Before it was home to the River Cats, the city of Sacramento was home to the PCL's Solons. While few remember them, their legacy is dotted with legendary moments and people. This is the story of the Sacramento Solons. The Original Solons The team began as the Senators in 1903 before changing their name to the "Sacts" for the next five years. After 1913, they switched back to their original name where they developed a nice little following in the capital city. On June 10, 1930

Ban Johnson needed a team in the Big Apple. As the founder of the infant American League, he needed a presence in the media capital of the world. With the Baltimore Orioles under his control, he was able to sell the ballclub for a mere $18,000 to three men with influence in New York: Frank Farrell (the Pool Room King), Billy Devery (a former New York City police chief) and team president Joseph Gordon (a coal merchant and state assemblyman). The three moved the Orioles to Ne

The Polo Grounds was once synonymous with sports and interwoven in America's fabric. It was here, not the Bronx, where the seeds of the New York Yankees great dynasty was first spread. It was here where both Tom Landry and Vince Lombardi got their first real shots at proving themselves in the NFL. The Polo Grounds was much more than just a single Shot Heard 'Round the World, there was a time when it was the face of sports in America. Polo Grounds I (1880-1889) Of all the vers

Very few ballparks have claimed a city's heart like Brooklyn's Ebbets Field. Perhaps it was Charles Ebbets continued investment in the community, or perhaps it was the long wait for the Dodgers to finally beat those dreaded Yankees in the World Series. Whatever the reason may be, what is certain is that Brooklyn's heart was ripped out of its chest when Ebbets Field was torn down. Let's take a look at how a simple ballpark became so interwoven in a city's soul. The Conception

For a stadium with such a short life span, Minnesota's Metropolitan Stadium certainly had its fair share of memories. Memories such as Sandy Koufax refusing to play in the World Series opener due to religious reasons, the Purple People Eaters gobbling up opponents on the frozen tundra and the birth of the Hail Mary pass make "the Met" seem so much older than it really was. All told, Metropolitan Stadium lasted a mere 20 years before domed stadiums became the norm. The Concep

Sometimes good players make even better coaches. Sherman Lewis starred as a running back and on the track at Michigan State, but his true calling was as a coach. His career has been decorated with players such as Roger Craig, Jerry Rice and Brett Favre, each of whom he has helped to find their greatest potential. This is his story. The Early Years Sherman Lewis was born in Louisville, Kentucky on January 29, 1942. After graduating from duPont Manual High School, Lewis accepte

When Ben Shibe and Connie Mack were granted a team in Philadelphia for the inaugural season of the American League, they stumbled upon a simple, vacant rectangular block in the heart of what locals affectionately referred to as "Brewerytown". Led by local contractor James B. Foster, crews worked 'round the clock to ensure that the newly established Athletics had a ballpark of their own. On Opening Day 1901, Columbia Park opened to the public. It was a simple structure that di

The sports world thrives on rivalries big and small. When National League Park first opened in Philadelphia, it was the envy of every other ballclub in America. The owner who was most envious happened to own the team across town: the Athletics. Seeing how his ballclub was faring in the standings and how quickly his old home was becoming obsolete, Ben Shibe sought to build a ballpark that was even better than the Phillie's new home. This is the story of Shibe Park. The Concept

Not all state-of-the-art ballparks are home to the best teams in the game. Although Philadelphia's Baker Bowl was the crown jewel of baseball when it first opened, in time, the cracks began to grow around the stadium as the Phillies remained mired in their own disrepair. This is the story of the Baker Bowl. A Promising Beginning Ever since they were established in 1883, the Philadelphia Phillies Base Ball Club had played in a tiny 6,500 seat venue called Recreation Park. Fore

"Someday the Cathedral of Learning will rise majestically over Oakland, be wonder whether it will be quite as soul-stirring as the stadium crouching between the hills" - The Owl 1925 College football is home to some of the sport's most historic cathedrals. From USC's Memorial Coliseum and Pasadena's Rose Bowl to Notre Dame's Stadium in the heart of the Midwest and LSU's Death Valley deep in the south, the wondrous monstrosities echo with heroics of past glories and beam with

