Chicago NL: West Side Grounds 1893-1915 (Revised Dec. 2005)

 

 

The first use of West South Side Grounds for major league baseball was by the Cubs (called the Colts in the 19^th Century) in the 1893 season only for Sunday games.  The park, also known as West Side Park, was first used full-time by a major league team in the next season-1894.  The Colts use of the park was interrupted that season due to a fire that started in the seventh inning of a game on August 5, 1894.  Players Jimmy Ryan and Walt Wilmot used bats to chop through a barbed wire fence to permit over 1,000 fans to escape from the fire by moving onto the field.  Because of the damage to the park caused by the fire, the Colts were forced to move to South Side Park (II) for the rest of the season. 

The park occupied most but not all of a Chicago city block that was bounded by South Wood St, on the east, West Polk St on the north, South Lincoln (later Wolcott) St on the west, and West Taylor St on the south .  The park occupied the full width of the block between S. Lincoln St and S. Wood St (the E-W direction), but only a portion of the land between Polk St and Taylor St (in the N-S direction).  The total size of the park site was 5.8 acres, with a 535 ft dimension in the E-W direction and 475 ft dimension in the N-S direction.  As the infield was located in the northwest portion of the site, the RF dimensions were always more limited than the LF dimensions.

The seating capacity of the park when opened in 1893 was 13,000.  Expanded in 1905 with additions to the grandstand, capacity reached 14,200.  The final capacity of 16,000 was reached in the parks final (1915) season.

The Cubs stayed at West Side Grounds through the 1915 season after which they moved into one of the most famous Classic Era ballparks-Weeghman Park-later to be better known as Wrigley Field. 

            A 1917 Sanborn fire insurance map was used as the basis to derive a diagram of the park ⁽¹⁾.  From a study of photos of the ballpark (from the Library of Congress, American Memories collection), information on the changes in the park’s configuration was obtained.  The covered grandstand (wooden single deck) extended from beyond 1B to beyond 3B.  A set of what were initially uncovered bleachers reached from the end of the 3B grandstand and extended a short distance across the LF foul line at an angle of more than 90 degrees ending before nearing the LF bleachers.  Thus the LF distances increased rapidly away from the LF foul pole as the fence angled towards the LF bleachers.  The 3B bleachers that extended into LF were roofed in 1905.  There were additional shallow bleachers in both LF and RF-the LF set had nine rows of seats and RF only seven rows of seats.  Both the LF and RF bleachers were perpendicular to their respective foul line (RF) or an extension thereof (LF).  The LF bleachers extended into left center, while the RF bleachers extended nearly to the flag pole in CF.  There was only a modest amount of foul territory down the foul lines as both the 1B and 3B bleachers converged with the foul lines.  CF had a very curious history.  In 1902-04, and perhaps in earlier seasons as well, there was an elevated walkway located in front of the flagpole in CF connecting the LF and RF bleachers.  This walkway, perhaps 10 ft above ground, was in front of what, in the Library of Congress photos, appears to be a CF diagonal fence.  The new two-story clubhouse, built in CF before the 1905 season, replaced this ugly walkway.  In 1905-07, there was a large scoreboard mounted on top of the new CF clubhouse.  For the 1908 season the Cubs added a set of very steep bleachers in front of, and extending above the front of the roof of the clubhouse.  The scoreboard was relocated to the back of the RF bleachers in right center.  These CF bleachers reduced the CF dimension to about 415.  In 1913, these bleachers were replaced by very large raised advertising billboards in CF.  The top of these billboards were 40 ft high.  The height was listed on the 1917 Sanborn.  These monster billboards were mounted above the CF clubhouse, and extended into (as inside of, not at the back of) both the LF and RF bleachers.  The bottom of these huge advertising billboards were set back about 10 ft from the front of LF and RF bleachers and were mounted on poles about 10-12 ft in the air.  This strange arrangement meant the fans seated in the back rows of the bleachers had restricted sight lines and could not see many fly balls. 

The location of home plate was fixed by the configuration of the LF and RF fences in combination with the LF/RF dimensions that never changed over the life of the park.  Given the listed dimensions (LF 340 and RF 316), there was only one possible location of home plate on the Sanborn ⁽²⁾.   Once the location of home plate was determined, the other dimensions were derived.  The park’s dimensions, associated average outfield distance, and estimated fence heights are shown below for each of the four time periods:

 

 

Dimensions

 

     Time Period        LF       LC        CF         RC          RF

     1893-1904          340      443       448*       365        316        

     1905-1907          340      443       442        365         316

     1908-1912          340      443       418        365         316

     1913-1915           340      443       442        365         316

 

* The CF corner could have been about 520 in 1893-1901

                           

         Average Outfield Distances

 

     Time Period             LF           CF              RF

     1893-1904              393         424              332        

     1905-1907              393         424              332        

     1908-1912              393         412              332        

     1913-1915               393         421              332

 

                                    Fence Heights

 

     Time Period             LF           CF              RF

     1893-1904                 8             10              8        

     1905-1907                 8               8              8        

     1908-1912                 8               8              8        

     1913-1915                  8             40              8

 

The above CF dimensions must be considered rather rough estimates for years before 1902.  No 19^th Century photos of the ballpark exist in the huge collection (3143 to be exact) of West Side Grounds photos at the Library of Congress.  This is because all of the West Side Grounds photos came from the files of the Chicago Daily News and covered the years 1902-33.  In addition, the 1902-04 photos, that show the CF area of the park, suffer from the elevated walkway in CF blocking a clear view of the LC-CF fence and CF corner.  In the 1902 photos, it appears that there existed a CF diagonal fence or other buildings in CF behind the elevated walkway and in front of the CF corner.  A 1905 Chicago Tribune article reported the old clubhouse was moved from its 1904 location (in left center or the left side of CF) back to the CF fence and was used temporarily at the start of the 1905 season while the new clubhouse was being completed ⁽³⁾.  It is possible the CF walkway and any CF buildings and interior fences did not exist in the years prior to 1902.  If so, the distance, home plate to the CF corner, would have been about 520.  The listed CF dimension of 560 (Green Cathedrals) could never have existed as the CF distance was limited by S. Wood St. on one end and the fixed location of home plate on the other. 

 

The site of the park is now used for the Illinois State Hospital and Medical School.    

 

 

 

 

 

 

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(1)  Sanborn Fire Insurance map, Chicago 1917, Volume 7, Sheet 71

(2)  Philip Lowry, Green Cathedrals, Revised Edition 1992

(3)  Chicago Tribune April 13, 1905