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| caption = 1887 illustration in the ''[[Cleveland Plain Dealer]]''
| caption = 1887 illustration in the ''[[Cleveland Plain Dealer]]''
| former names = Cleveland Base Ball Park /<br>American Association Park<br>(1887–1888)
| former names = Cleveland Base Ball Park /<br>American Association Park<br>(1887–1888)
| location = Payne Avenue & East 36th Street<br>[[Cleveland]], Ohio, U.S.
| location = South of Payne Avenue<br>at East 36th Street<br>[[Cleveland]], Ohio, U.S.
| coordinates = {{nowrap|{{coord|41|30|32.14|N|81|39|50.60|W|region:US-OH_type:landmark_scale:2000}}}}
| coordinates = {{nowrap|{{coord|41|30|23|N|81|39|48|W|region:US-OH_type:landmark_scale:2000}}}}
| owner = [[Frank Robison]]
| owner = [[Frank Robison]]
| type = [[Baseball park]]
| type = [[Baseball park]]
| capacity = 4,500
| capacity = 4,500
| dimensions = Left field – 390 ft (119 m)<br>Center field – 600 ft + (183 m +)<br>Right field – 590 ft (180 m)
| dimensions = Left field – {{convert|390|ft|m|0}}<br>Center field – {{convert|600|ft|m|0}}<br>Right field – {{convert|590|ft|m|0}}
| surface = [[Lawn|Grass]]
| surface = Infield: [[sod]]; outfield: [[Lawn|grass]]
| opened = May 4, 1887
| opened = May 4, 1887
| closed = October 4, 1890
| closed = October 4, 1890
| cost = $7,000<br>(${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|7000|1887}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}})
| architect = E. P. Ruprect
| general_contractor = George W. Foote
| tenants = [[Cleveland Spiders]] ([[American Association (1882–1891)|AA]]/[[National League (baseball)|NL]]) (1887–1890)
| tenants = [[Cleveland Spiders]] ([[American Association (1882–1891)|AA]]/[[National League (baseball)|NL]]) (1887–1890)
}}
}}
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==History==
==History==
Spider Park was originally known as "Cleveland Base Ball Park"; the venue first opened on May 4, 1887, for the home opener of the [[1887 Cleveland Blues season|inaugural season]] of the [[Cleveland Spiders#1887–1888|Cleveland Blues]]{{efn|Not to be confused with: the [[Cleveland Blues (National League)|Cleveland Blues]] (1879–1884), a defunct [[National League (baseball)|National League]] franchise; or the [[Cleveland Guardians]] (1901–present), an active [[American League]] franchise originally known as the "Blues" (or "Bluebirds").}} ("Blues" was an early name for the Cleveland Spiders franchise).<ref>[[#Fleitz|Fleitz]], p. 11. "The newest American Association team needed a park to play in, so Robison and his fellow directors built a new facility... Called Cleveland Base Ball Park..."</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=May 5, 1887|title=The Red Legs Won: Cincinnati Wins the First Game by a Score of 10 to 6|newspaper=[[Cleveland Plain Dealer]]|publisher=Plain Dealer Publishing Co.|page=5|quote=... yesterday afternoon... The game was the opening one of the Clevelands at their new park...}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=May 31, 1887|title=The Clevelands Win a Game and the Mets Win One Too|newspaper=[[Cleveland Plain Dealer]]|publisher=Plain Dealer Publishing Co.|page=5|quote=Pretty fielding prevented the Blues from scoring until the third inning...}}</ref> The new ball club began as a member of the [[American Association (1882–1891)|American Association]], a now-defunct [[Major League Baseball|major league]], thus accounting for another early name of the venue: "American Association Park" (or simply "Association Park").<ref name="Fleitz 7">[[#Fleitz|Fleitz]], p. 7. "He then built a new ballpark, called American Association Park... on one of his streetcar lines."</ref><ref name="Lowry 69–70">[[#Lowry|Lowry]], pp. 69–70. "League Park (II): aka American Association Park 1887–1888, National League Park (II)... Dimensions – Foul poles: 410; Center field: 420"</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=November 3, 1887|title=Improving Association Park|newspaper=[[Cleveland Plain Dealer]]|publisher=Plain Dealer Publishing Co.|quote=The work of improving association park is rapidly going on...}}</ref><!--Some sources use the name "Brookside Park" for the ballpark during this period,<ref name="Schneider 389a">[[#Schneider|Schneider]], p. 389. "... spacious Brookside Park... Located at what is now Payne Avenue and East 39th Street..."</ref><ref>[[#Knight|Knight]], p. 53. "The team played at Brookside Park, located at what is now Payne Avenue and East 39th Street."</ref> possibly confusing it with the natural amphitheater [[Brookside Stadium]]—a sports venue located within a [[public park]] once known as Brookside Park (now [[Brookside Reservation]]) on Cleveland's west side.<ref>{{cite web|author=Raponi, Richard|title=Brookside Park: Amateur Baseball|url=https://clevelandhistorical.org/items/show/606|work=ClevelandHistorical.org|publisher=Center for Public History + Digital Humanities|accessdate=September 20, 2022|quote=... Brookside Stadium hosted a series of amateur baseball matches that set local and national attendance records.|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130712054420/https://clevelandhistorical.org/items/show/606|archivedate=July 12, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=May 30, 1909|title=Shout Words of Cheer From Hills: Great Throng Sees Municipal Athletic Meet at Brookside Park|newspaper=[[Cleveland Plain Dealer]]|publisher=Plain Dealer Publishing Co.|page=1B|quote=... conducted yesterday afternoon by the city park department at Brookside Park stadium. ... the field is in the center of a vast natural amphitheater.