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Cleveland Municipal Stadium
Formerly, Lakefront Stadium

Cleveland, Ohio
Tenants: Cleveland Indians (AL 1932-93); Cleveland Rams (NFL 1937, 1939-41, 1944-45);
Cleveland Browns (AAFC/NFL 1946-95)
Groundbreaking: June 24, 1930
Opened: July 1, 1931
First American League game: July 31, 1932
First NFL Game: September 1, 1937
Last American League game: October 3, 1993
Last NFL game: December 17, 1995
Demolished: November, 1996
Current use of site: Cleveland Browns Stadium

Surface: Natural grass
Seating Capacity: 78,000 (1931); 76,997 (1971); 74,483 (1989)
Architect: F.R. Walker of Walker & Weeks
Builder: Osborn Engineering
Owner: City of Cleveland
Cost: $2.8 million (1931); $5 million (1967 renovation); $3.6 million (1974 renovation)

Dimensions:
Foul lines: 322 (1932), 320 (1933), 321 (1948), 320 (1953)
Power alleys: 435 (1932), 365 (1947), 385 (1949), 380 (1954), 390 (1967), 385 (1970), 395 (1991)
Short left-center: 377 (1980), 390 (1991), 364 (1992)
Deep left-center: 387 (1980), 400 (1991), 375 (1992)
Grandstand corners: 435 (1932)
Bleacher corners: 463 (1932)
Center field: 470 (1932), 467 (1938), 450 (1939), 410 (1947), 408 (1966), 400 (1970), 415 (1991), 404 (1992)
Deep right-center: 395 (1980), 400 (1991), 370 (1992)
Short right-center: 385 (1980), 390 (1991), 360 (1992)

Fences:
Left and right field: 5.25 ft (1932), 6 ft (1955), 9 ft (1976), 7 ft (1977), 8 ft (1984); Center field: 12 ft (1932), 5.5
ft (1947), 8 ft (1975), 9 ft (1976), 8 ft (1977), 16 ft (36-foot-wide area in center field, angling down to the
lower fences in the alleys, 1991), 8 ft (1992)

Hosted World Series: 1948, 1954
Hosted All-Star Game: 1935, 1954, 1963, 1981
Hosted AAFC/NFL Championship Game: 1946, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1964, 1965, 1968
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Sources:  BrownsHistory -   Wikipedia  -  Baseball Almanac  -  Infinite Source Energy

All copyrighted material remains the property of its original authors.
 Ground was first broken on the facility in 1930, although the idea behind the stadium had been around for
years.  Up until the grand opening of the now famous complex, most major outdoor events such as football,
baseball, boxing, and conventions were held in League Park on Lexington Ave and E. 66th.  High school football
was the biggest show of that day in the area (along with the Indians), and there was a definite shortage of fields
for teams to compete.  Proposals for a new downtown field were continually shot down in the 1910’s and 1920â
€™s.  Floyd A. Rowe, a city schools employee, first recommended a new 20 to 25 thousand-seat stadium to
accommodate local needs.  However, none of this ever came to fruition as slow moving politics and red tape kept
delaying planning.  All of this came to an end, though, when Clevelanders passed a $2.5M bond for a new â
€œfireproofâ€� stadium, proposed for a lakeside site that currently had a water-soaked dump occupying it.  This
bond passed 60% to 40% (a 55% approval was required for a ballot bond).

The original need for a 20,000 seat complex evolved into Cleveland Stadium.  All in all, it took over 3 million bricks,
70 miles of electrical wire and conduit, and 4600 tons of steel. Official groundbreaking ceremonies were held on
June 24, 1930.  These ceremonies were held without much fanfare, as the city was not looking forward to this
astronomical new expense.  Construction would take just over one year to complete.
A summer evening on the shore of Lake Erie in 1993 - Cleveland Stadium's last season of baseball.
-- -------------------------------- --

Notes, Facts and Features

Although Municipal Stadium was built with 250 floodlights of 1,000 watts apiece, the first night game wasn't played
until June 27, 1939.  Bob Feller one-hit the Tigers in that game 5-0, before 53,305.

Did you know that Municipal Stadium was built in three-hundred seventy (370) days at the cost of $2.8 million AND
it was the first ballpark built with public funding?

Perhaps the greatest streak in sports history came to an end in Cleveland Stadium on July 17, 1941 as Joe
DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak was snapped.  Pitchers Al Smith and Jim Bagby of the Cleveland Indians held him
hitless. Two hard hit shots came close, but great defensive stops by third baseman Ken Keltner ended the streak.  
During the streak Joe DiMaggio had a batting average of .408, a slugging average of .717, he faced four (4) future
hall of fame pitchers, and he played in the 1941 All-Star Game (he went one-for-four, scored a run, and drove in a
run).

No player ever hit a ball into the center field bleachers.

On September 12, 1954, the largest crowd in American League history (84,587) watched an Indians-Yankees game,
but in later years poor Indians clubs and harsh winds from the nearby lake often left the cavernous stadium
depressingly empty. During this time, the stadium became known as "the Mistake by the Lake" -- mostly among
younger fans who had never experienced its earlier, more glorious days as a multi-sport palace. It was also home
to the Cleveland Browns, many important college football games, boxing, track, large religious gatherings and even,
on occasion, grand opera.

