Crosley Field Opening

The first major-league park with lights, home of the Reds from 1912 to 1970.

Crosley Field was a Major League Baseball park in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the home field of the National League's Cincinnati Reds from 1912 through June 24, 1970, and also hosted two separate franchises: the Cincinnati Bengals of the second American Football League (1937) and a different Cincinnati Bengals team of the third American Football League (1940–41). It was not the original home of the current NFL franchise of the same name: the home of those Bengals in 1968 and 1969 was nearby Nippert Stadium, located on the campus of the University of Cincinnati. Crosley Field was on an asymmetrical block bounded by Findlay Street (south), Western Avenue (northwest, angling), Dalton Avenue (east), York Street (north) and McLean Avenue (west) in the Queensgate section of the city. Crosley has the distinction of being the first major-league park with lights for playing night games.

Quick Facts

Location: Cincinnati, Ohio

Lore & Background

The site at Findlay and Western had housed two distinct parks for the Reds before Crosley Field existed. From 1884 to 1901, League Park stood there, followed by the Palace of the Fans from 1902 to 1911. Crosley Field itself was originally named Redland Field when it opened in 1912, and was renamed Crosley Field in 1934 after local businessman Powel Crosley Jr. bought the struggling Reds. The park was the first major-league park with lights for playing night games, hosting the first night game on May 24, 1935, with President Franklin D. Roosevelt pressing a button to light the field. The park also hosted the 1938 All-Star Game.

Reader's Guide

Crosley Field was located in the Queensgate section of Cincinnati, bounded by Findlay Street, Western Avenue, Dalton Avenue, York Street, and McLean Avenue. The park had a distinctive 'V' shape due to the angle of its covered grandstands, earning it the nickname 'The Old Boomerang.' It was among the smallest parks in the majors, with a capacity of about 25,000 in 1912, later expanding to just over 30,000 seats. The outfield seating, known as the 'Sun Deck' (or 'Moon Deck' for night games), was in right field. The park's dimensions changed over time, with home plate moved 20 feet toward center field after the 1937 season.