Oakland Oaks Ballpark
The Pacific Coast League was established in 1903 to satiate a growing obsession with Baseball during the era.
The Oakland team, dubbed the Oaks or “The Acorns” by some, originally played in Freeman’s Park which was located at 59th Street & San Pablo Avenue in North Oakland.
After languishing in the bottom of the standings, The Oaks finally won the pennant in 1912 boosting their popularity. Team owner J. Cal Ewing decided to build a new park for the team.
Ewing opted to build the stadium in Emeryville which was becoming a bustling transportation hub and center of entertainment with ample card rooms, bars and restaurants.
Construction of the stadium at the northwest corner of Park and San Pablo Avenue commenced on February 1, 1913 (The Emery estate was moved to 43rd and San Pablo to accommodate the new stadium). It was finished in the impressive span of six weeks.
The grounds were 465 feet square with lawn covering all but a 60-foot wide strip on foul territory.
The first game was played April 10, 1913.
Throughout the years, the stadium hosted an impressive list of baseball legends including the DiMaggio Brothers, Ernie Lombardi, Lefty O’Doul, Casey Stengel and Billy Martin.
Barnstorming games that gave wider exposure to Negro League Hall of Famers such as Jackie Robinson, Josh Gibson and Satchel Paige.
Another historical moment at the ball park saw Canadian-born left handed pitcher Jimmy Claxton break the Professional Baseball “color line” in 1916.
The Oakland Oaks also won the PCL pennant in 1927, 1948, and 1950. The 1948 Championship team was managed by Casey Stengel who went on to coach the New York Yankees on his way to the baseball Hall of Fame.
The 1950 season marked the beginning of a dramatic decline in attendance for the Oaks, a slide that continued for several years. The invention of the television was partially blamed for the decline of baseball as America’s favorite pastime.
Because of the decline in attendance, the owners decided to move the team to Vancouver, British Columbia after the 1955 season where they became “the mounties.”
The last home game at the Emeryville park was played on September 4, 1955.
The ball park was later torn down to make way for a Pepsi Cola bottling plant and is now a parking lot for Pixar Employees.