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Brookside Reservation|url=https://case.edu/ech/articles/b/brookside-reservation|work=Encyclopedia of Cleveland History|publisher=[[Case Western Reserve University]]|accessdate=September 20, 2022|quote=... it was renamed Brookside. ... Cleveland Metroparks took over management of the park... at which time it was renamed Brookside Reservation.|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170517045930/https://case.edu/ech/articles/b/brookside-reservation/|archivedate=May 17, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Lubinger, Bill|date=August 7, 2008|title=Hustling Along: RBI Program Gives Inner-city Youths Chance to Travel, Play Baseball|newspaper=[[Cleveland Plain Dealer]]|publisher=Plain Dealer Publishing Co.|page=1B|quote=The Saturday morning practice game at dusty, gusty Brookside Park on Cleveland's west side...}}</ref>--> Early in the club's [[1889 Cleveland Spiders season|1889 season]], the Blues came to be known as the "Spiders"{{efn|The name "Spiders" came from the tall and skinny look of many players in new, tight black uniforms.}}; likewise, the club's venue came to be known as "Spider Park".<ref name="Krsolovic 8a">[[#Krsolovic|Krsolovic]], p. 8. "It was also at this time that the team began to be known as the Spiders. ... Likewise, the field became known as Spider Park...</ref><ref name="Schneider 389c">[[#Schneider|Schneider]], p. 389. "It was renamed Spider Park when the team's nickname was changed to Spiders in 1889. That also was the year the team left the American Association..."</ref><ref name="Knight 53b">[[#Knight|Knight]], p. 53. "When the name of the club was changed to the 'Spiders' in 1889... the name of their home field was also changed, appropriately, to Spider Park. That year also marked Cleveland's return to the National League."</ref> As the team had left the American Association during the previous off-season and joined the [[National League]],<ref name="Schneider 389c"/><ref name="Knight 53b"/> Spider Park was also sometimes known as "National League Park (II)"{{efn|Not to be confused with [[National League Park]], otherwise known as "National League Park (I)"; or the wooden version of [[League Park]], sometimes known as "National League Park (III)".<ref name="Lowry 71">[[#Lowry|Lowry]], p. 71. "League Park (III): aka National League Park (III)..."</ref>}}, or just "League Park (II)"{{efn|Not to be confused with [[League Park]]. Some sources refer to that venue's wooden and concrete-and-steel versions as "League Park (I)" and "League Park (II)", respectively. Others use as many as four Roman numerals to differentiate among the various Cleveland ballparks known at one time or another as "League Park": [[National League Park]] (1879–1884) {{a.k.a.}} "League Park (I)"; Spider Park (1887–1890) a.k.a. "League Park (II)"; the wooden version of League Park (1891–1909) a.k.a. "League Park (III)"; and the concrete-and-steel version of League Park (1910–1946) a.k.a. "League Park (IV)".}} (the Roman numeral "II" has typically been used to differentiate this venue from various other Cleveland ballparks).<ref name="Lowry 69–70"/><ref name="Palmer 1,785">[[#Palmer|Palmer]], p. 1,785. "Cleveland... National League Park (II): 1887–1888 AA Blues; 1889–1899 NL Spiders... 410–?/420/?–410"</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=2022|title=1890 Cleveland Spiders Roster|url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/teamstats/roster.php?y=1890&t=CL4|work=[[Baseball Almanac]]|publisher=Baseball Almanac, Inc|accessdate=January 8, 2022|quote=They played their home games at National League Park II...|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060114233213/http://www.baseball-almanac.com:80/teamstats/roster.php?y=1890&t=CL4|archivedate=January 14, 2006}}</ref>
Spider Park was originally known as "Cleveland Base Ball Park"; the venue first opened on May 4, 1887, for the home opener of the [[1887 Cleveland Blues season|inaugural season]] of the [[Cleveland Spiders#1887–1888|Cleveland Blues]]{{efn|Not to be confused with: the [[Cleveland Blues (National League)|Cleveland Blues]] (1879–1884), a defunct National League franchise; or the [[Cleveland Guardians]] (1901–present), an active American League franchise originally known as the "Blues" (or "Bluebirds").}}—the second [[Major League Baseball|major league]] team in Cleveland known by that name.<ref>[[#Fleitz|Fleitz]], p. 11. "The newest American Association team needed a park to play in, so Robison and his fellow directors built a new facility... Called Cleveland Base Ball Park..."</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=May 5, 1887|title=The Red Legs Won: Cincinnati Wins the First Game by a Score of 10 to 6|newspaper=[[Cleveland Plain Dealer]]|publisher=Plain Dealer Publishing Co.|page=5|quote=... yesterday afternoon... The game was the opening one of the Clevelands at their new park...}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=May 31, 1887|title=The Clevelands Win a Game and the Mets Win One Too|newspaper=[[Cleveland Plain Dealer]]|publisher=Plain Dealer Publishing Co.|page=5|quote=Pretty fielding prevented the Blues from scoring until the third inning...}}</ref> The new ball club began as a member of the now-defunct [[American Association (1882–1891)|American Association]], thus accounting for another early name of the venue: "American Association Park", or simply "Association Park".<ref name="Fleitz 7">[[#Fleitz|Fleitz]], p. 7. "He then built a new ballpark, called American Association Park... on one of his streetcar lines."