Progressive Field

Progressive Field
The Jake, The Prog
Former names	Gateway Stadium (during construction) Jacobs Field (1994–2007)
Location	2401 Ontario Street Cleveland, Ohio 44115
Coordinates	41°29′45″N 81°41′7″W
Broke ground	January 13, 1992
Opened	April 4, 1994
Owner	Cuyahoga County
Operator	Gateway Economic Development Corporation
Surface	Kentucky Bluegrass
Construction cost	$175 million ($274 million in 2012 dollars)
Architect	HOK Sport
Project Manager	Huber, Hunt & Nichols
Structural engineer	Osborn Engineering
Capacity	43,545 (1995-2008) 43,199 (2009) 43,569 (2010) 45,000 (2011-present)
Record attendance	45,274 (October 4, 1997; Division Series Game 5)
Field dimensions	Left field - 325 feet (99 m) Left-center - 370 feet (113 m) Center field - 405 feet (123 m) Deep center field - 410 feet (125 m) Right-center - 375 feet (114 m) Right field - 325 feet (99 m) Fence height Left field - 19 feet (6 m) Center and right fields - 8 feet (2 m)
Tenants
Cleveland Indians (MLB) (1994–present)

Progressive Field is a ballpark located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, and is the home of the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball and the American League. Along with Quicken Loans Arena, it is part of the Gateway Sports and Entertainment Complex. It was ranked as Major League Baseball's best ballpark in a 2008 Sports Illustrated fan opinion poll.

From its inaugural season in 1994, the ballpark was named Jacobs Field for team owners Richard and David Jacobs, until 2008, when it was changed to Progressive Field due to the sale of naming rights to the Progressive Insurance Company. Fans informally refer to it as The Jake (based on the park's original name) as well as The Pro or The Prog (short for Progressive). The ballpark contains 2,064 club seats and 126 luxury suites.

History

The Cleveland Indians previously played at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, which was their full-time home since the 1947 season, and they shared with the NFL's Cleveland Browns. However, by the mid-1980s, Cleveland Municipal Stadium was showing its age. Players and fans complained the aging stadium was "too big and too old." The 75,000-seat stadium had seen the Indians set numerous attendance records, but during the Indians' dark years, even crowds of 40,000 looked sparse. Additionally, it lacked the amenities of other ballparks, such as luxury boxes.

In May 1990, Cuyahoga County voters approved a 15-year sin tax on alcohol and cigarette sales to finance the new Gateway Sports and Entertainment Complex. In June 1992, Indians legend Mel Harder, who pitched the opening game at Cleveland Municipal Stadium in 1932, along with current-era stars Charles Nagy and Sandy Alomar, Jr., executed the ceremonial first pitch at the site of the new ballpark before construction began.

The Jacobs Field logo.

The ballpark opened as Jacobs Field, named for former team owner Richard Jacobs, who paid for the naming rights through the end of 2006.

On April 4, 1994, the Indians played their first game at the new stadium. By only a few months, it became the first new major-league facility to be built in Cleveland itself since Municipal Stadium's opening in 1932. President Bill Clinton threw out the ceremonial first pitch, and the Indians defeated the Seattle Mariners 4-3 in 11 innings.

In 1995, it hosted its first World Series, in which the Cleveland Indians lost to the Atlanta Braves. Two years later, it was the site of the 1997 MLB All-Star Game, in which the American League defeated the National League 3-1, thanks to a two-run home run by Indians catcher Sandy Alomar, Jr., the game's MVP. Also in 1997, it hosted the 1997 World Series, which the Cleveland Indians lost to the Florida Marlins.

On October 5, 2007, in the eighth inning of a playoff game against the New York Yankees, a swarm of insects (believed to be midges from Lake Erie) enveloped the playing field, distracting relief pitcher Joba Chamberlain. Chamberlain walked Grady Sizemore, who later scored the tying run on a wild pitch. The incident became known as the "Bug Game". In 2009, seagulls began to reside in the outfield during games at the stadium, even interrupting a game-winning ground ball play in a game against the Kansas City Royals. Stadium groundskeepers are currently searching for a solution to the problem, most recently shooting off fireworks after each half-inning in an attempt to scare the birds away.

In August 2008, the Indians extended their lease agreement for the stadium from 2013 to 2023. The agreement with the Gateway Economic Development Corp. also gives the team four five-year renewal options after 2023.

Renaming

On January 11, 2008, it was announced that naming rights to the park had been bought by Progressive Corporation, an insurance company headquartered in nearby Mayfield Village. Removal of the iconic Jacobs Field sign on the front of the building began the morning of January 18, 2008, and the replacement sign was installed on March 25, 2008. Progressive agreed to pay $57.6 million for the naming rights for 16 years. The ballpark was originally slated to be renamed the alliterative name Progressive Park. However, it was later realized that this name belonged to a picnic facility in Council Bluffs, Iowa, so the stadium is now called Progressive Field.