The most colorful, successful period in Indians history began on June 21, 1946 when Bill Veeck purchased the
Indians. He moved the club back to Municipal Stadium on a full-time basis in 1947 and his innovative promotions
helped spark record attendance.  Thanks mostly to a world championship team led by Bob Feller, Lou Boudreau,
Larry Doby, Early Wynn, and Satchel Paige, the Tribe set a major-league attendance record of 2.6 million in 1948 -
An American League record that stood until the Yankees broke it in 1980.

The Cleveland Rams were the first football team to don the stadium.  The rather unsuccessful Rams had begun
operations in 1937, and had never played better than .500.  The team suspended operations in 1943 due to WWII,
but finally put a good season together in 1945, and found themselves playing for the NFL title against Sammy Baugh
and the Washington Redskins at the stadium.  The Rams won the contest, but continued to lose money in the city
of Cleveland.  Team owner Dan Reeves announced his plans to move the team from Cleveland to Los Angeles
shortly after the season.

That suited Mickey McBride just fine.  McBride, a taxi company owner in Cleveland, was going through with plans
for a new football team in Cleveland that would play in the NFL rival AAFC.  McBride had counted on the Rams and
his team sharing the stadium during the season, but the AAFC’s  Saturday games would not have made this
scheduling impossible.  When Reeves backed out of the city in ’45, that gave McBride a football monopoly in
the city.  The new team, eventually called the Browns, gained popularity with the city quickly, and started an
unrivaled tradition that remains to this day.

The center field bleachers were known as the "Dog Pound" during Browns football games.

The facility, located just across the street from Lake Erie, was known for the biting cold winds that would blow
into the stadium in winter and, for that matter, during much of the spring and fall.

When demolished in 1996,  the pieces were literally taken across the street and dumped in the lake, so as to
create an artificial reef for fisherman and divers.

Under Bill Veeck's watch, Indian teepees were erected in 1946 in the center field bleachers.

On September 23, 1949, Bill Veeck and the Indians buried their 1948 pennant in center field before a game, the
day after they were mathematically eliminated from the pennant chase.

On Beer Night, the Indians forfeited their June 4, 1974 game when unruly fans took over the field and would not
leave.

The Indians enlarged the field of play significantly in 1991, believing that this would help their defensively oriented
team, but the strategy didn't work and the fences were moved back in 1992.

July 31, 1932: Cleveland plays its first game in new Municipal Stadium before a crowd in excess of 80,000 (paid
attendance of 76,979), but Mel Harder loses to the A's Lefty Grove 1-0 on Cochrane's RBI single.

June 17, 1960: A 2-run home run off Wynn Hawkins at Cleveland Municipal Stadium makes Ted Williams the 4th
player in ML history to hit 500 home runs. The Red Sox win 3–1 behind Frank Sullivan's 12 strikeouts.

July 3, 1980: The ML's largest crowd in seven years (73,096) watches Wayne Garland 2-hit the Yankees 7–0 at
Cleveland Stadium.

May 15, 1981: Len Barker tosses a perfect game

1987 AFC Championship - Denver Broncos vs. Cleveland Browns - The numbers continue to haunt Browns fans: 98
yards, 5:34 left, winning 20-13. And while everyone remembers John Elway’s touchdown bullet to Mark Jackson
on third and one, it was a 20-yard completion to Jackson on a third and 18 earlier in The Drive that Browns fans
continue to mutter about. Hypothetically, if the Browns had won the game and gone to the Super Bowl, then
would Cleveland had been more conducive to Modell’s stadium wishes? By leading The Drive, did Elway help
push the Browns to Baltimore, a city where he didn’t want to play years before?

-- ---------------------------------- --
 Building this massive structure was a long and laborious task that didn’t go without failures and catastrophes.  
Two workers lost their lives in the construction when they were working on a 120 foot elevator shaft.  The
workers were aboard the elevator shaft, hauling some tubing to the top.  The tubing was to be used to pour
concrete footers that would secure the elevator, when the tower collapsed.  Although the reason for the
collapse remains unknown, it is widely accepted that wind was the culprit.  The two men fell to their death as two
more narrowly escaped being crushed by the falling object.  After an official investigation, it was determined that
neither the construction company nor the workers were at fault.

Stadium construction was completed by the time dedication ceremonies were held on July 1, 1931.  Over 77,000
people went to that event, and either paid a quarter or 50 cents to get in.  These ceremonies preceded the first
official event ever in the stadium, a world heavyweight boxing match between Max Schmeling and Young Stribling,
by two days.  It was estimated that over 100,000 fans would attend the boxing match.  Based on those figures,
there would be well over $1 Million in gate receipts.  That wasn’t to be, though, as less than 40,000 people
came out to see the contest and the fight lost money, although only by a small margin.  Other events such as the
Shriners and Grand Summer Opera Week continued to keep Municipal Stadium filled throughout 1931.