</ref><ref name="Lowry 69–70">[[#Lowry|Lowry]], pp. 69–70. "League Park (II): aka American Association Park 1887–1888, National League Park (II)... Dimensions – Foul poles: 410; Center field: 420"</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=November 3, 1887|title=Improving Association Park|newspaper=[[Cleveland Plain Dealer]]|publisher=Plain Dealer Publishing Co.|quote=The work of improving association park is rapidly going on...}}</ref> Following the club's [[1888 Cleveland Blues season|1888 season]], the Blues left the American Association and joined the [[National League (baseball)|National League]];<ref name="Schneider 389c"/><ref name="Knight 53b"/> from then on, the venue was sometimes known as "National League Park (II)"{{efn|Not to be confused with [[National League Park]], otherwise known as "National League Park (I)"; or the wooden version of [[League Park]], sometimes known as "National League Park (III)".<ref name="Lowry 71">[[#Lowry|Lowry]], p. 71. "League Park (III): aka National League Park (III)..."</ref>}}, or just "League Park (II)"{{efn|Not to be confused with [[League Park]]. Some sources refer to that venue's original wooden and later concrete-and-steel versions as "League Park (I)" and "League Park (II)", respectively. Others use four Roman numerals to differentiate among the various Cleveland ballparks known at one time or another as "League Park": National League Park (1879–1884) {{a.k.a.}} "League Park (I)"; Spider Park (1887–1890) a.k.a. "League Park (II)"; the wooden version of League Park (1891–1909) a.k.a. "League Park (III)"; and the concrete-and-steel version of League Park (1910–1946) a.k.a. "League Park (IV)".}} (the Roman numeral "II" has typically been used to differentiate this venue from various other Cleveland ballparks).<ref name="Lowry 69–70"/><ref name="Palmer 1,785">[[#Palmer|Palmer]], p. 1,785. "Cleveland... National League Park (II): 1887–1888 AA Blues; 1889–1899 NL Spiders... 410–?/420/?–410"</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=2022|title=1890 Cleveland Spiders Roster|url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/teamstats/roster.php?y=1890&t=CL4|work=[[Baseball Almanac]]|publisher=Baseball Almanac, Inc|accessdate=January 8, 2022|quote=They played their home games at National League Park II...|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060114233213/http://www.baseball-almanac.com:80/teamstats/roster.php?y=1890&t=CL4|archivedate=January 14, 2006}}</ref> Finally, at the start of the club's [[1889 Cleveland Spiders season|1889 season]], the Blues came to be known as the "Spiders"{{efn|The name "Spiders" came from the tall and skinny look of many players in new, tight black uniforms.}}; likewise, the club's venue came to be known as "Spider Park".<ref name="Schneider 389c">[[#Schneider|Schneider]], p. 389. "It was renamed Spider Park when the team's nickname was changed to Spiders in 1889. That also was the year the team left the American Association..."</ref><ref name="Knight 53b">[[#Knight|Knight]], p. 53. "When the name of the club was changed to the 'Spiders' in 1889... the name of their home field was also changed, appropriately, to Spider Park. That year also marked Cleveland's return to the National League."</ref><ref name="Krsolovic 8a">[[#Krsolovic|Krsolovic]], p. 8. "It was also at this time that the team began to be known as the Spiders. ... Likewise, the field became known as Spider Park...</ref><!--Some sources use the name "Brookside Park" for the ballpark during this period,<ref name="Schneider 389a">[[#Schneider|Schneider]], p. 389. "... spacious Brookside Park... Located at what is now Payne Avenue and East 39th Street..."</ref><ref>[[#Knight|Knight]], p. 53. "The team played at Brookside Park, located at what is now Payne Avenue and East 39th Street."</ref> possibly confusing it with the natural amphitheater [[Brookside Stadium]]—a sports venue located within a [[public park]] once known as Brookside Park (now [[Brookside Reservation]]) on Cleveland's west side.<ref>{{cite web|author=Raponi, Richard|title=Brookside Park: Amateur Baseball|url=https://clevelandhistorical.org/items/show/606|work=ClevelandHistorical.org|publisher=Center for Public History + Digital Humanities|accessdate=September 20, 2022|quote=... Brookside Stadium hosted a series of amateur baseball matches that set local and national attendance records.|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130712054420/https://clevelandhistorical.org/items/show/606|archivedate=July 12, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=May 30, 1909|title=Shout Words of Cheer From Hills: Great Throng Sees Municipal Athletic Meet at Brookside Park|newspaper=[[Cleveland Plain Dealer]]|publisher=Plain Dealer Publishing Co.|page=1B|quote=... conducted yesterday afternoon by the city park department at Brookside Park stadium. ... the field is in the center of a vast natural amphitheater.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Brookside Reservation|url=https://case.edu/ech/articles/b/brookside-reservation|work=Encyclopedia of Cleveland History|publisher=[[Case Western Reserve University]]|accessdate=September 20, 2022|quote=... it was renamed Brookside. ... Cleveland Metroparks took over management of the park... at which time it was renamed Brookside Reservation.|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170517045930/https://case.edu/ech/articles/b/brookside-reservation/|archivedate=May 17, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Lubinger, Bill|date=August 7, 2008|title=Hustling Along: RBI Program Gives Inner-city Youths Chance to Travel, Play Baseball|newspaper=[[Cleveland Plain Dealer]]|publisher=Plain Dealer Publishing Co.|page=1B|quote=The Saturday morning practice game at dusty, gusty Brookside Park on Cleveland's west side...}}</ref>-->


