Sick's Stadium

David Hegler
2 days ago
3 min read

Seattle's road to gaining a major league team was quite tenuous as was the journey it traveled to building a stadium adequate enough for the big leagues. While Sick's Stadium lacked everything imaginable, it did help introduce Seattle to the major leagues and helped usher in a new age for the Emerald City.

Dugdale Field

It all began with Dugdale Field. Built in the middle of the Rainier Valley in 1913 and named after Dan Dugdale, a pioneer of the sport who founded multiple teams, the humble little wooden ballpark could fit 15,000 on a good day. It instantly drew the community's gaze as it hosted the PCL's Seattle Indians. While they hardly ever ventured past third place, the Indians did manage to claim the PCL pennant in 1924 by winning a league best 109 games.

In 1924, Babe Ruth played an exhibition series at Dugdale Field with the Seattle All-Stars, crushing three home runs in a game against a Southwest Timber League team. Dugdale Field was also the first to welcome the NFL to the Pacific Northwest in 1926 when it provided the backdrop for the Chicago Bears 34-0 pasting of the Washington All-Stars.

Unfortunately, the good times didn't last in Dugdale Field. It burned to the ground after a fireworks display on July 4, 1932, forcing the now-named Rainiers to finish the season in the Civic Center (modern day Key Arena). Thus, the site remained empty for the next six years.

Stick's Stadium

By 1938, a new stadium sprung up where Dugdale Field once stood. Named after Rainiers owner, Emil Sick, Sick's Stadium was made almost entirely of concrete and steel. With center-field stretching 420 feet, left-field stopping at 305 and right-field halting at 309, the hitter-friendly ballpark looked like an excellent opportunity at the box office.

The Rainiers were quite successful at Sick's Stadium, winning three straight PCL championships from 1940 through 1942.

After several transactions in the decade, the Rainiers were sold to the California Angels and renamed themselves after the parent club in 1965 and played continued playing at Sicks' Stadium through 1968. As the head of the Rainier Brewing Company, Emil Sick was no stranger to promotion and gladly welcomed the Negro League's Seattle Steelheads for the 1946 season into his namesake. After his death in 1964, Sick's Stadium was renamed Sicks' Stadium, a subtle change to reflect the shared ownership of the venue with his descendants.

Meanwhile, the city of Seattle was trying vigorously to bring a major league team to the Pacific Northwest. Over the years, both the Cleveland Indians and the Kansas City A's were rumored to be possible candidates, but ultimately Seattle got a team of its own, sprung up out of the dust. Its name? The Pilots.

While a new indoor stadium was being planned for downtown, the Pilots began play in Sicks' Stadium. However, the ballpark wasn't quite ready for the big leagues. While it was supposed to expand up to 30,000 capacity, too many fans entered the ballpark on Opening Day, with their assigned seats having yet to be installed.

Still, that didn't stop the 14,993 who did attend from watching the Pilots' Gary Bell pick up a complete game win, leading the squad to a 7-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox on that Friday afternoon, April 11, 1969.

The fans soon forgot that victory as they began to realize just how crummy their ballpark was. Many of the seats were obstructed, the toilets often stopped flushing when attendance exceeded 10,000 and the broadcasters never could see the entire field. In other words, it was one of the worst ballparks in the majors.

Still, small yet significant improvements were made on Sicks' Stadium throughout the year and by the middle of the season, its capacity had grown to 25,000. It was too little too late though. Following the last game on October 2 -a 3-1 loss to the Oakland A's- the Pilots were sold to future baseball commissioner Bud Selig and moved to Milwaukee, becoming the Brewers and leaving Seattle without a major league team. the Crescent city swiftly swung into action and were able to secure another expansion team that was to begin play in the newly opened Kingdome in 1977.

Through 1976, Sicks' Stadium bided its time by hosting minor league games. It was demolished in 1979 and is now the site of a Lowes Home Improvement store. A commemorative sign now stands where Sicks' Stadium once stood. In its lone season as a major league ballpark, Sicks' Stadium drew just 677, 944 all year -good for tenth out of 12 American League teams- and provided the backdrop for a forgettable 64-98-1 club. All the while, introducing the Emerald City to the big leagues.

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