[custom_countdown width=”125px”] The History of the Cleveland Guardians: From the Blues to the Guardians The Cleveland Guardians are one of Major League Baseball’s oldest franchises. The organization that is now known as the Guardians began American League play in 1901, making Cleveland one of the original American League cities. Over more than 125 years, the franchise has been known by several names, including the Cleveland Blues, Cleveland Bronchos, Cleveland Naps, Cleveland Indians and Cleveland Guardians. The team has won six American League pennants and two World Series championships. The Guardians’ history includes legendary players such as Cy Young, Nap Lajoie, Tris Speaker, Bob Feller, Lou Boudreau, Larry Doby, Frank Robinson, Jim Thome and CC Sabathia. It is also a franchise with a fascinating history of ballparks, ownership changes, blockbuster trades and players who became stars after leaving Cleveland. The Beginning: Cleveland Baseball Before the Guardians Cleveland had Major League baseball before the current franchise. The Cleveland Blues played in the National League beginning in 1879. Later, Cleveland became home to the Cleveland Spiders, who played in the National League from 1887 through 1899. The Spiders produced several future Hall of Famers, including Cy Young, Jesse Burkett, Buck Ewing, Bobby Wallace, John Clarkson and George Davis. However, the Spiders disappeared after the disastrous 1899 season. The Spiders finished that season 20-134, still one of the worst records in professional sports history. Owner Frank Robison also owned the St. Louis Browns and transferred Cleveland’s best players to St. Louis, leaving Cleveland with a depleted roster. The Spiders were dropped from the National League after the season. The modern Cleveland franchise began in the American League in 1901. The Cleveland Blues and Bronchos The new American League Cleveland franchise initially went through several nicknames. The team was called the Cleveland Blues in 1901 and later became known as the Bronchos. In 1903, the team acquired one of baseball’s greatest early stars, Nap Lajoie, and soon became known as the Cleveland Naps. Lajoie was more than just a star player. He became the face of the franchise and one of the greatest hitters of the dead-ball era. The Cleveland Naps Nap Lajoie was one of baseball’s first true superstars. He won batting titles, accumulated thousands of hits and became so closely associated with Cleveland that the club eventually adopted the name Naps in his honor. The team also developed one of the game’s great pitchers during this period: Addie Joss. Joss threw a 74-pitch perfect game for Cleveland at League Park on October 2, 1908. His career ended tragically when he died of tubercular meningitis in 1911. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1978. The 1920 World Championship The franchise’s first World Series championship came in 1920. The team was led by players including: Tris Speaker, Stan Coveleski, Joe Sewell, Ray Chapman, Jim Bagby Sr. Cleveland defeated the Brooklyn Robins in the World Series. The 1920 championship was especially significant because it came during a tragic period for the franchise. Shortstop Ray Chapman was killed after being struck in the head by a pitch during the season. The team rallied and eventually won the World Series. Tris Speaker had become a Cleveland star after the team acquired him from Boston in 1916. He remained with Cleveland for 11 seasons and became one of the greatest players in franchise history. From Naps to Indians After the 1914 season, the team dropped the Naps nickname and became known as the Cleveland Indians. The Indians name remained for more than a century. In 2021, the organization officially changed its name to the Cleveland Guardians. The new name came from the six Art Deco Guardians of Traffic statues on Cleveland’s Hope Memorial Bridge. The name change created a new chapter while preserving the statistical and historical records of the same franchise. Every Home Ballpark The Guardians have played their home games in only four primary Major League ballparks since the franchise began in 1901. Ballpark Years Location League Park 1901-1931 East 66th Street and Lexington Avenue Cleveland Stadium 1932-1993 Lake Erie waterfront Jacobs Field 1994-2007 Downtown Cleveland Progressive Field 2008-present* Downtown Cleveland *The stadium was renamed Progressive Field in 2008 after originally being known as Jacobs Field. The Guardians’ official history lists League Park as the home from 1890-1931, although the current American League franchise began playing there in 1901. Cleveland Stadium then served as the club’s home from 1932 through 1993. Jacobs Field opened in 1994, and the stadium became Progressive Field in 2008. League Park League Park was one of baseball’s historic early parks. The original wooden structure was replaced by a concrete-and-steel facility in 1910. It held approximately 21,000 fans and remained Cleveland’s home until 1931. Cleveland Stadium Cleveland Stadium opened in 1932 and became the team’s home for 62 seasons. It hosted five World Series and four All-Star Games. It was also the setting for several historic Cleveland pitching performances, including Len Barker’s perfect game in 1981. Jacobs Field The opening of Jacobs Field in 1994 helped transform Cleveland baseball. The downtown ballpark replaced Cleveland Stadium and became one of the symbols of the franchise’s remarkable resurgence during the 1990s. Progressive Field The ballpark remains the Guardians’ home today. Located in downtown Cleveland, Progressive Field sits beside Rocket Mortgage Field House and has become one of the most recognizable landmarks in the city. All Guardians Owners The Cleveland organization has had a remarkably long list of owners and controlling ownership groups. The Guardians’ official ownership history lists the following: Owner / Ownership Years Charles W. Somers 1900-1916 Jim Dunn 1916-1922 Estate of Jim Dunn 1922-1927 Alva Bradley 1927-1946 Bill Veeck 1946-1949 Ellis Ryan 1949-1952 Myron H. Wilson 1953-1956 William R. Daley 1956-1962 Gabe Paul 1963-1966 Vernon Stouffer 1967-1972 Nick Mileti 1972-1976 Ted Bonda 1977-1978 F.J. “Steve” O’Neill 1978-1983 Estate of F.J. “Steve” O’Neill 1983-1986 Richard E. Jacobs 1986-2000 Larry Dolan and family trusts 2000-present The Dolan family purchased the franchise in 2000 and remains the ownership… Continue reading The History of the Cleveland Guardians:
