In 1928, Cleveland voters passed a $2.5 million levy to build a fireproof stadium on the Lake Erie shore. By the time construction was completed on the stadium, cost overruns totaled $500,000 and had seating for 74,438 baseball games and 81,000 for football games.
On July 1, 1931, the stadium was dedicated and two days later hosted its first event: a national Boxing Association World Heavyweight Championship match between Young Stribling and Max Schmeling with a total of 37,000 fans in attendance. Schmeling won the match in the 15th round with a technical knockout.
Built as one of the country's first multi-use stadiums, it soon became known as the Mistake on the Lake. Because of the different sizes and shapes of football and baseball fields, the sight lines for baseball games were very poor. In 1947, a fence was constructed to decrease the size of the outfield. No player was ever able to hit a home run into the center field bleachers.
Indians baseball team owner Bill Veeck used to order the outfield fence moved, in or out, by as much as 15 feet in order to favor the Indians in a game until the American League outlawed such activity.
In addition to the inability to design the stadium for optimal play and sightlines for more than one sport, the Mistake on the Lake was positioned so that the biting cold Canadian winds would blow straight into the stadium throughout the fall, winter and spring seasons. When the winds would finally warm, the stadium lights attracted swarms of midges and mayflies from the lake. The bugs would swarm fans and players alike.
December 17, 1995, the stadium closed, and on November 4, 1996, the stadium was demolished to make room for Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Indians had already re-located to Jaobs Field (later named Progressive Field) at the end of the 1993 season.
In its 65-year-long history, the stadium was known as Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Lakefront Stadium, Municipal Stadium, and The Mistake by the Lake.
Offered for sale here is an original brick from the stadium. The brick was located in a part of the stadium that was regularly hosed down for cleaning, which is why there is a glaze coating on the brick.
There is a total of five bricks listed individually because of the wide range of colors each brick exhibits, thus a buyer can pick the specific brick he or she desires.
Please contact ask any questions prior to purchase.
Old Cleveland Stadium Glazed Brick
**8 3/8 inches long, 4 1/8 inches wide, 2 1/8 inches thick**
**Weighs more than 5 pounds**
**Has original dirt and mortar on brick surface**
**Expected flaws, chipping from 65 years of use**
**Embossed "Sparta" on one side**
**Please closely examine pictures for color variations and condition**
B-88423093
Brick 1
