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ALL-STAR GAME: 1997
BEEN THERE: I walked around Jacobs Field in February 1998, and drove by it in August of that same year.
"Faith" is sometimes defined as the triumph of hope over experience, and Jacobs Field is a perfect example. After getting burned by Cleveland Municipal Stadium back in 1932, the citizens of Cleveland had every right to be leery of funding another baseball stadium, just as the citizens of Montreal are today. Yet unlike the "Mistake on the Lake" where the Indians called home for half a century, this stadium turned out to be a wise investment, both in terms of the team's performance and in terms of revitalizating downtown Cleveland. Like Oriole Park at Camden Yards, this ballpark is superb in terms of both architectural design and aesthetics. In terms of field layout, it almost a mirror image of Camden Yards, with right and left fields reversed. However, Jacobs Field's modernistic stylings, with bare structural steel stand in contrast to its Baltimore counterpart. Like Ebbets Field, the sides of the structure are determined by the surrounding streets, and except for the center field segment of the wall, all of the sides are either parallel to or perpendicular to the two wings of the main grandstand. The view of the Cleveland skyline behind the left field scoreboard makes this an authentic urban ballpark. One "debit" in the overall account is the fact that 88 percent of the cost to build Jacobs Field was financed with taxpayers' money, midway between the public funding ratios of Camden Yards (96 percent) and the Ameriquest Field (80 percent). Of all the Neoclassical stadiums, it has the lowest capacity in relation to that of its predecessor. In this cozier, far more comfortable venue, every Indians home game was sold out for the first seven years after this ballpark opened. Also like most other stadiums of this class, the playing surface is 18 feet below the street, about the same height as both the left field fence and the first deck of the grandstand.
This is a great ballpark from a fan's perspective. Like Camden Yards, there are three main decks plus a skybox level above the mezzanine level. The second deck is one of the largest of any stadiums currently in use, and it is cantilevered so that it hangs out over a substantial portion of the lower deck. Thus, it is positioned closer to the diamond than any other mid-to-upper-level deck in a recent stadium. (Fans in the back rows of the lower deck might get a little claustrophobic, however.) The second deck is replaced by two skybox / press box levels in the right field corner, behind home plate, and all along the third base side of the stadium. Perched above the 19-foot left field wall, the bleachers offer a great view of what's happening on the diamond, but anything that happens on or near the warning track in left field is out of sight. At some point after the stadium was originally built, probably in 1997, the bleachers were expanded by adding a section of seats to each side. The huge scoreboard in back of the bleachers features a huge "Indians" logo on top and is crammed with billboards along the sides, usually including the world-famous Cleveland Clinic. It's all perhaps a bit overdone, but does add unique character to the ballpark. Next to the home team bullpen in center field is a terraced picnic area, adorned with a number of small trees and shrubs. In 2007, that area was converted into "Heritage Park," with monuments to past Indian greats arranged in an open circle formation. There is ample "standing room" in the left field corner and in right center field, where temporary bleachers are installed for postseason games and other high-attendance events. At the gate on that (northeast) side of the stadium is a statue to Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller. One convenience is the elevated walkways extending from the ends of the upper decks on both sides to the parking garage in back of the bleachers. For the well heeled fan, there are a series of glass-enclosed multistory skyboxes angled toward home plate, located near the left field foul pole.
From a player's perspective, there are also many unique features. Even though the field dimensions are rougly the same from right field to left field, the sharp corners and odd angles in the outfield walls, and the varying height thereof, combine to make for a significant element of asymmetry. The 19-foot high wall in left field is a challenge to sluggers, and gives occasion for many weird bounces from line drives, as with the Green Monster at Fenway Park. Also, the visitors' bullpen in right field is partly covered by the overhanging second deck. One minor oddity is the fact that the wall in the right field corner is taller the rest of the wall in right field, about 12 feet compared to 8 feet. This reflects the fact that the "bend" in the lower deck grandstand in that corner (where the orientation of the seating rows shifts) is closer to home plate than the corresponding bends in the upper decks. Thus, there is hardly any overhang below the second deck on the right side of the bullpen. (See the large photo below.) In contrast to other Neoclassical stadiums, there is a relatively large area behind home plate.
Almost from the moment they started playing here, the Indians underwent a miraculous transformation from being perpetual losers -- as depicted in the movie Major League -- to consistent pennant contenders. They made it all the way to the World Series in 1995 (losing to the Braves) and in 1997 (losing to the Marlins); if it were not for that fluke ending to Game 7 in 1997, the Indians would have been world champions for the first time since 1948. (Coincidentally, the guy who played a decisive role in the 1948 triumph, Larry Doby, passed away just a few days before I first posted this page. He was the first black player in the American League.) The Indians have fallen behind in the standings in the last couple years, but their two AL pennants have erased the old stigma for good.
SOURCES: USA Today / Fodor's (1996), Gameface - Cleveland Indians Magazine (Aug. 1997), Lowry (2006), Google Maps