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The History of the San Francisco Giants
[custom_countdown width=”100px”] The History of the San Francisco Giants: From New York to the Bay Area The San Francisco Giants are one of the oldest and most successful franchises in Major League Baseball. Their history begins in 1883, when John B. Day and Jim Mutrie organized a National League club originally known as the New York Gothams. The club adopted the nickname Giants during the 1885 season. The franchise has played in two great baseball cities, New York and San Francisco, and has been home to some of the greatest players in baseball history. The Giants have won 23 National League pennants and eight World Series championships, five championships in New York and three since moving to San Francisco. The Beginning: The New York Gothams The Giants entered the National League in 1883. John B. Day and Jim Mutrie had already operated the New York Metropolitans, and they helped establish the new National League club. The Gothams quickly became a powerhouse. By 1885, the team was being called the Giants, and the roster included future Hall of Famers such as Roger Connor, Buck Ewing, Tim Keefe and Mickey Welch. That 1885 club won 85 of 112 games, producing the highest winning percentage in franchise history. The Giants won their first National League pennants in 1888 and 1889 and also won the early championship series against the American Association champion. The franchise survived numerous ownership changes, ballpark moves and league challenges before establishing itself as one of baseball’s permanent institutions. Every Home Ballpark in Giants History Few franchises have had a more interesting ballpark history. The Giants have played in several different parks in New York and two temporary and permanent homes in San Francisco.Jersey City, New Jersey Ballpark Years Used Location Polo Grounds I 1883-1888 110th St. & Sixth Ave., Manhattan Oakdale Park 1889 Jersey City, New Jersey St. George Grounds 1889 Staten Island, New York Polo Grounds II 1889-1890 155th St. & Eighth Ave., Manhattan Polo Grounds III 1891-1911 Coogan’s Hollow, Manhattan Hilltop Park 1911 165th St. & Fort Washington Ave. Polo Grounds V 1911-1957 155th/157th St. & Eighth Ave., Manhattan Seals Stadium 1958-1959 16th & Bryant Streets, San Francisco Candlestick Park 1960-1999 Candlestick Point, San Francisco Oracle Park 2000-present Third & King Streets, San Francisco The Giants opened their 1889 season at Oakdale Park in Jersey City because they had been evicted from the original Polo Grounds. They played two games there before moving to the St. George Grounds on Staten Island. Later that year they moved back to Manhattan to a new Polo Grounds. The 1911 season produced another unusual chapter. The Polo Grounds burned, forcing the Giants to temporarily use Hilltop Park, the home of the American League New York Highlanders. The rebuilt Polo Grounds opened in June 1911 and became the Giants’ home through the 1957 season. Seals Stadium After moving west in 1958, the Giants played their first two seasons in San Francisco at Seals Stadium. On April 15, 1958, the Giants defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-0 in their first Major League game in San Francisco. Orlando Cepeda hit a home run in the historic season and won the National League Rookie of the Year Award. Candlestick Park The Giants moved to Candlestick Park in 1960. The stadium was initially considered a modern improvement over Seals Stadium, but its cold temperatures and notorious winds eventually made it one of the most distinctive—and sometimes hated—ballparks in baseball. Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Juan Marichal, Barry Bonds and many other Giants stars played at Candlestick. Oracle Park The Giants opened their new downtown San Francisco ballpark in 2000. Originally named Pacific Bell Park, it later became SBC Park, AT&T Park, and finally Oracle Park. The privately financed stadium helped secure the franchise’s long-term future in San Francisco. It also became famous for McCovey Cove, where home runs hit by left-handed Giants hitters can splash into the water. Giants Ownership Through the Years The ownership history of the Giants is almost as complicated as the franchise’s ballpark history. The following list identifies the principal owner or controlling ownership figure for each major period. During the modern era, ownership became an investment partnership rather than a single-person operation. Years Principal/Controlling Owner 1883-1893 John B. Day 1893-1895 C.C. Van Cott 1895-1902 Andrew Freedman 1902-1912 John T. Brush 1912-1919 Harry N. Hempstead 1919-1936 Charles A. Stoneham 1936-1976 Horace C. Stoneham 1976-1993 Bob Lurie 1993-2008 Peter Magowan-led ownership group 2008-2011 William H. Neukom-led ownership group 2012-2019 Larry Baer as managing/control executive 2019-present Greg Johnson as chairman and designated control person The Giants’ early ownership chronology is documented in the club’s historical media guides. Horace Stoneham and the Move West Horace Stoneham inherited the Giants from his father, Charles, in 1936. He eventually became the man responsible for one of the biggest decisions in franchise history. In 1957, Stoneham announced that the Giants would leave New York for San Francisco. The move occurred at the same time the Brooklyn Dodgers were moving to Los Angeles. The two moves permanently changed the geographic map of Major League Baseball. Bob Lurie Saves the Giants Bob Lurie purchased the Giants in 1976 and spent years trying to obtain a new stadium. When those efforts failed, he agreed to sell the team to a group that intended to move it to the Tampa Bay area. That move nearly happened. In 1992, a Bay Area investment group led by Peter Magowan stepped forward and purchased the franchise, keeping the Giants in San Francisco. The Modern Ownership Group Peter Magowan’s group immediately changed the direction of the franchise. The group signed Barry Bonds and began the effort to build a new downtown stadium. Today, the Giants are owned by a consortium of investors. Greg Johnson is chairman and the club’s designated control person, while his father, Charles B. Johnson, has been the largest individual shareholder. The Johnson family has been part of the ownership group since the early 1990s. The Giants in… Continue reading The History of the San Francisco Giants
