CLEVELAND -- League Park is a Cleveland treasure and a historic site that has played a vital role in the city’s baseball past. Next week, the Guardians will join a community event that honors the storied venue’s legacy.
The Cleveland Foundation is hosting a celebration of League Park on Tuesday during which Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, will share stories about the Negro Leagues, League Park and Cleveland’s place in baseball history.
Before the conversation with Kendrick, which is scheduled for 5 p.m., the Guardians will host a youth baseball clinic as part of a slate of community activities, which will begin at 3 p.m. There will also be historical displays for the public, community organizations and ballpark refreshments available.
League Park opened in 1891 and was the first home of Cleveland’s American League team, now known as the Guardians. It hosted the 1920 World Series and the 1945 Negro Leagues World Series.
Among other historic moments, the ballpark was the site of Addie Joss’ perfect game on Oct. 2, 1908, Babe Ruth’s 500th career home run on Aug. 11, 1929, and the hits that extended Joe DiMaggio’s legendary hitting streak to a record 56 games.
Cleveland moved to Cleveland Stadium in 1932. League Park hosted its final MLB game on Sept. 21, 1946, between Cleveland and Detroit. The city has since refurbished and reimagined it after it fell on hard times.