Edmonds Field

Edmonds Field was home to the Sacramento Solons, the Pacific Coast League AAA team from 1910 through 1960, after which they moved to Hawaii. The field was located at the southeast corner of Broadway (originally Y Street) to the north (third base); Riverside Boulevard to the west (first base); and First Avenue to the south (right field).

History

The ballpark opened in 1910, after the ball club abandoned their 1909 home at the Oak Park Recreation Grounds (later known as McClatchy Park). It was known by several names during its existence. Initially it was called Buffalo Park after the Buffalo Brewing Company, which owned the ball club and the park. In 1922 the park was rebuilt, and renamed Moreing Park after the new owner, Lew Moreing. It was on his watch that the first Solons night game was played, in 1930. In 1935, the St. Louis Cardinals acquired the club and renamed the park Cardinal Field. After the departure of Cardinals' ownership, the ballpark was renamed Doubleday Park, after the mythical "inventor" of baseball, Abner Doubleday.

Late in the 1945 season, it was given its final name, Edmonds Field, in honor of local sports editor Dick Edmond. He had championed the team when it was struggling financially, and then died suddenly during the 1945 season, at age 31. His final resting place is in a cemetery across the street from the ballpark.

In mid-season 1948, the ballpark was destroyed by fire. It was rebuilt in the off-season and reopened the following spring. The Solons had rarely been successful on the field and continued to struggle financially through the 1950s. The team was finally sold and moved to Hawaii for 1961.

On April 12, 1964, prior to it being demolished to make way for a Gemco discount store, the last baseball game played there was an exhibition game between the San Francisco Giants and the Cleveland Indians. That game featured back-to-back home runs by Willie Mays and Willie McCovey, both hit over the towering walls in left field. acramento ''Bee'', April 13, 1964, p.B1A Target Store currently occupies the footprint of the former field and there is a plaque in the parking lot in the vicinity of where home plate used to sit.

The field's final dimensions were: left field , center field , right field . ichael Benson, ''Ballparks of North America'', McFarland & Company, 1989, p.345

References

Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, Joe Gordon, was once the Solon's Manager and Charlie Graham - was once the General Manager/Vice Presidenthttp://www.baseballpilgrimages.com/AAA/sacramento.html

External links

Edmonds Field history1915 Sanborn map showing part of the ballpark1950 Sanborn map showing the ballparkRichard Edmonds gravesite

Defunct baseball venues in the United States
Demolished sports venues in California
Baseball venues in California

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