Built in 1931, a distinctive feature of the park was that it had 3 locker rooms. One for the visiting teams, one for the Seals, and one for the "Mission Reds," San Francisco's "other" ball club, the one you watched when the Seals were out of town.Along with the Los Angeles Angels, Portland Beavers, Oakland Oaks, Sacramento Solons, and Seattle Indians, the Seals were charter members of the Pacific Coast League which was founded in 1903. The team played its home games at Recreation Park at Harrison and 8th Streets until it was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake.
A new Recreation Park was built at 14th and Valencia, and the Seals played there until 1930. They were PCL pennant winners in '09, '15, '17, '22, '23, and '25.
They also won the pennant in their inaugural year in the 18,600 seat Seals Stadium.
In 1932 Vince DiMaggio talked the manager into letting his 17 year old kid brother Joe try out at shortstop.
Next year Joe hit safely in every game from May 27 to July 25, 61 straight games.
At the end of the '34 season the Seals sold Joe to the Yankees, but part of the deal was that Joe would play one more season in SF.
In 1935 Joe DiMaggio hit .398 with 154 RBI and 34 HR. He was PCL MVP and the Seals won another pennant.
The Yankees won the next four World Series and 9 out of the next 13.
4 comments:
great photo of Seals Stadium . . . if you follow link to Tubesox Nation, the header photo shows Ruben Gomez throwing the first-ever major league pitch on the West Coast.
Thanks for the SF history! While I was visiting I got a Seals T-shirt on the Haight. I don't know why. So this info is perfectly timed for me!
When I write my histories I'm always wondering what it be like to be actually going to these ballparks, which streetcar would I have to take, what do the hot dogs taste like, can I stand all the cigar smoke? Was there too much wind and fog, and did the seagulls begin to gather in the 8th inning?
What would it ave been like to watch the teenaged Joe DiMaggio play center field, to watch him rake the ball every day with that beautiful swing he had?
Trying to find the old Hamm's sign (18th? Bryant?) ...nevertheless, great stuff!
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