Lane Field

David Hegler
Jul 26
2 min read

San Diego has had a rich history of baseball, much of which first began on the corner of Broadway and Pacific Highway in 1936. Through the 1920's, the plot of land was used by the Navy as an athletic field, eventually being outfitted for football bleachers and a racing track. On weekends, crowds would gather as motorcycle and various track events were held there.

In 1936, Bill Lane moved his Hollywood Stars of the PCL to San Diego and got the Works Progress Administration (WPA) to rebuild the site into a baseball park. When the all-wood ballpark first opened on March 31, 1936, center-field stretched all the way to 480 feet, sandwiched between a 339-foot left-field and a 355 foot right-field awaited the throngs of spectators who were sure to fill the 12,000 seat ballpark. The Padres beat Seattle 6-2 that afternoon and soon welcomed a young recent high school graduate named Ted Williams into their ballclub. On August 1 of that same year, Lane Field hosted its first night game.

In those days, the Padres were the team to beat in the PCL. Led by manager Frank Shellenback, the Padres won 95 or more games in each of their first two years. Along With future Hall of Famers Bobby Doerr and Ted Williams in the lineup, the Padres won their first PCL championship in 1937. It was the only championship ever won at Lane Field. After that magical run, Ted Williams packed up and left for Boston, where glory awaited. In his two years with the Padres, Ted Williams drove in 109 runs and collected 161 hits while averaging more than .271. It was a glimpse into his illustrious future in the big leagues.

In 1945, Jackie Robinson worked out with two other Negro League players at Lane Field. Two weeks later, Branch Rickey formally announced that he had signed Robinson to the Dodger's minor league affiliate, the Montreal Royals. More history was made at Lane Field just three years later when Johnny Ritchey became the first African-American to play in the PCL. In the years to come, other African-Americans such as Luke Easter, Minnie Minoso and Sam Jones followed his lead, each eventually making it to the majors.

After splitting a double-header with the San Francisco Seals at the end of the 1957 season, the Padres moved to Westgate Park, leaving their old, wooden home in the dust. At this point in time, Lane Field had begun to crumble. Even though center-field had shrunk to just 426 feet to invite more home runs, it was not enough in the age of steel and concrete based stadiums. After it was demolished, it became a parking lot for the cruise ships that occupied the nearby waterfront. Today, a community park (Lane Field Park) and a commemorative plaque rests where Lane Field once stood.

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