Located just east of what is now [[Downtown Cleveland]], the [[Lumber|wooden]] ballpark was built by the team's president, principal investor, and later its sole owner—[[Tram|streetcar]] magnate [[Frank Robison]]. He had selected the site, south of Payne Avenue at the end of Douglass Street (today East 36th Street), due to its location on one of his [[Cable car (railway)|cable car]] railway lines.<ref name="Fleitz 7"/><ref name="Enders 166a">[[#Enders|Enders]], p. 166. "... located east of downtown on Payne Avenue, was noted for its excellent playing surface..."</ref> The distance from home plate to the outfield fence measured over 400 feet, and the quality of the [[Lawn|grass]] playing surface was considered excellent.<ref name="Lowry 69–70"/><ref name="Enders 166a"/><ref name="Schneider 389b">[[#Schneider|Schneider]], p. 389. "... the park's outfield fences were more than 400 feet from the plate."</ref> General admission [[Ticket (admission)|ticket]]s initially cost [[Cent (currency)|25¢]], and the total seating capacity was 4,500.<ref>{{cite news|date=May 29, 1887|title=Cleveland Base Ball Park!: Metropolitans vs. Cleveland (advertisement)|newspaper=[[Cleveland Plain Dealer]]|publisher=Plain Dealer Publishing Co.|page=8|quote=... General Admission 25 Cents...}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=February 27, 1887|title=The New Ball Grounds|newspaper=[[Cleveland Plain Dealer]]|publisher=Plain Dealer Publishing Co.|page=3|quote=The pavillion will seat 2,000 people... The grand stand will seat 1,000 people... The open stand... will seat 1,500 people.}}</ref>
Located just east of what is now [[Downtown Cleveland]], the [[Lumber|wooden]] ballpark was built on leased property by the team's president, principal investor, and later its sole owner—[[Tram|streetcar]] magnate [[Frank Robison]]. He had selected the site, south of Payne Avenue at the end of Douglass Street (today East 36th Street), due to its location on one of his [[Cable car (railway)|cable car]] rail lines.<ref name="Fleitz 7"/><ref name="Enders 166a">[[#Enders|Enders]], p. 166. "... located east of downtown on Payne Avenue, was noted for its excellent playing surface..."</ref> The distance from home plate to the outfield fence measured over 400 feet, and the quality of the [[Lawn|grass]] playing surface was considered excellent.<ref name="Lowry 69–70"/><ref name="Enders 166a"/><ref name="Schneider 389b">[[#Schneider|Schneider]], p. 389. "... the park's outfield fences were more than 400 feet from the plate."</ref> General admission [[Ticket (admission)|ticket]]s initially cost [[Cent (currency)|25¢]], and the total seating capacity was 4,500.<ref>{{cite news|date=May 29, 1887|title=Cleveland Base Ball Park!: Metropolitans vs. Cleveland (advertisement)|newspaper=[[Cleveland Plain Dealer]]|publisher=Plain Dealer Publishing Co.|page=8|quote=... General Admission 25 Cents...}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=February 27, 1887|title=The New Ball Grounds|newspaper=[[Cleveland Plain Dealer]]|publisher=Plain Dealer Publishing Co.|page=3|quote=The pavillion will seat 2,000 people... The grand stand will seat 1,000 people... The open stand... will seat 1,500 people.}}</ref>

