The Ballpark - Progressive Field (originally named Jacobs Field) opened in 1994. It replaced Cleveland Municipal Stadium, which had been home to both the Cleveland Indians and the NFL's Cleveland Browns. "The Jake" - as it became known - was an early example of a trend away from huge multi-purpose stadiums and toward more intimate baseball-only ballparks. It was designed by the folks at HOK Sport (now known as Populous), the same architects who designed Camden Yards in Baltimore.
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| Progressive Field |
The Jake seats a little over 35,000 fans. One of its most distinctive features is its tall, vertical light standards, which are meant to call to mind the smokestacks of Cleveland's industry. The ballpark is situated to give you a view of the city's skyline. Like other ballparks by HOK, the Jake features outfield walls of varying heights, irregular outfield dimensions, and bullpens that allow fans a close look at relievers as they warm up.
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| Left Field Wall - "The Little Green Monster" |
If Progressive Field had been the first of the newer retro-style ballparks I visited, I would have been wowed for sure. It's a vast improvement over the multi-purpose concrete-donut stadiums of my youth. But the things that made it special in 1994 are commonplace now. By 2016 when I got there, Progressive Field had less going for it than newer parks that came along in the 2000's.
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| Bullpen View |
The Game - We watched the Cleveland Indians, managed by former Phillies skipper Terry Francona, make easy work of the Oakland A's, 6-3. The Goodyear Blimp made an appearance, hovering above for a couple early innings.
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| Goodyear Blimp above Progressive Field |
But the best part of the evening was what happened before the game. We arrived to find out that former Phillies first baseman Jim Thome was being honored as a new member of the Cleveland Indians' Hall of Fame. He walked onto the field to a standing ovation and gave a great acceptance speech. Then his 13 year-old daughter, Lila stepped up to the mic and belted out the national anthem like a boss! The place went wild.
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| Jim Thome Statue |
It's an understatement to say that Jim Thome was a special player. His 612 career home runs are the 8th most in history. He was a five-time All Star, and he would go on to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility (2018). On top of all that, he's been a class act on and off the field. It was an electric experience to witness the connection he had with the fans of the Tribe.
Overall Score - ⚾⚾
