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Jacobs Field

Jacobs Field is one of the beautiful stadiums. Fans deserved something beautiful after years of having to attend games at the huge Cleveland Municipal Stadium. With a lousy team and poor attendance, Richard and David Jacobs bought the Cleveland Indians in 1985, hoping to improve the team and to try to get a new ballpark built.

The attempt to construct a new ballpark began in 1984, but eight years passed before construction began. In May 1990, voters approved a bond to build a sports complex including Jacobs Field. Located in downtown Cleveland, the construction of the ballpark began in January 1992. Jacobs Field was built as part of an urban renewal project that also includes Quicken Loans Arena, parking garages and landscaped plazas.

Jacobs Field was built so it would blend in with downtown Cleveland, from its exposed steel design that matches many bridges on the North coast and the vertical light towers that match the smoke stacks of Cleveland's industrial zone and the high rise office buildings in downtown Cleveland.

Jacobs Field opened on April 4, 1994 when 43,863 fans filled the ballpark to watch the Indians battle the Seattle Mariners. Three tiers of stands extend from the left field foul pole to home plate and around into right and center field. Excellent views of downtown Cleveland can be seen from many of these seats. A small section of lower level seats stretch to right-center field. In left field, a section of bleachers seats are located above a 19 foot high wall, nicknamed the mini Green Monster. Above these seats is a 120 foot by 200 foot scoreboard.

Jacobs Field has many amenities including the Davey Tree Backyard Picnic Area beyond centerfield, the Miller Lite Patio Area, an Indians Team Store, Wahoo World where fans can challenge there Major League arm at the Speed Pitch Machine, swing for the fences at the virtual Home Run Derby or use the bats at the Bat Attack cage. Throughout Jacobs Field are numerous electronic entertainment areas. Jacobs Field has provided the city with many great memories, including hosting the 1997 All-Star Game and three games of the 1997 World Series. Because of great teams, from 1995 until April 4, 2001, the Indians set a major league record of 455 sellouts of Jacobs Field.

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