Attendance record

Jacobs Field set a major league record between June 12, 1995 and April 4, 2001 by selling out 455 straight games. Demand for tickets was so great that all 81 home games were sold out before opening day on three separate occasions. The Indians "retired" the number 455 in honor of the sellout record. The Boston Red Sox later surpassed this record, when Fenway Park recorded 456 straight sellouts on September 9, 2008. The day after a sold-out opening day for 2011 (Saturday, April 2), the Indians set a new record: 9,853 - for lowest attendance. The very next day, April 3, 2011, that record was broken by an all-time low head-count of only 8,726 fans.

Structure

Construction and design

The ballpark, which was referred to simply as "Cleveland Indians Baseball Park" on blueprints, cost approximately $175 million to build, of which $91 million, or 52 percent, came from Indians owner Richard Jacobs. The remaining $84 million, or 48 percent, was from the sin tax. The Gateway ballpark and arena were the first sports facilities in the United States to be constructed simultaneously at the same location.

The ballpark was designed by HOK Sport (now known as Populous), a division of Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum. HOK designed it as a retro-modern ballpark, similar to their just-completed Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, with asymmetrical fences of varying heights, a smaller upper deck, and stepped tiers. The ballpark was situated in a way that would showcase Cleveland's downtown skyline.

Structural engineering was performed by local firm Osborn Engineering, which helped design Cleveland Municipal Stadium, along with "old" Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park. Griffith, IN-based Triad Design Associates performed the interior architecture, while local minority firm Whitley/Whitley Inc. did the interior architectural design. Dallas-based Wrightson, Johnson, Haddon and Williams, Inc. performed the acoustic and video engineering. The installation of seating was completed in October 1993.

Features

Panorama of the bleachers and right field A view from the upper deck A view from the lower deck, with the Quicken Loans Arena in the background

The ballpark has numerous unique structural features. It is illuminated by 19 toothbrush-shaped vertical light towers, which stand 200 feet (61 m) above street level (218 feet (66 m) above the playing field). The distinctive light towers were incorporated into the original Jacobs Field logo as well as the 1997 All-Star Game logo.

The playing field has also several unique features, including asymmetrical fences of varying heights. The 19-feet-high wall in left field drops to nine feet in center field, and maintains that height around to right field. The bullpens are raised above the playing field, which allows fans to see who is warming up. Indians' bullpen is located in center field (next to section 101), while the visitors bullpen is in right field (next to section 113).

The ballpark also has a glass-enclosed multilevel restaurant named the Terrace Club located along the left field foul line on the suite level. In addition to a valid game ticket, fans need a pass to enter to the Terrace Club. It is also available on non-game days for special events, such as business meetings, weddings, and anniversaries. The Bud Light Party Deck is located just into right field foul territory (between the visitors bullpen and section 117). There is a child-oriented playarea named KidsLand located on the mezzanine level. An Indians team shop is located behind Section 165, which sells hats, clothes, and other assorted merchandise. It has a make-your-own-mascot store. The Indians' mascot, "Slider", is one of only three Major League Baseball team mascots to be inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame.

Prior to the start of the 1997 season, two sections of seating were added onto the ends of the bleacher section, increasing the capacity by about 1,000 to its current 45,000. In 2004, South Dakota-based Daktronics installed what was at the time the largest video display in the world at a sports venue. The video board measures 36 feet (11 m) high by 149 feet (45 m) wide. Also in 2004, a center field dining area located behind the seating, formerly occupied by auxiliary bleachers, was replaced with a bar area called the Batter's Eye Bar.

Originally, there was a picnic area located behind the center field fence. However, in 2007, the Indians converted the space into Heritage Park. It honors the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame, the 100 greatest Indians players, memorable Indians moments, and a memorial plaque for Ray Chapman that was originally installed at League Park. It is shielded by plantings, so it does not interfere with the batter's eye.

Ballpark firsts

Statistic	Person(s)	Date
First ceremonial first pitch	President Clinton to Sandy Alomar, Jr.	April 4, 1994
First hit	Eric Anthony (Seattle Mariners), home run	April 4, 1994
First Indians hit	Sandy Alomar, Jr., single to right field	April 4, 1994
First double	Manny Ramirez	April 4, 1994
First triple	Ken Griffey, Jr. (Seattle Mariners)	April 7, 1994
First home run	Eric Anthony (Seattle Mariners)	April 4, 1994
First Indians home run	Eddie Murray	April 7, 1994
First Indians run	Candy Maldonado, scored on a Manny Ramírez two-run double in the 8th inning	April 4, 1994
First grand slam	Paul Sorrento	May 9, 1995
First inside-the-park home run	David Bell	April 15, 1998
First winning pitcher	Eric Plunk	April 4, 1994
First save	Hipólito Pichardo (Kansas City Royals)	April 15, 1994
First triple play	Casey Blake-Asdrúbal Cabrera-Víctor Martínez (5-4-3)	August 27, 2007
First unassisted triple play	Asdrúbal Cabrera	May 12, 2008
First no-hitter	Ervin Santana (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim)	July 27, 2011*

External links

• Ballpark Digest: Progressive Field (then listed as Jacobs Field)
• Cleveland Indians: Progressive Field
• Flickr Photo Group: Jacobs Field

Events and tenants
Preceded by Cleveland Stadium	Home of the Cleveland Indians  1994–present	Succeeded by Current
Preceded by Veterans Stadium	Host of the All-Star Game 1997	Succeeded by Coors Field