⚫
[[File:Spiders vs. Colts (August 1890 print ad).png|center|thumb|480px|1890 print ad for five-game series which included [[Cy Young]]'s major league debut]]


⚫
[[File:Spiders vs. Colts (August 1890 print ad).png|left|thumb|480px|1890 print ad for five-game series which included [[Cy Young]]'s major league debut]]
Some sources say a [[thunderstorm]] damaged Spider Park in June of the [[1890 Cleveland Spiders season|1890 season]] and that this ultimately led to its closure;<ref name="Schneider 389d">[[#Schneider|Schneider]], p. 389. "In June 1890 a severe thunderstorm struck the park, causing considerable damage. The team played the rest of the season at Spider Park..."</ref><ref name="Knight 53c">[[#Knight|Knight]], p. 53. "A devastating thunderstorm in June 1890 caused considerable damage to Spider Park, and even though the team finished the season there..."</ref> others say some part of the wooden ballpark, possibly the [[grandstand]], was hit by a [[lightning strike]] and that the resulting fire "burned [Spider Park] to the ground."<ref name="Enders 166b">[[#Enders|Enders]], p. 166. "Spider Park... a bolt of lightning struck and burned it to the ground."</ref><ref name="Odenkirk">[[#Odenkirk|Odenkirk]], p. 9. "... the stands of Payne Avenue were hit by lightning and burned to the ground."</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=National League Park (II)|url=http://www.projectballpark.org/history/nl/nl2.html|work=ProjectBallpark.org|publisher=Paul Healey|accessdate=September 24, 2022|quote=AKA: Spider Park... This park was more or less destroyed when lightning hit the grandstand, splintering it, and causing it to burn in June 1890.|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040104135224/http://www.projectballpark.org/history/nl/nl2.html|archivedate=January 4, 2004}}</ref> Neither claim is certain.<ref name="Krsolovic 8b">[[#Krsolovic|Krsolovic]], p. 8. "It has been said that the ballpark suffered irreparable damage following a fire from a lightning storm... but documentation from that time remains elusive.</ref> A severe thunderstorm did end a game on June 5, and there was reportedly a lightning strike that day at nearby [[Brotherhood Park]], home to the [[Cleveland Infants]] of the [[Players' League]].<ref>{{cite news|date=June 6, 1890|title=Rain Was Winner|newspaper=[[Cleveland Plain Dealer]]|publisher=Plain Dealer Publishing Co.|page=5|quote=Yesterday's game between the Cleveland and Chicago clubs of the National League was postponed by the intervention of rain...}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=June 6, 1890|title=Lightning's Work: Some of the Results of Yesterday's Violent Storm|newspaper=[[Cleveland Plain Dealer]]|publisher=Plain Dealer Publishing Co.|page=8|quote=At the beginning of the third inning of the base ball game at Brotherhood park... lightning struck the flagstaff...}}</ref> Whatever damage may have occurred, however, did not force an immediate relocation for either team.<ref name="Schneider 389d"/><ref name="Knight 53c"/><ref name="Krsolovic 8c">[[#Krsolovic|Krsolovic]], p. 8. "... a game on June 5 with Chicago... was then abandoned because of a fierce storm. However, the only lightning strike reported that day took place at the Brotherhood Park game between the Infants and Buffalo. Neither team moved from their home field after that date..."</ref> Regardless, future [[National Baseball Hall of Fame|hall of fame]] pitcher [[Cy Young]] made his major league debut at Spider Park on August 6 of that season, winning the first game of a [[Doubleheader (baseball)|doubleheader]] for the Spiders against the [[History of the Chicago Cubs|Chicago Colts]] (today's [[Chicago Cubs|Cubs]]).<ref>{{cite web|author=Peterjohn, Alvin K.|title=The First Year of "Cyclone" Young|url=https://sabr.org/journal/article/the-first-year-of-cyclone-young/|work=SABR.org|publisher=[[Society for American Baseball Research|SABR]]|accessdate=September 24, 2022|quote=His first pitching assignment was against the Chicago Colts... as part of a doubleheader on August 6. ... The Cleveland Plain Dealer headlined its story of the 8 to 1 victory 'Young's Great Work'.|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020091119/https://sabr.org/journal/article/the-first-year-of-cyclone-young/|archivedate=October 20, 2020}}</ref> The final two games at the field were played on October 4, in which the Spiders won both matches of another doubleheader, this time against the [[Philadelphia Phillies]]. Robison, who remained the owner of both the team and the ballpark, subsequently built a new venue for the Spiders approximately one mile east known as [[League Park]], which opened in 1891.