It wasn’t until July 31, 1932 that the Indians finally utilized this massive monument.  The Tribe was set to move
in on July 14th, but negotiations broke down and the first home stand on The Lake was delayed two weeks.  
Nevertheless, over 80,000 fans came out to see the Indians take on the Philadelphia Athletics.  That figure set the
all time Major League record for attendance.  The Indians lost that one game 1-0, as Philly 2B Max Bishop recorded
the first ever hit.  The Indians continued to play in Municipal Stadium for another 61 years until the new â
€œGatewayâ€� project opened up for baseball in 1994.  The Indians began their farewell tour that year as the
baseball  at the stadium was commemorated by promotions, fanfare, and anticipation of a new home.

The Indians played all of their home games at Cleveland Stadium in 1933, then returned to League Park for all but
Sunday and holiday dates in 1934 after the team's batting average dropped to seventh in an eight-team league in
'33.  The return to the smaller park also represented a substantial savings on operating costs in the depths of the
Great Depression.  The Indians continued to split time between the two ballparks until 1947, when new owner Bill
Veeck made the permanent move to Cleveland Stadium for all home games.

Over the years, Cleveland Stadium's dimensions underwent many changes.  The stadium’s oval, deep-roofed,
double-decked grandstand extended well beyond the foul poles before giving way to uncovered bleachers, which
were originally 463' from home plate in right- and left-center fields. In this form, it was an extreme pitcher's park.
An inner fence was installed in April 1947, cutting the distance for most home runs by over 40 feet, and later
adjustments shortened the outfield even more, making the park neutral with respect to scoring, and somewhat
favorable for home runs. No ball ever reached the centerfield bleachers on the fly, although Jose Canseco once
hit a 470-foot blast that landed in the slot between the bleachers and the left-field grandstands.   Over the years,
the fence was repeatedly moved back and forth depending on how it would favor the Indians - sometimes,
reputedly, in the middle of the night.
 Two renovations took place in 1967 and 1974 when the original wooden seats were replaced by plastic ones and
a new scoreboard replaced the old one. Transformation of Municipal Stadium from football to baseball was
relatively simple. Very few changes had to be made to the stadium to get it ready for football. The football field
was laid out straight up through the center of the baseball field. One of the more notable parts of Municipal
Stadium was its rowdy fans who sat in the bleachers behind the end zone. This section became known as the "Dog
Pound".

Cleveland Stadium continued to be operated by the city through the 1970’s, and continued to lose money for
the city.  That’s why, in 1975, they happily gave full management control to Browns owner Art Modell.  In his
contract with the city, Art Modell would be responsible for over $100M in renovations through 1999, and would
absorb all operating losses that the building may produce.  Modell also agreed to give the city a cut of any profits
of the time.  It was a good deal for the city, and Modell considered it a good deal for him as well.  He created the
Cleveland Stadium Corporation (Stadiumcorp).  He believed that he could not only eliminate debt, but generate
profit as well.  Modell meticulously managed the stadium, with help from Stadiumcorp’s employees, and
continued to cut losses (although he rarely turned a profit) more than the city ever hoped to do.

Cleveland Stadium began to show it's age in the '70's. The building overall was in bad repair. The masonry had mold
growing on it. The bathrooms were deemed too few, too old, too dirty, and too crowded. The locker rooms and
clubhouse areas were cramped and smelled of mildew. People often came to the stadium and simply said, "it's
amazing."

This amazement finally resulted in the Indians threatening to leave in the '90's, and cashing in on that threat with
a brand new stadium, Jacobs Field.  Modell, always able to keep his head above water with the stadium, wasn't
able to any longer. Modell leased the stadium to the Indians (since he managed it), and the Tribe, with 82 home
games, was Stadiumcorp’s biggest customer.  Modell continued to try and manage the stadium, but didn’t
have nearly the same success he had with the Tribe on board.  As city officials continued to drag their feet on a
stadium renovation package that would modernize the facility, the owner of Stadiumcorp continued to mismanage
his money and get bad advice from his executives.  This situation all came to a head in 1995, and in a desperation
maneuver, Modell announced plans to move the team to Baltimore.

The Browns, in the middle of their season, became distracted by these events, and instead of the brouhaha that
was the Indians last season in Municipal Stadium, the Browns began a “Trail of Tearsâ€� so to speak.  They lost
7 of their final 8 contests, all coming after the announcement, and finished the season 5-11.   The only win they
salvaged was the final home game, a 26-10 win over Cincinnati.  As the game ended, the crowd began ripping out
seats, bricks, wood, and anything else they could carry to remember the Browns and the Stadium by.

The life of Cleveland Municipal Stadium, once considered a wonder of the world, officially came to an end when
the NFL announced that it would return the Browns (in the form of an expansion franchise) to Cleveland provided
a new stadium was built for them.  Demolition of the Lady on the Lake paved the way for Cleveland Browns
Stadium which now stands on the same site.
Photo courtesy Uncle Bob's Ballparks
A construction photograph  from 1931 shows mostly bare steelwork on the third base side.  The stadium was
erected in an amazing 370 days and at a cost of $2,844,000.