SABR 49: Notable Baseball Sites in San Diego
As you prepare for your visit to San Diego for the SABR 49 convention, here is a list of notable and historic baseball sites around the city, as compiled by the local Ted Williams Chapter.
Note: Locations indicated with an asterisk (*) are within the downtown area.
Ballparks
- *Lane Field: This is the name of the field where the Pacific Coast League (PCL) Padres played from 1936 through to 1957. While it no longer exists, Lane Field Park is in its place (see write-up below). Home plate was at the northeast corner of Broadway and Harbor Drive in downtown San Diego.
- *Lane Field Model: A scale model of Lane Field is available for viewing during weekday business at the Padres’ Petco Park office lobby located at 100 Park Boulevard.
- *Lane Field Park: Today this park stands where Lane Field existed. The park was opened by the San Diego Unified Port District in 2015 and is designed to replicate the infield of the old ballpark with a plaque donated by the San Diego Ted Williams SABR chapter located in the same corner as where the original home plate existed.
- *Petco Park: Located in the southeast corner of downtown San Diego this is the ballpark where the NL Padres have played since its 2004 season. The streets that border it are: 7th Avenue/Tony Gwynn Way, the railroad, Trevor Hoffman Way/Park Boulevard, 10th Avenue, and J Street.
- San Diego Stadium/Jack Murphy Stadium/Qualcomm Stadium: This is where the PCL Padres played in its last season (1968) and then the National League (NL) Padres played from 1969 through 2003. It was a multi-sport facility that was also used by the NFL Chargers and San Diego State University football teams. It remains in operation today primarily for football events. It is located in Mission Valley along Friars Road and adjacent to Interstates 8 and 15.
- Westgate Park: This is the field where the PCL Padres played from 1958 through-1967. The ballpark no longer exists. The site’s location is currently occupied by the Fashion Valley Shopping Center at the southwest quadrant of Friars Road and State Route 163 (note: there is no marker).
Ted Williams
- *Residence at birth: At birth (1918) and through 1920, he lived at 933 13th Street; his father, Samuel, worked as a photographer at 725 Broadway, Room 32.
- *Residence, 1921-1923: During this early period of his youth he lived at 1140 4th Avenue; his father worked at 961 4th Avenue.
- Residence, 1924-1940: During his school years and through his early professional career his home was at 4121 Utah Street; his father worked at 820 5th Avenue.
- Elementary school: Garfield Grammar School was at 4460 Idaho.
- Middle school: Horace Mann Junior High School was at 4200 Park Boulevard (subsequently moved).
- High school: Herbert Hoover High School, is at 4474 El Cajon Boulevard.
- Ted Williams Field, North Park Playground: This field is located at the corner of Polk Avenue and Idaho Street in the North Park community of San Diego. This is where he played his youth baseball and is about two blocks west of his home on Utah Street.
- Ted Williams Parkway: is a street in north San Diego that bears no geographic relation to anything baseball, but was named after Williams.
Other notable baseball-related sites
- *Breitbard Hall of Fame: Originally housed in the San Diego Hall of Champions in Balboa Park, it is now located on the Field Level of the Western Metal Supply Co. Building Petco Park. This Hall of Fame has honored accomplished professional, collegiate and amateur athletes from throughout San Diego’s sports history. More than 20 area baseball players are recognized in the Hall of Fame. Among those honored are: Gavy Gravath, Tony Gwynn, Trevor Hoffman, Alan Trammell, Ted Williams, and Dave Winfield.
- *San Diego Padres Hall of Fame. The San Diego Padres Hall of Fame is located behind the left field stands at Petco Park.
- Albert Spalding Residence: Baseball pioneer Albert G. Spalding was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939. Spalding lived in San Diego from 1900 until his passing in 1915, and his home is located in the Point Loma neighborhood of San Diego. The residence is now called Mieras Hall and is part of the Point Loma Nazarene University.
- *Sullivan Family Baseball Research Center: The Baseball Research Center (BRC) is located on the 8th floor of San Diego’s Central Library, which is at 11th Avenue between J Street and K Street (two blocks from the east end of Petco Park.
- Tony Gwynn Memorial Freeway: A 4.5-mile stretch of Interstate 15 between Scripps Poway Parkway and Camino del Norte. In north suburban San Diego.
Gravesites of Baseball Hall of Fame inductees
- Jerry Coleman: Miramar National Cemetery, 5795 Nobel Drive, San Diego 92122, 619-553-2084; Section 3, Site 166
- Tony Gwynn: Dearborn Memorial Park, 14361 Tierra Bonita Road, Poway, California 92064, 858-748- 5760; Section E, Lot 28, Grave 2
- Bid McPhee: Cypress View Mausoleum, 3953 Imperial Avenue, San Diego, California 92113-1794, 619-263-3151; North Building, Shepherd Lane, Section 4, Niche 98 (third niche from bottom, sixth from the left on the wall between corridors 3 and 4
- Duke Snider: Masonic Cemetery, 1177 Santa Margarita Drive, Fallbrook, California 92028, 760-980- 0013; Elm Section, Row V, Lot 9
To learn more about SABR 49 in San Diego, visit SABR.org/convention.