Behind the University of Pittsburgh's Wesley W. Posvar Hall stands an old brick wall from a glorious era, an era when America truly embraced the beauty of sport. For 61 years, Forbes Field stood as the city grew from a glorified steel mill into a blooming metropolis. In that time period, its main tenant, the Pirates, won three world championships while the ballpark hosted countless memories that will live for as long as baseball resides in America's vernacular. This is the st

Cincinnati Reds owner John T. Brush was in a bind. After a second League Park had succumbed to a fire in 1900, he needed a new ballpark for his ballclub. With parts of League Park still standing, he wanted to stay on the corner of Findlay Street and Western Avenue while constructing a ballpark unheard of at the time. Architect John Thurtle was likeminded and he had an idea he was eager to spring on the major leagues. He had become enamored by Chicago's World's Columbian Expos

Cincinnati is home to the oldest professional baseball team, the Reds and from 1912 through half of 1970, the Reds played at Crosley Field. Over that stretch, Crosley Field was home to two World Series champions while 18 future Hall of Famers doned the red ballcaps, daring to climb up the notorious slope in the outfield. This is Crosley Field's story. The Conception The Reds of the present day are actually the third version of the team. The first one (the one that is credite

Visiting teams were loath to come there but isn't that the entire point of having a home-field advantage? For 33 years, Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium stood as a mighty fortress as opponents gingerly picked themselves off the rock hard surface as loyal Philadelphians jeered them on, taunting them with a vile spew as heartless as a human soul can take its vocabulary. "The Vet", as it was commonly called, had a heart as hard as stone that only grew colder as Philadelphia's bel

Before the Chicago White Sox ever played in the beloved Comiskey Park, they played in the a tiny wooden box of a ballpark called South Side Park. While it could only hold 12,500, it was there where the White Sox first won over the heart of Chicago. Out of the Dust a Ballpark Rises Built along West Pershing Road and South Princeton Street, South Side Park's first tenant was the minor league White Stockings in 1900. Due to the location, the ballpark had to blend in with the sur

On the South Side of Chicago once stood a fortress filled with memories of baseball's past. Often regarded as the "Baseball Palace of the World", Comiskey Park rarely failed to disappoint. Even as its primary tenants built a historically long championship drought. This is its story. The Conception After ten years of consistent winning in the old box known as South Side Park , White Sox owner Charles Comiskey was eager to have his ballclub play in a home more suitable for the

Before Baltimore's Memorial Stadium pulled at America's heartstrings and even before Baltimore Municipal Stadium was built, the Charm City spent decades playing hot potato with various baseball teams named the Orioles as well as five different ballparks all called Oriole Park at one point of time. Oriole Park I By 1883, a vacant plot of land on Greenmount Avenue (25th Street) had been used by several amateur clubs for practice and games for decades when members of the America

The city of Baltimore, Maryland has been a part of the Major League Baseball landscape since the very beginning. However, by the 1920's, the memory of the great Orioles teams of the 1890's had faded away from public memory and the Charm City was no longer considered "major league" in any sport. It needed a venue that could hold crowds large enough to witness the biggest events in sports. Thus, from the rubble of Baltimore Stadium rose Memorial Stadium. This is its story. Balt

There once was a ballpark that housed many teams but no matter how hard the city tried none would commit to calling it home. Not the Braves, not the Packers nor the Brewers. But while much of its history is dotted with abandonment, Milwaukee County Stadium was "the Little Stadium that Could". This is its story. The Conception Shortly after World War II, the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin was booming. With local plans such as Allis-Chalmers recently flush with cash from the war

There was a period of time when both Detroit's Tigers and Lions were the standard for winning. From 1935 to 1984, the Tigers and Lions won seven championships between them. The hub of all of that winning often resided in the expansive confines of Tiger Stadium. The Conception The Tigers had been playing in an old wooden shoebox of a ballpark called Bennett Park since 1896. While they hadn't won much, they had developed a healthy following and by the 1910's decided that they w