Some sources say a [[thunderstorm]] damaged Spider Park in June of the [[1890 Cleveland Spiders season|1890 season]] and that this ultimately led to its closure;<ref name="Schneider 389d">[[#Schneider|Schneider]], p. 389. "In June 1890 a severe thunderstorm struck the park, causing considerable damage. The team played the rest of the season at Spider Park..."</ref><ref name="Knight 53c">[[#Knight|Knight]], p. 53. "A devastating thunderstorm in June 1890 caused considerable damage to Spider Park, and even though the team finished the season there..."</ref> others say some part of the wooden ballpark, possibly the [[grandstand]], was hit by a [[lightning strike]] and that the resulting fire "burned [Spider Park] to the ground."<ref name="Enders 166b">[[#Enders|Enders]], p. 166. "Spider Park... a bolt of lightning struck and burned it to the ground."</ref><ref name="Odenkirk">[[#Odenkirk|Odenkirk]], p. 9. "... the stands of Payne Avenue were hit by lightning and burned to the ground."</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=National League Park (II)|url=http://www.projectballpark.org/history/nl/nl2.html|work=ProjectBallpark.org|publisher=Paul Healey|accessdate=September 24, 2022|quote=AKA: Spider Park... This park was more or less destroyed when lightning hit the grandstand, splintering it, and causing it to burn in June 1890.|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040104135224/http://www.projectballpark.org/history/nl/nl2.html|archivedate=January 4, 2004}}</ref> Neither claim is certain.<ref name="Krsolovic 8b">[[#Krsolovic|Krsolovic]], p. 8. "It has been said that the ballpark suffered irreparable damage following a fire from a lightning storm... but documentation from that time remains elusive.</ref> A severe thunderstorm did end a game on June 5, and there was reportedly a lightning strike that day at nearby [[Brotherhood Park]], home to the [[Cleveland Infants]] of the [[Players' League]].<ref>{{cite news|date=June 6, 1890|title=Rain Was Winner|newspaper=[[Cleveland Plain Dealer]]|publisher=Plain Dealer Publishing Co.|page=5|quote=Yesterday's game between the Cleveland and Chicago clubs of the National League was postponed by the intervention of rain...}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=June 6, 1890|title=Lightning's Work: Some of the Results of Yesterday's Violent Storm|newspaper=[[Cleveland Plain Dealer]]|publisher=Plain Dealer Publishing Co.|page=8|quote=At the beginning of the third inning of the base ball game at Brotherhood park... lightning struck the flagstaff...}}</ref> Whatever damage may have occurred, however, did not force an immediate relocation for either team.<ref name="Schneider 389d"/><ref name="Knight 53c"/><ref name="Krsolovic 8c">[[#Krsolovic|Krsolovic]], p. 8. "... a game on June 5 with Chicago... was then abandoned because of a fierce storm. However, the only lightning strike reported that day took place at the Brotherhood Park game between the Infants and Buffalo. Neither team moved from their home field after that date..."</ref> Regardless, future [[National Baseball Hall of Fame|hall of fame]] pitcher [[Cy Young]] made his major league debut at Spider Park on August 6 of that season, winning the first game of a [[Doubleheader (baseball)|doubleheader]] for the Spiders against the [[History of the Chicago Cubs|Chicago Colts]] (today's [[Chicago Cubs|Cubs]]).<ref>{{cite web|author=Peterjohn, Alvin K.|title=The First Year of "Cyclone" Young|url=https://sabr.org/journal/article/the-first-year-of-cyclone-young/|work=SABR.org|publisher=[[Society for American Baseball Research|SABR]]|accessdate=September 24, 2022|quote=His first pitching assignment was against the Chicago Colts... as part of a doubleheader on August 6. ... The Cleveland Plain Dealer headlined its story of the 8 to 1 victory 'Young's Great Work'.|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020091119/https://sabr.org/journal/article/the-first-year-of-cyclone-young/|archivedate=October 20, 2020}}</ref> The final two games at the field were played on October 4, in which the Spiders won both matches of another doubleheader, this time against the [[Philadelphia Phillies]]. Robison, who remained the owner of both the team and the ballpark, subsequently built a new venue for the Spiders approximately one mile east known as [[League Park]], which opened in 1891.


