The Jake



Home-plate entrance to Progressive Field, Aug-2008.

The seating bowl, from high above the right-field line just before game time.

The new ballpark fits snugly into Cleveland like no other park could.

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Quick Facts: Rating: 4 baseballs
In 1992, the Cleveland Indians and owner Dick Jacobs made arrangements for a new baseball park to be built as part of a new development off the lakefront called Gateway, which would also accommodate an arena for the city’s NBA basketball team. The move would get the Tribe out of old Municipal Stadium.

Until three days before the 1994 season opened, the new park was being referred to as Gateway Park. Then Jacobs came through with his own money to back up the naming of the facility, and it became known as Jacobs Field. The new park was hailed for its ability to bring out the best of a city that had gained a rotten reputation over the previous few decades. Visitors to the park get a great look at downtown Cleveland, as well as a clear view to the lake from selected angles in the upper deck.

A lot of people compare Jacobs Field with Camden Yards, but the facilities have very little in common except for their ability to fit into their cities. The Jake would never work in Baltimore; likewise, Camden Yards couldn’t be made to fit into Cleveland.

The best news of all is that fans have flocked to the Jake to watch their beloved Tribe. Every game from mid-1995 through the 2001 opener was sold out. A rejuvenation of the team helped as well; the club was in the playoffs every season from 1995-99.

For 2008, the park took on a new name, as Dick Jacobs, who named the park for himself when he owned the Indians, wanted out. The park is now known as Progressive Field, for an auto insurer.

Renovations completed prior to the 2015 season increased fan entertainment areas while lowering the seating capacity by removing right-field upper-deck seats.


The main entrance, when the park was known as Jacobs Field
More photos from 2018 in this Facebook album (public, no account required)
Game Date League Level Result
128 Mon 4-Jul-1994 American MLB CLEVELAND 7, Minnesota 1
369 Sat 31-Jul-1999 American MLB CLEVELAND 13, Chi White Sox 10
963 Sun 31-Aug-2008 Major MLB Seattle 6, CLEVELAND 4
1415 Tue 25-Aug-2015 Major MLB CLEVELAND 11, Seattle 6
1729 Thu 20-Sep-2018 Major MLB Chi White Sox 5, CLEVELAND 4, 11 inn
1913 Thu 19-Sep-2019 Major MLB CLEVELAND 7, Detroit 0
2258 Wed 28-Sep-2022 Major MLB CLEVELAND 2, Tampa Bay 1, 11 inn
2620 Wed 25-Sep-2024 Major MLB CLEVELAND 5, Cincinnati 2
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This page updated 25-Sep-2024