About Cleveland Municipal Stadium
Cleveland Municipal Stadium, sitting on the shores of Lake Erie, was one of the largest sports venues in America. Its massive 74,483 capacity made it one of the biggest ballparks ever built, but the cavernous bowl often felt empty during the Indians' many lean years, earning it the nickname "The Mistake by the Lake."
Despite its reputation, the stadium hosted some remarkable baseball. Bob Feller pitched here during his prime years, and the 1948 Indians drew over 2.6 million fans — a record that stood for years — en route to a World Series championship.
The bitter winds off Lake Erie made late-season games particularly miserable, and the stadium's age and condition deteriorated badly by the 1980s. The Indians moved to the beautiful Jacobs Field (now Progressive Field) in 1994, and Municipal Stadium was demolished in 1996.
Fun facts
- Ten Cent Beer Night in 1974 caused a full-scale riot; fans stormed the field and the game was forfeited.
- The stadium was so large that the Indians used only a portion of it for most games, curtaining off upper sections.
- Lake Erie winds made it one of the coldest and most unpleasant stadiums in baseball.
- At 74,483, it was one of the largest baseball-configured stadiums ever built.
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