums of Yesterday

The “golden age of baseball” featured stadiums constructed with concrete, steel and two decks of wooden seating. Shibe Park/Connie Mack Stadium (1909-1970) in Philadelphia was the first -- home to baseball’s Athletics (American League; 1909-1954), Phillies (National League; 1938-1970) and the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles (1940, 1942-1957). National League Park, home to the Phillies from 1887 to 1938), was rebuilt in 1894 with steel and brick after the team's wooden stadium burned down.