Latest revision as of 23:06, 5 June 2024

Spider Park
National League Park (II)
1887 illustration in the Cleveland Plain Dealer
Map
Former namesCleveland Base Ball Park /
American Association Park
(1887–1888)
LocationSouth of Payne Avenue
at East 36th Street
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Coordinates41°30′23″N 81°39′48″W / 41.50639°N 81.66333°W / 41.50639; -81.66333
OwnerFrank Robison
TypeBaseball park
Capacity4,500
Field sizeLeft field – 390 feet (119 m)
Center field – 600 feet (183 m)
Right field – 590 feet (180 m)
SurfaceInfield: sod; outfield: grass
Construction
OpenedMay 4, 1887
ClosedOctober 4, 1890
Construction cost$7,000
($237,378 in 2023 dollars[1])
ArchitectE. P. Ruprect
General contractorGeorge W. Foote
Tenants
Cleveland Spiders (AA/NL) (1887–1890)

Spider Park, also known as National League Park (II), was a baseball park in Cleveland, Ohio. Located just east of what is now Downtown Cleveland, the wooden structure existed from 1887 to 1890, and served as the first ballpark for the Cleveland Spiders of the National League. Previous names for the venue included Cleveland Base Ball Park and American Association Park, during which the Spiders franchise was a member of the now-defunct American Association.

History

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Spider Park was originally known as "Cleveland Base Ball Park"; the venue first opened on May 4, 1887, for the home opener of the inaugural season of the Cleveland Blues[a]—the second major league team in Cleveland known by that name.[2][3][4] The new ball club began as a member of the now-defunct American Association, thus accounting for another early name of the venue: "American Association Park", or simply "Association Park".[5][6][7] Following the club's 1888 season, the Blues left the American Association and joined the National League;[8][9] from then on, the venue was sometimes known as "National League Park (II)"[b], or just "League Park (II)"[c] (the Roman numeral "II" has typically been used to differentiate this venue from various other Cleveland ballparks).[6][11][12] Finally, at the start of the club's 1889 season, the Blues came to be known as the "Spiders"[d]; likewise, the club's venue came to be known as "Spider Park".[8][9][13]

Located just east of what is now Downtown Cleveland, the wooden ballpark was built on leased property by the team's president, principal investor, and later its sole owner—streetcar magnate Frank Robison. He had selected the site, south of Payne Avenue at the end of Douglass Street (today East 36th Street), due to its location on one of his cable car rail lines.[5][14] The distance from home plate to the outfield fence measured over 400 feet, and the quality of the grass playing surface was considered excellent.[6][14][15] General admission tickets initially cost 25¢, and the total seating capacity was 4,500.[16][17]

1890 print ad for five-game series which included Cy Young's major league debut

Some sources say a thunderstorm damaged Spider Park in June of the 1890 season and that this ultimately led to its closure;[18][19] others say some part of the wooden ballpark, possibly the grandstand, was hit by a lightning strike and that the resulting fire "burned [Spider Park] to the ground."[20][21][22] Neither claim is certain.[23] A severe thunderstorm did end a game on June 5, and there was reportedly a lightning strike that day at nearby Brotherhood Park, home to the Cleveland Infants of the Players' League.[24][25] Whatever damage may have occurred, however, did not force an immediate relocation for either team.[18][19][26] Regardless, future hall of fame pitcher Cy Young made his major league debut at Spider Park on August 6 of that season, winning the first game of a doubleheader for the Spiders against the Chicago Colts (today's Cubs).[27] The final two games at the field were played on October 4, in which the Spiders won both matches of another doubleheader, this time against the Philadelphia Phillies. Robison, who remained the owner of both the team and the ballpark, subsequently built a new venue for the Spiders approximately one mile east known as League Park, which opened in 1891.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Not to be confused with: the Cleveland Blues (1879–1884), a defunct National League franchise; or the Cleveland Guardians (1901–present), an active American League franchise originally known as the "Blues" (or "Bluebirds").
  2. ^ Not to be confused with National League Park, otherwise known as "National League Park (I)"; or the wooden version of League Park, sometimes known as "National League Park (III)".[10]
  3. ^ Not to be confused with League Park. Some sources refer to that venue's original wooden and later concrete-and-steel versions as "League Park (I)" and "League Park (II)", respectively. Others use four Roman numerals to differentiate among the various Cleveland ballparks known at one time or another as "League Park": National League Park (1879–1884) a.k.a. "League Park (I)"; Spider Park (1887–1890) a.k.a. "League Park (II)"; the wooden version of League Park (1891–1909) a.k.a. "League Park (III)"; and the concrete-and-steel version of League Park (1910–1946) a.k.a. "League Park (IV)".
  4. ^ The name "Spiders" came from the tall and skinny look of many players in new, tight black uniforms.

