Los Angelos Memorial Coliseum

[tonypug]

Perhaps the worst Major League ballpark of all time was the Los Angelos Memorial Coliseum. Of course the Coliseum was never meant to be a baseball stadium. Itwas built for the Olympics, and to be a football stadium. Walter O'Malley, the man who said he had to leave Brooklyn because his team had no place to play, moved his team to a city where his team had no place to play. Though O'Malley had promises of getting Chavez Ravine the people of LA were still two years away from giving the necessary votes to complete the dea. Thus the Bio O arrived in LA with his team and no place to play. Wrigley Field was deemed to have too few seats for O'Malleys liking. Upon first look the Coliseum was found, to be unsuitable for a major league ballpark. Ther was no way to fit a ballfield in the Coliseum properly. O'Malley then turned his eyes to Pasadena and the Rose Bowl. After months of wrangling with the City of Pasadena it looked like a deal could be worked out. Warren Giles President of the National League told O'Malley that if he played in Pasadena, LA would be an open territory and the American League could move in. O'Malley then forced the Coliseum into a ballpark. Down the left field line was only 250 feet, and even though a 40 foot high screen was erected balls flew over the wall regularly. Center field and right field looked like the Grand Canyon and effectivly took the bat out of Dodger slugger Duke Sniders hands. What the Coliseum did have , to O'Malleys glee was a lot of seats that could be sold. Of course you couldn't see the field without binoculers from many of the seats, but many of the La fans didn.t go to see the game anyway. I am sitting here looking at a photograph of the Coiseum while I write this and I still shake my head.

[Chisox73]

Here's a pic of the LA Coliseum from it's baseball days.Enjoy!
http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/past/lamem4.jpg
Note the enormous amount of real estate in left center field.

[Chisox73]

Here's another pic.
http://www.ballparktour.com/la_coliseum_10.jpg

[tonypug]

Here's another pic.
http://www.ballparktour.com/la_coliseum_10.jpg
Thats the photo I was looking at. 47 years later it's still a joke. Thanks Chisox73. The 59 Whitesox probably had nightmares when they had to play there in the World Series.

[Chisox73]

Not really,they lost 2 of the 3 games ther in '59,but since they really didn't have any power to speak of,that place was more to thier liking.Pitching and timely hiting killed the Sox in the '59 Series.

[Chisox73]

Here's another pic of the Coliseum as the workers try to shoehorn a baseball diamond into the field.
http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/past/lamem5.jpg

[Paulmcall]

Duke must have thought he was playing in the Grand Canyon.

[tonypug]

Here's another pic of the Coliseum as the workers try to shoehorn a baseball diamond into the field.
http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/past/lamem5.jpg
That is a great illustration of what I mean. Great picture, thanks.

[tonypug]

Not really,they lost 2 of the 3 games ther in '59,but since they really didn't have any power to speak of,that place was more to thier liking.Pitching and timely hiting killed the Sox in the '59 Series.
The only real power they had was Ted Kluszewski,who hit three homeruns in the series and Ted was a lefty hitter.

[Chisox73]

Klu hit all 3 of his home runs at Comiskey in that Series.In fact,of the 11 homers in the series,2 were hit at the Coliseum.Sherm Lollar and Gil Hodges had those homers in Game 4.

Here's an amazing fact that I found yesterday.In 1958,there were 193 homers hit at the Coliseum.Of those,182 were hit over the left field screen, 3 were hit to center,and only 8 hit to right.

Here's a diagram of whet the dimensions looked like.
http://www.ballparktour.com/Los_Angeles_Coliseum_Dia.gif

[Elvis]

Was the Coliseum really built for the Olympics? It was opened 10 years before the 1932 Los Angeles games.

[Chisox73]

That was thew original intent of the Coliseum,to host the Olympics,the same reasoning behind old Cleveland Municipal Stadium.

When it was biult,LA figured it would have some leverage in getting the '32 Olympics because they alreday had a stadium in place,ultimately beating out Cleveland for the '32 Games.

[tonypug]

Klu hit all 3 of his home runs at Comiskey in that Series.In fact,of the 11 homers in the series,2 were hit at the Coliseum.Sherm Lollar and Gil Hodges had those homers in Game 4.

Here's an amazing fact that I found yesterday.In 1958,there were 193 homers hit at the Coliseum.Of those,182 were hit over the left field screen, 3 were hit to center,and only 8 hit to right.

Here's a diagram of whet the dimensions looked like.
http://www.ballparktour.com/Los_Angeles_Coliseum_Dia.gif
Wally Moon who was a left handed hitter, became very adept at swinging late and hitting pop ups over the screen. The term moon shots was born. I believe moon hit over 20 home runs the opposite way over that screen in 1959, when he played for the Dodgers. I remember before Roy Campanella had his car accident, there were several articles cncearned that Campy woul threaten Ruths single season home run record. Campy was a pull hitter and even at that late stage of his career would have had fun with that net.

[Bluesteve32]

Was the Coliseum really built for the Olympics? It was opened 10 years before the 1932 Los Angeles games.


Believe it or not, the Rose Bowl was built before the Coliseum. When the Coliseum was built, they figured that USC, which is across the street, would play their home football games their, and host track meets. UCLA was not even a four year university at that time and it would be a decade before they would also call the Coliseum, home, which ended in 1982.

