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| West Side Grounds | |
|---|---|
| Name | West Side Grounds |
| Location | Chicago, Illinois |
| Opened | 1893 |
| Closed | 1915 |
| Demolished | 1916 |
| Owner | Chicago Cubs |
| Surface | Grass |
| Capacity | 16,000–40,000 |
West Side Grounds West Side Grounds was a baseball stadium in Chicago associated with the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Stockings franchise during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The ballpark hosted notable players such as Cap Anson and Frank Chance, and it was a venue for events involving teams like the Boston Beaneaters, New York Giants (NL), Pittsburgh Pirates, and St. Louis Cardinals. The park figured in wider civic life connected to Chicago World's Columbian Exposition-era developments and neighborhood changes near the United Center area.
The site originated as a replacement for earlier Chicago ballparks used by the Chicago White Stockings after the Great Chicago Fire disruptions and the franchise's reorganization under owners including Al Spalding and Albert Spalding. Built during a period when professional baseball in the National League was consolidating, the Grounds opened amid contemporaneous construction like Athletic Park (Cincinnati) and Polo Grounds. Early seasons featured stars such as King Kelly, Sam Thompson, and managers such as Fielder Jones. Ownership transitions involved figures linked to franchises in American Association and the Western League, reflecting the era's club movements exemplified by teams like the Cleveland Spiders and Baltimore Orioles (19th century).
Located on Chicago's West Side near major transportation arteries, the ballpark was accessible from Chicago and North Western Railway lines and streetcar routes associated with neighborhoods bordering Homan Square and near industrial districts that later hosted employers like Pullman Company. The wood-and-steel structure featured covered grandstands, box seats named for patrons such as Charles Comiskey-era benefactors, and bleacher sections used by supporters of rival clubs including fans of Boston Braves and Philadelphia Phillies. Its playing surface was natural grass maintained by groundskeepers with tools and techniques common to venues like Shibe Park and Fenway Park predecessors. Seasonal capacity varied as expansions accommodated large crowds for championship contests involving rivals such as the Brooklyn Superbas.
The venue served as home field for the franchise often labeled the Chicago Orphans in transitional seasons and hosted interleague exhibitions with clubs like the Cleveland Indians in early barnstorming tours. It staged preseason practices attracting players from the University of Chicago baseball program and occasional amateur contests featuring regional teams such as Chicago White Sox predecessors. The Grounds also hosted boxing matches promoted by figures connected to venues like Madison Square Garden and athletic meets with participants from organizations such as the Amateur Athletic Union.
Historic contests at the ballpark included league-deciding series against the Cincinnati Reds and dramatic matchups featuring sluggers like Ed Delahanty and pitchers like Christy Mathewson during exhibitions. The venue saw record crowds for charity games involving celebrities including Grover Cleveland-era politicians and benefactors from the World's Columbian Exposition circle. It was the site of memorable defensive plays by infielders in the mold of Johnny Evers and base-running feats reminiscent of Ty Cobb in interleague barnstorming, and it hosted postseason benefit contests paralleling events at Forbes Field and Ebbets Field.
Club proprietors and executives who managed the park included local businessmen and baseball investors tied to banking houses and industrial firms in Chicago such as those associated with the Chicago Tribune publishing interests and railroad magnates connected to Union Pacific Railroad circuits. Field operations were overseen by superintendents influenced by best practices from managers like John McGraw and promotion directors who coordinated schedules with league offices in New York City and ticketing arrangements comparable to those implemented by Boston Red Sox proprietors.
Following franchise moves to newer facilities akin to Wrigley Field developments and urban redevelopment pressures linked to municipal planning by officials interacting with the Chicago Plan Commission, the ballpark closed in the 1910s and was demolished. The site influenced subsequent land use patterns near industrial and entertainment zones that later contained venues like the Chicago Stadium and United Center. Its legacy persists in baseball historiography referenced in works about the National League, player biographies of figures such as Rogers Hornsby, and archival collections held by institutions like the Chicago History Museum and Library of Congress.
Category:Baseball venues in Chicago Category:Defunct sports venues in Illinois