Fansided

MLB Power Rankings: Top 30 stadiums of all time

By Joshua Sadlock

Aug 14, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; The sun sets over Wrigley Field during the game between the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 14, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; The sun sets over Wrigley Field during the game between the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 15, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; General view of Progressive Field during the eighth inning of game two of the 2016 ALCS playoff baseball series between the Cleveland Indians and the Toronto Blue Jays. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 15, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; General view of Progressive Field during the eighth inning of game two of the 2016 ALCS playoff baseball series between the Cleveland Indians and the Toronto Blue Jays. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

13. Progressive Field

  • Year Opened: 1994
  • Capacity: 35,051
  • Defining Features: white vertical light towers, Little Green Monster, Heritage Park

To many in the city of Cleveland, Progressive Field will always be known simply as “The Jake.” The stadium was originally named after owner Richard Jacobs, but his claim on the naming rights ran out after the 2006 season. Progressive insurance company bought the naming rights in 2008, but the original nickname lives on.

For a time in the mid-1990s, the Jake was the best place in the league to watch a game. From June 12, 1995 to April 4, 2001, the Indians sold out 455 straight games. With players like Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome, Albert Belle, and Carlos Baerga, the Tribe had one of the most exciting offenses in baseball, and the city of Cleveland embraced the winning ballclub. With the downturn in the local economy, the Indians have had to reduce capacity over the past 10 years, and the seating bowl is now under 40,000 with large parts of the upper deck abandoned during the middle of the season.

Progressive Field is lit by massive white light structures that are completely unique to the rest of the league. The towering structures can be seen from all over the city. The lights are over 200 feet tall, and resemble giant toothbrushes. At one point, the massive scoreboard that looms over left field was the largest at a sports venue in the entire world. It is 36 feet tall and nearly 150 feet wide. The scoreboard overlooks a 19-foot section of wall in left field that has been dubbed the Little Green Monster.

At one time, Progressive Field was voted the top stadium in the league to see a game. Even without the same rollicking atmosphere every night, it keeps its hold on one of the top spots in the league today.

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