The Colisuem was enlarged for the 1932 games as well and its signature Paristyle end (the east end) is among the most recognizable landmark in sports.

The Coliseum is the only venue that has hosted:

Super Bowl
Pro Bowl
AFC Championship game
NFC Championship game
World Series
All-Star game
Two Olympic Games (1932, 1984)
Numerous NCAA football games with a National Championship and/or PCC Pacific Coast Conference), Pac-8, Pac-10 at stake.
PCC, Pac-8, Pac-10 Track meets (dual and league)
Championship Boxing
International Soccer games
High School Football Championship games...

... and it is a registered landmark. That is why we can't tear down the facility and remodeling would have to go through the Coliseum Commission a group run by state, county, and city officials (politicians who are complete :confused: :eek: :noidea :ughh :radio :evil ). With all due respect, it was a horrible baseball park.

[Elvis]

And if you count the Sports Arena, next door, the Democratic National convention.

[tonypug]

It's been a wonderful venue for many events, except baseball.

[Bluesteve32]

It's been a wonderful venue for many events, except baseball.

It is actually better now since they lowered the field and removed the track.

[Elvis]

It's been a wonderful venue for many events, except baseball.

Here's another frequent Coliseum event not already mentioned:

SUPERCROSS!

[jrh31584]

It seems to me that a better layout would have been if they had the diamond facing due east, and made the first 20 rows or so near the foul poles retractable, resulting in something similar to Cleveland Municipal or Memorial Stadium. It wouldn't have been great, but it would have been an improvement.

[mojorisin71]

It seems to me that a better layout would have been if they had the diamond facing due east, and made the first 20 rows or so near the foul poles retractable, resulting in something similar to Cleveland Municipal or Memorial Stadium. It wouldn't have been great, but it would have been an improvement.

Keep in mind that the Coliseum was just a temporary venue while Dodger Stadium was being built. Sort of like RFK is to the Washington team.

[tonypug]

It seems to me that a better layout would have been if they had the diamond facing due east, and made the first 20 rows or so near the foul poles retractable, resulting in something similar to Cleveland Municipal or Memorial Stadium. It wouldn't have been great, but it would have been an improvement.
Any changes the Dodgers made had to be changed back to the origonal way, when they moved out. O'Malley kept track of all dollars spent.

[trosmok]

Hard to believe they actually drew anyone to watch games there. I kind of like the pesky style pole down the RF line at 300 ft., but the foul territory on the third base side looks like you could put a championship golf course there. Wonder how many foul flies were caught on the massive green there; makes chavez ravine look positively intimate. BTW, I remember watching Evel Knievel live on Wide World of Sports fly down a ramp constructed from the cheap seats all the way down to the Coliseum field, and up and over 50 cars, and land without mishap, unlike what he had done a year earlier at San Francisco's cow palace, where he cracked himself up quite badly. :eek:

[Dizzy]

In that first photo is the line through the outfield a temp. wall?

[tonypug]

In that first photo is the line through the outfield a temp. wall?
Yes that was a temporary fence to give lefthanded batters a chance, although a slim chance to hit one out.

[d-rock]

DID YOU KNOW?

Before the start of the season O'Mally wanted to put up a second
screen x-number of rows into the stands (behind the 40' left field screen).
They petitioned the League to allow the first screen to be a ground rule
double and the 2nd screen (in the stands) a home run.
Their request was denied, but it would have been very unique if they
had gotten it approved. :cool:

[Dodger Dante]

It looks like to me that they could have pretty much recreated the Polo Grounds field dimensions at the Coliseum.

[soberdennis]

One advantage the coleseum had for Baseball is in the record books probably forever. All LA games in the 59 Series drew over 92000 fans. The single game and the 6-game WS attendance records are untouchable. That WS probably drew more than most 7 game series.

[redbuck]

It looks like to me that they could have pretty much recreated the Polo Grounds field dimensions at the Coliseum.

except they probably wouldn't have gotten 200 feet down the lines. The PG was a much wider ballpark.

[redbuck]

Why do we use the term "worst" so liberally? What was so bad about a really unique TEMPORARY ballpark? I wouldn't mind a year or two in a place like that.

[Elvis]

My Dad and I once sat in the end bleachers for a USC game. Worst seats I have ever sat in for a sporting event. I think we were a good 75 yards from the endzone and almost ground level. Couldn't see a dang thing! :crazy But my friend's Dad had 40-yard line seats for the Raiders and they used to take me a few times. And actually those seats for baseball wouldn't have been half bad.

[efin98]

Why do we use the term "worst" so liberally? What was so bad about a really unique TEMPORARY ballpark? I wouldn't mind a year or two in a place like that.

Regardless of how good the facility is, if it replaced one of the sacred cow ballparks it is the "worst" facility :rolleyes:

[bluezebra]

The Los Angeles Coliseum isn't even a decent place to watch football.

Bob

[Dodger Dante]

except they probably wouldn't have gotten 200 feet down the lines. The PG was a much wider ballpark.

You're right; it wouldn't have worked then.

[Dodger Dante]

Why do we use the term "worst" so liberally? What was so bad about a really unique TEMPORARY ballpark? I wouldn't mind a year or two in a place like that.

I'd take it over the monstrosity of Enron's LF to CF...those Crawford Boxes, that oversize fake train, the hill....ouch!