Progressive Field

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Progressive Field is a ballpark located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, and is the home of the Cleveland Indians of the American League. Along with Quicken Loans Arena, Progressive Field is part of the Gateway Sports and Entertainment Complex.

Capacity 43,345

Opened April 4th 1994

Owner Cuyahoga County

Cost $175 million

Architect HOK Sport

The ballpark bears the name of Progressive Corporation, an insurance company headquartered in nearby Mayfield Village. The ballpark had been known as Jacobs Field (informally called “The Jake”) since its inaugural season in 1994. The renaming of the park was announced on January 11, 2008, and removal of the iconic Jacobs Field sign on the front of the building occurred starting the morning of January 18. Progressive agreed to pay $57.6 million for the naming rights for 16 years. Originally named for former team owners the Jacobs brothers, the original naming rights expired at the end of 2006.

Progressive Field is one of the contributing factors to the revitalization of downtown Cleveland. Opening in 1994, it replaced Cleveland Stadium, which the Indians shared with the NFL’s Cleveland Browns, and which for the Tribe had become the archetype of the adjective “cavernous.”

In May 1990, Cuyahoga County voters approved a 15-year sin tax on alcohol and cigarette sales in order to finance the new sports complex. In June 1992, the ceremonial first pitch was thrown at the site of the new Progressive Field before construction of the building began. Finally, on April 4, 1994, the Cleveland Indians played their first baseball game at Progressive Field against the Seattle Mariners. Then-president Bill Clinton threw the ceremonial first pitch, and the Indians won 4-3.

In 1995, Progressive Field hosted its first World Series, where the Cleveland Indians lost to the Atlanta Braves. Progressive Field was the site of the 1997 MLB All-Star Game and the host of the 1997 World Series where the Cleveland Indians lost to the Florida Marlins.

Prior to the start of the 1997 season, Progressive Field had a slight addition as two sections of seating were added onto the ends of the bleacher section, increasing the capacity by about 1,000 to its current 43,345.

The Indians’ move to “The Jake” coincided with the coming of age of an outstanding young team, and the Indians soon became the hottest ticket in Cleveland. The ballpark set a major league record between 1995 and early 2001 by selling out 455 straight games. Demand for tickets was so great that they sold out all 81 home games before opening day on three separate occasions. The Indians “retired” the number 455 in honor of this outstanding record.

In 2004, Progressive Field’s scoreboard, the largest free-standing scoreboard in the United States, was modernized with the installation of the largest video display in the world at a sports venue, built by Daktronics of South Dakota. The video board measures 36 feet high by 149 feet 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.

(source .. wikipedia) reproduced under GFDL

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