Side A: Crosley Field was the home of the Cincinnati Reds for almost 58 years. Opened in 1912 as Redland Field, the ballpark was renamed in 1934 when famed Cincinnati industrialist Powel Crosley Jr. purchased the team. Over its years of service, Crosley Field was home to Reds teams that won the National League Championships in 1919, 1939, 1940, and 1961, and World Series titles in 1919 and 1940. The park also played host to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in 1938 and 1953. Crosley Field famously held what was then acknowledged as the first night game under lights on May 24, 1935. Such visiting Baseball legends as “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Willie Mays, and Jackie Robinson played at Crosley Field. (Continued on other side)
Side B: (Continued from other side) The Reds moved to the area bounded by Findlay Street, Western Avenue, York Street, and McLean Avenue in 1884. When fire destroyed their wooden League Park in 1900, the club invested in the concrete and steel “Palace of the Fans.” Crosley Field was needed to accommodate the growing fan base. It witnessed such Reds history as pitcher Johnny Vander Meer’s first of two major league record two consecutive no-hitters on June 11, 1938. Baseball legends Frank Robinson, Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, and Henry Aaron made their debuts at Crosley. And on June 10, 1944, 15-year-old Joe Nuxhall became the youngest pitcher in major league history. The final game at Crosley Field was held June 24, 1970, and the ballpark was demolished two years later.