References

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  1. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  2. ^ Fleitz, p. 11. "The newest American Association team needed a park to play in, so Robison and his fellow directors built a new facility... Called Cleveland Base Ball Park..."
  3. ^ "The Red Legs Won: Cincinnati Wins the First Game by a Score of 10 to 6". Cleveland Plain Dealer. Plain Dealer Publishing Co. May 5, 1887. p. 5. ... yesterday afternoon... The game was the opening one of the Clevelands at their new park...
  4. ^ "The Clevelands Win a Game and the Mets Win One Too". Cleveland Plain Dealer. Plain Dealer Publishing Co. May 31, 1887. p. 5. Pretty fielding prevented the Blues from scoring until the third inning...
  5. ^ a b Fleitz, p. 7. "He then built a new ballpark, called American Association Park... on one of his streetcar lines."
  6. ^ a b c Lowry, pp. 69–70. "League Park (II): aka American Association Park 1887–1888, National League Park (II)... Dimensions – Foul poles: 410; Center field: 420"
  7. ^ "Improving Association Park". Cleveland Plain Dealer. Plain Dealer Publishing Co. November 3, 1887. The work of improving association park is rapidly going on...
  8. ^ a b Schneider, p. 389. "It was renamed Spider Park when the team's nickname was changed to Spiders in 1889. That also was the year the team left the American Association..."
  9. ^ a b Knight, p. 53. "When the name of the club was changed to the 'Spiders' in 1889... the name of their home field was also changed, appropriately, to Spider Park. That year also marked Cleveland's return to the National League."
  10. ^ Lowry, p. 71. "League Park (III): aka National League Park (III)..."
  11. ^ Palmer, p. 1,785. "Cleveland... National League Park (II): 1887–1888 AA Blues; 1889–1899 NL Spiders... 410–?/420/?–410"
  12. ^ "1890 Cleveland Spiders Roster". Baseball Almanac. Baseball Almanac, Inc. 2022. Archived from the original on January 14, 2006. Retrieved January 8, 2022. They played their home games at National League Park II...
  13. ^ Krsolovic, p. 8. "It was also at this time that the team began to be known as the Spiders. ... Likewise, the field became known as Spider Park...
  14. ^ a b Enders, p. 166. "... located east of downtown on Payne Avenue, was noted for its excellent playing surface..."
  15. ^ Schneider, p. 389. "... the park's outfield fences were more than 400 feet from the plate."
  16. ^ "Cleveland Base Ball Park!: Metropolitans vs. Cleveland (advertisement)". Cleveland Plain Dealer. Plain Dealer Publishing Co. May 29, 1887. p. 8. ... General Admission 25 Cents...
  17. ^ "The New Ball Grounds". Cleveland Plain Dealer. Plain Dealer Publishing Co. February 27, 1887. p. 3. The pavillion will seat 2,000 people... The grand stand will seat 1,000 people... The open stand... will seat 1,500 people.
  18. ^ a b Schneider, p. 389. "In June 1890 a severe thunderstorm struck the park, causing considerable damage. The team played the rest of the season at Spider Park..."
  19. ^ a b Knight, p. 53. "A devastating thunderstorm in June 1890 caused considerable damage to Spider Park, and even though the team finished the season there..."
  20. ^ Enders, p. 166. "Spider Park... a bolt of lightning struck and burned it to the ground."
  21. ^ Odenkirk, p. 9. "... the stands of Payne Avenue were hit by lightning and burned to the ground."
  22. ^ "National League Park (II)". ProjectBallpark.org. Paul Healey. Archived from the original on January 4, 2004. Retrieved September 24, 2022. AKA: Spider Park... This park was more or less destroyed when lightning hit the grandstand, splintering it, and causing it to burn in June 1890.
  23. ^ Krsolovic, p. 8. "It has been said that the ballpark suffered irreparable damage following a fire from a lightning storm... but documentation from that time remains elusive.
  24. ^ "Rain Was Winner". Cleveland Plain Dealer. Plain Dealer Publishing Co. June 6, 1890. p. 5. Yesterday's game between the Cleveland and Chicago clubs of the National League was postponed by the intervention of rain...
  25. ^ "Lightning's Work: Some of the Results of Yesterday's Violent Storm". Cleveland Plain Dealer. Plain Dealer Publishing Co. June 6, 1890. p. 8. At the beginning of the third inning of the base ball game at Brotherhood park... lightning struck the flagstaff...
  26. ^ Krsolovic, p. 8. "... a game on June 5 with Chicago... was then abandoned because of a fierce storm. However, the only lightning strike reported that day took place at the Brotherhood Park game between the Infants and Buffalo. Neither team moved from their home field after that date..."
  27. ^ Peterjohn, Alvin K. "The First Year of "Cyclone" Young". SABR.org. SABR. Archived from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved September 24, 2022. His first pitching assignment was against the Chicago Colts... as part of a doubleheader on August 6. ... The Cleveland Plain Dealer headlined its story of the 8 to 1 victory 'Young's Great Work'.
Books
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Tenants
Preceded by
first ballpark
 Home of the Cleveland Spiders
1887–1890 		Succeeded by

{{Cleveland Spiders}} {{Defunct MLB Ballparks}} {{Wooden baseball parks}}

Category:1887 establishments in Ohio Category:1890 disestablishments in Ohio Category:Baseball venues in Ohio Category:Cleveland Spiders Category:Defunct baseball venues in the United States Category:Defunct Major League Baseball venues Category:Demolished sports venues in Ohio Category:Sports venues in Cleveland

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