Hubbry Logo
search
logo
2047085

Gilmore Field

logo
Community Hub0 Subscribers
Write something...
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
See all
Gilmore Field

Gilmore Field was a minor league baseball park in Los Angeles, California, that served as home to the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League from 1939–1957 when they, along with their intra-city rivals, the Los Angeles Angels, were displaced by the transplanted Los Angeles Dodgers of the National League.

Gilmore Field was the home of the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League from May 2, 1939 through September 5, 1957. The stadium had a seating capacity of 12,987 people. The opening game in 1939 was an 8-5 loss to the Seattle Rainiers.

The ballpark was located on the south side of Beverly Boulevard between Genesee Avenue and The Grove Drive, just east of where CBS Television City is currently located. A couple hundred meters to the west was Gilmore Stadium, an oval-shaped venue built several years earlier, which was used for football games and midget auto racing. To the east was the famous Pan-Pacific Auditorium. Both facilities were built by Earl Gilmore, son of Arthur F. Gilmore and president of A. F. Gilmore Oil, a California-based petroleum company which was developed after Arthur struck oil on the family property. The area was rich in petroleum, which was the source of the "tar" in the nearby La Brea Tar Pits. Later, the Gilmore Drive-In Theater was built, just south of the ballpark and east of the Farmers Market.

The field had intimate quarters from the spectator standpoint – first and third bases were 24 feet (7.3 m) from the first row of seats. Home plate was 34 feet (10 m) from the stands. The outfield gave the pitchers more of a break with foul lines 335 feet (102 m) long, power alleys about 385 feet (117 m), and 407 feet (124 m) to center field. The power alleys were thus 40 feet (12 m) deeper than in the cross-town counterpart, Wrigley Field. The diamond was situated in the northwest corner of the field.

At the time of filming of the final scenes for The Stratton Story, the distance markers, visible in some shots, were: foul lines 335 feet (102 m), power alleys 360 feet (110 m), and the pair of center field corners either side of the batters background 400 feet (120 m).

In 1938 Herbert Fleishaker, owner of the Mission Reds moved his team to Los Angeles, and took the name of the Hollywood Stars after the city's previous PCL franchise. After but one season, the team was sold to new owners, among them Bob Cobb of Brown Derby Restaurant fame and the inventor of the California Cobb Salad. In their salad days, as it were, the Stars attracted glamorous actors and other celebrities or anyone else who wanted to be "seen", much as Dodger Stadium would later. One of the L.A. Angels players, Chuck Connors, made a successful move from one side of the box seat railing to the other, becoming the star in The Rifleman, a popular 1950s TV show.

The Stars would play at Gilmore Field through the 1957 season. Their final game there came on September 5, 1957, a 6–0 victory over the San Francisco Seals. Stars pitcher Laurin Pepper nearly pitched a no-hitter, giving up a single with two outs in the ninth inning.

In 1948, Gilmore Field was used as the spring training location for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

See all
User Avatar
No comments yet.