IL1 Columbus Clippers

A Cooper Stadium Birthday

Published on June 21, 2007 under International League (IL1)
Columbus Clippers News Release


This has been a big week in Columbus baseball history with the unveiling of the new Huntington Park and Brandon Watson's record hitting streak. The last week of spring has always been big in Columbus baseball history.

Seventy-five years ago this week, the Red Birds played the first night game in Columbus history.

Today we take things such as electricity, air conditioning, television and automobiles for granted. But 75 years ago, they were still new to many people.

In 1932, the visiting team shared the gate receipts. That spring, the Cardinal's GM Branch Rickey coveted St. Paul's shortstop Jimmy Reese. Rickey knew the novelty of the first night game at the new stadium would bring a big crowd. Rickey traded the right to play in the first night game to the Saints for Reese. The first game under the lights, in Columbus, had to wait for two weeks until St. Paul came to town.

Rickey was right about the big turnout. On June 17th, a record crowd of 21,000 fans stormed the gates. The Red Birds defeated the Saints 5-4 in 11 innings.

The largest crowd in Columbus baseball history was estimated. The fans, pushing against the fence, before the gates opened, caused a section of the fence to collapse. The fans streamed in, many without tickets. It took a while to restore order. During the game, the Red Birds' GM Larry MacPhail popped in to the press box to observe the big crowd from the roof. The scribes asked MacPhail what the official attendance was for the night. There was no way of knowing.

Larry looked at veteran sportswriter Lew Byrer of the Columbus Citizen and said "Looks like 21,000." Byrer concurred. It became the official attendance figure for the night. The figure was significant.

The previous Columbus record of 20, 531 was 100 years ago on September 1, 1907, when the Columbus Senators defeated the Toledo Mud Hens in a doubleheader to win the American Association pennant.

The largest crowd in Cooper Stadium history is 20,131 on Thursday, July 17, 1980 when the San Diego Chicken first visited The Coop. (The Famous Chicken returns this August 4). According to the old Jets media guides, the largest crowd in Jet Stadium history was 14,859 on August 3, 1965.

Red Bird Stadium is recognized as the first baseball stadium built with lights but night baseball did not start here.

The first night baseball game was played at Ft. Wayne, IN, on June 2, 1883. M.E. College nine were defeated by the professionals of Quincy 19-11 in seven innings.

In 1909, George F. Cahill of Holyoake, MA, put on an exhibition game of night baseball across the river from Cincinnati between two Elks teams. Reds' President Garry Hermann loved the idea but manager Clark Griffith nixed the thought of the Reds playing night baseball.

Cahill continued to put on exhibitions of his lighting system all over the country.

On April 18, 1930 at Independence, MO, Muskogee and Independence played the first night game in minor league history. After Independence, night baseball grew like wild fire.

The first night baseball game under permanent lights was played on May 2, 1930 a Western League game in Des Moines, IA, against Wichita. It attracted 12,000 fans for a team averaging 600.

The Depression hit minor league baseball hard. Millions of people were out of work but did not have the money to attend games. Those who did have precious jobs, worked during the day and could only attend night games. Night baseball saved the minors during the depth of the Great Depression.

The first night game in the International League was held on July 3, 1930 in Buffalo as 12,000 fans watched Montreal defeat the Bisons 5-4. (I wonder if they had fireworks after the game?)

MacPhail hired Cahill to put the lights in when Red Bird Stadium was being built. At first it was planed that the Red Birds would play just one night game against each team in the league. But when attendance soared, that idea soon went out the window.

MacPhail put lights in Crosley Field in Cincinnati and played the first night game in major league history on May 24, 1935. FDR threw a switch in the White House to turn the lights on in the Cincinnati ball park.

The next night game at The Coop is this Friday. Nationwide presents the zany ZOOperstars. Also there is a free baseball clinic for kids on the field, prior to the game, with Clippers players.

Hope to see you at the game!

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International League Stories from June 21, 2007


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