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So you thought Wrigley Field was in Chicago? Yes, but there was also a minor league Wrigley Field in Los Angeles, and in fact, this one was named "Wrigley Field" before the "namesake" in the Windy City! Like Seals Stadium (San Francisco), Colt Stadium (Houston), and Sick's Stadium (Seattle), this was one of those forgotten temporary venues for expansion franchises, pending construction of a more permanent home. It was named after the owner, chewing gum magnate William Wrigley who owned both the Cubs and the (minor league) Angels franchises. Wrigley Field (L.A.) was probably the finest minor league stadium ever built, with a double-decked grandstand and classic Spanish colonial architecture. Palm trees and residential homes were visible beyond the left field wall. One of the defining features was a 12-story clock tower on the back of the grandstand, which held office space for the Pacific Coast League staff.
It is a little-known fact that the Dodgers considered moving into Wrigley Field when they relocated to Los Angeles in 1958, and plans were made to expand the seating capacity by wrapping the double-decked grandstand around the corners, extending beyond the outfield. This would have forced the closer of the street behind the left field fence, and the houses on that block would have had to have been razed. It was just too tight a squeeze, however, and the neighboring residents objected. So, Walter O'Malley looked elsewhere, and found a much bigger (if less suitable) venue about a mile to the west: Memorial Coliseum.
CINEMA: Being just a few miles from Hollywood, it was only natural that Wrigley Field was featured in baseball movies such as Damn Yankees (1958), and It Happens Every Spring (1949), starring Ray Milland. It also was the setting for the TV show Home Run Derby in the late 1950s.
Indeed, as the diagram shows, there was barely enough room for the playing field itself. Wrigley Field (L.A.) resembled the Chicago original in many ways (such as having ivy-covered outfield walls), but the power alleys were much shorter, only 345 feet. The roof profile was nearly identical, with "dormers" It was symmetrical but had very little foul territory. That was fine for minor leagues, but when major league teams played here in 1961 there was a flood of home runs. The Angels moved out of Wrigley Field after the 1961 season, then played as tenants in brand new Dodger Stadium for four years, and finally moved into their own stadium in 1966. The "Home Run Derby" television series of the early 1960s was filmed in this ballpark, as was one episode of "The Munsters." Wrigley Field (L.A.) was demolished in 1966, and a public park and community center now occupy the land where it once stood.
SOURCES: Lowry (2006), Ritter (1992), Gershman (1993)
