Maple Leaf Stadium
Encyclopedia
Maple Leaf Stadium was a baseball stadium in Toronto
built in 1926 by Lol Solman
for his Toronto Maple Leafs baseball team of the International League
on the site of a stadium that had been built in 1907. It continued to be the home of the Leafs for 42 seasons, until the team left town following the 1967 season. The stadium was demolished in 1968.
Maple Leaf Stadium was located at the foot of Bathurst Street on the south side of Lake Shore Boulevard (formerly Fleet Street) and designed by architects Chapman, Oxley & Bishop
. Previously, the Maple Leafs had played at Hanlan's Point Stadium
. The opening game was held on April 29, 1926, with the Leafs rallying to defeat the Reading Keystones in extra innings before a rain-soaked crowd of 12,781.
On November 8, 1926, Maple Leaf Stadium was the site of the first professional American football
game to be played outside of the United States, a 28-0 victory of the New York Yankees
over the Los Angeles Wildcats
, both of the first American Football League
. Estimated attendance for the game was 10,000.
Lights for night games were installed in 1934.
In the early 1960s, Leafs owner Jack Kent Cooke
tried to persuade Toronto city council that a new stadium was needed to attract a major league team, but the city was unwilling to shoulder the costs. After the Leafs left, the run-down stadium was considered to be a safety hazard and demolition began within a few months. The site is currently occupied by apartments shaped like the old ball park.
The Toronto Rifles
of the Continental Football League
played at the venue for their first season.
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
built in 1926 by Lol Solman
Lol Solman
Lawrence "Lol" Solman was a prominent businessman in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Born in Toronto, Solman was educated in public schools and grew up in profile when compare to his later life...
for his Toronto Maple Leafs baseball team of the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
on the site of a stadium that had been built in 1907. It continued to be the home of the Leafs for 42 seasons, until the team left town following the 1967 season. The stadium was demolished in 1968.
Maple Leaf Stadium was located at the foot of Bathurst Street on the south side of Lake Shore Boulevard (formerly Fleet Street) and designed by architects Chapman, Oxley & Bishop
Chapman and Oxley
Chapman and Oxley was a Toronto, Ontario, Canada - based architectural firm and responsible for designing a number of Beaux Arts buildings in the city in the 1920s and 1930s...
. Previously, the Maple Leafs had played at Hanlan's Point Stadium
Hanlan's Point Stadium
Hanlan's Point Stadium was a baseball stadium and lacrosse grounds in Toronto. It was erected in 1897 at Hanlan's Point on the Toronto Islands for the minor league Toronto Maple Leafs baseball club. It was destroyed by fire twice, in 1903, and again in 1909...
. The opening game was held on April 29, 1926, with the Leafs rallying to defeat the Reading Keystones in extra innings before a rain-soaked crowd of 12,781.
On November 8, 1926, Maple Leaf Stadium was the site of the first professional American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
game to be played outside of the United States, a 28-0 victory of the New York Yankees
New York Yankees (NFL)
The New York Yankees were a short-lived professional American football team from 1926 to 1928. The team was a member of the first American Football League in 1926, and later the National Football League from 1927-1928. They played their home games at Yankee Stadium...
over the Los Angeles Wildcats
Los Angeles Wildcats
The Los Angeles Wildcats was a traveling team of the first American Football League that was not based in its nominal home city but in Chicago, Illinois...
, both of the first American Football League
American Football League (1926)
The first American Football League , sometimes called AFL I, AFLG, or the Grange League, was a professional American football league that operated in 1926. It was the first major competitor to the National Football League. Founded by C. C...
. Estimated attendance for the game was 10,000.
Lights for night games were installed in 1934.
In the early 1960s, Leafs owner Jack Kent Cooke
Jack Kent Cooke
Jack Kent Cooke was a Canadian entrepreneur and former owner of the Washington Redskins , the Los Angeles Lakers , and the Los Angeles Kings , and built The Forum in Inglewood, California and FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland.-Early career:Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Cooke moved with his family to...
tried to persuade Toronto city council that a new stadium was needed to attract a major league team, but the city was unwilling to shoulder the costs. After the Leafs left, the run-down stadium was considered to be a safety hazard and demolition began within a few months. The site is currently occupied by apartments shaped like the old ball park.
The Toronto Rifles
Toronto Rifles
The Toronto Rifles were a minor-league professional American football team active between 1964 and 1967. It was based in Toronto, Ontario. The team's home fields were Maple Leaf Stadium and Varsity Stadium from 1966 to 1967...
of the Continental Football League
Continental Football League
The Continental Football League was a professional minor American football league that operated in North America from 1965 through 1969. It was established following the collapse of the original United Football League, and hoped to become the major force in professional football outside of the...
played at the venue for their first season.
External links
See also
- Exhibition StadiumExhibition StadiumCanadian National Exhibition Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, that formerly stood on the Exhibition Place grounds, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada....
- Hanlan's Point StadiumHanlan's Point StadiumHanlan's Point Stadium was a baseball stadium and lacrosse grounds in Toronto. It was erected in 1897 at Hanlan's Point on the Toronto Islands for the minor league Toronto Maple Leafs baseball club. It was destroyed by fire twice, in 1903, and again in 1909...
- Rogers CentreRogers CentreRogers Centre is a multi-purpose stadium, in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League...
- Sunlight ParkSunlight ParkSunlight Park was the first baseball park in Toronto. The all wood stadium was built in 1886 for the International League baseball team the Torontos ....