Lake Front Base Ball Park, Union Grounds
Life Span: 1878-TBD
Location: Michigan Avenue and Randolph Street
Architect: Unknown
The Chicago White Stockings left Twenty-Third Street Park and relocated to Lakefront Park near the corner of Michigan Avenue and Randolph Street. The same location that Union Baseball Grounds had stood before The Fire.
Lake Front Park
Michigan and Randolph
About 1880
The Inter Ocean, May 15, 1878
SPORTING NOTES.
BASE BALL
The Chicago’s new grounds on the lake front was formally opened yesterday by a game between the Indianapolis nine and the home nine. Although the day was very chilly and exceedingly unpleasant for out-door sports, fully 2,500 people assembled to witness the game and listen to a very ‘queer’ band, provided by President (William) Hulbert to officiate at the opening and funeral services of his white-hosed boys. Bothe nines appeared early on the field, and play began promptly at 3:45 o’clock with Indianapolis at the bat. The game was not particularly interesting except from the fact that from the first inning until the twenty-seventh man had been retired it was extremely doubtful which club would win. The play of Quest of the Indianapolis, was by far the most brilliant of the game. He covered the position of second base with greater ease and accuracy than any player that has been seen for many a day. He won the game for his club by a very clever double play in the ninth inning. The game stood 3 to 5 in favor of Indianapolis with one man out and all the bases full. Hallinan came to the bat and hit a high ball to the right of second base which Quest succeeded in catching, and by very fast running reached the base before Larkin. “The only Nolan” did not particularly distinguish himself in the field, but “the champion catcher of America” played his position finely. Hankinson played third without an error, and received very deserved applause for a number of excellent plays. Hallinan was brilliant in the left field, and Anson was remarkably stupid at second. The day was raw and cold, and the dismal music furnished by the band appeared to affect almost to tears the Chicago ball-players. Another game will be played tomorrow afternoon at the same hour, and a far different result is expected. There will be no band.
Lake Front Park
Rand McNally
1879
Harper’s Weekly, May 1883
THE CHICAGO BASEBALL GROUNDS.
The grounds of the Chicago Ball Club, indisputably the finest in the world in respect of seating accommodations and conveniences, are located on what is known as the Lake Front property, the title to which is in the city of Chicago. The inclosure begins at Randolph Street on the north, and extends along the east line of Michigan Avenue southward to a point about midway between Washington and Madison streets.
On the east are the tracks and switch yards of the Illinois Central Railroad Company, which has for several years past made a standing offer of $800,000 (not one-half its value) for the property; but as the city has been enjoined either from selling the tract or from permitting its use for permanent buildings, the ball club has continued to enjoy the rare privilege of grounds situated within a two minutes’ walk of State Street, the chief retail thoroughfare of Chicago. Partly on account of the convenient location of the grounds, but more by reason of the exceptional management of the Chicago ball team, and its success in winning the National League championship for three successive seasons, beginning with 1881, the game of base-ball is extremely popular in Chicago, and the average attendance at League championship games is considerably greater there than in any other city in the United States. During the season of 1882 the attendance at the forty-five League games played in Chicago was upward of 130,000, or an average of 3,000 persons to a game. With this fine patronage, made up in good part of the better classes of the community, the Chicago Club is amply able to maintain its costly team of players, and to equip its grounds and fixtures in a manner that by comparison with the usual style of baseball appurtenances might be termed palatial. At an outlay of $10,000 since the close of the playing season of 1882 the Chicago Club, under the direction of President Spalding, has completely remodelled its seating arrangements. Every exposed surface is painted, so as to admit of thorough cleansing from dust, the item of paint alone amounting to $1,800. The grand stand seats 2,000 people, and the uncovered seats will accommodate 6,000 more, so that with the standing room the total capacity is fully 10,000, and this without invading the playing-field.
A fence six feet high encircles the field in front of all the seats, which are elevated so as to command the best view of the play. Overlooking the main entrance is a handsomely ornamented ya-goda, built for a band stand, and to be occupied by the First Cavalry Band throughout the season.
Surmounting the grand stand is a row of eighteen private buxes, cozily draped with curtains to keep out wind and sun, and furnished with comfort able arm-chairs. By the use of the telephone and gong President Spalding can conduct all the preliminary details of the game without leaving his private box. Besides club officers and plavers, the services of forty-one persons are required at each game to attend to the grounds and seating arrangements, viz., seven ushers, six police. men, four ticket-sellers, four gate-keepers, three field-men, three cushion-renters, six refreshment boys, and eight musicians. Aside from players’ salaries, ground rent, and including advertising, the cost per game on the Chicago grounds is $200; add to this the salaries of players, rent of grounds, traveling and hotel expenses, and $10,000 expended this year on improvements, and the total outlay for the season is $60,000, so that the Chicago Club must average $525 for each of the ninety-six League championship games to be played during 1883. But the patronage attracted by the famous champion team both at home and in other cities may be depended upon to make good this large sum, and possibly leave something besides for stockholders. The fact that so large an outlay can be safely made tells its own storr of lie popularity of base-ball.
The ballpark was expanded after the 1882 season and remained the White Stockings’ home until they moved to West Side Park in 1885, but not before they won championships in 1880, 1881 and 1882.
Dimensions of Lakefront Park
- Left Field – 186 ft
Center Field – 300 ft
Right Field – 196 ft
Lake Front Park, Erroneously illustrated as being on the west side of Michigan Avenue.
Rand McNally
1879
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