SOUTH BAY DIGS | Digital Edition Online

December 13, 2013

DIGS is the premiere luxury real estate lifestyle magazine serving the most affluent neighborhoods in the South Bay and Westside of Los Angeles, California.

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south bay ™ MASTHEAD SOUTH BAY HISTORY TIDBITS CATALINA ISLAND AND THE CHICAGO CUBS BY MAUREEN MEGOWAN / RE/MAX ESTATE PROPERTIES PUBLISHER Warren J Dow CREATIVE DIRECTOR Debbie Glasscock ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Christopher Matalone DIGITAL MEDIA SPECIALIST Kieron McKay GRAPHIC DESIGNER Blake Smisko SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Paul Jonason MANAGING EDITOR Pamela Corante-Hansen CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Quinn Roberts, Heidi Walter DIGITAL MEDIA www.SouthBayDigs.com Download the South Bay Digs App at the Apple iTunes Store for iPhone & iPad Chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr. purchased Catalina Island in 1919 and shortly thereafter in 1921 gained a controlling interest in the Chicago Cubs in 1921. He then became the first baseball owner to bring a major league club out West for spring training, building a facility for the Cubs on Catalina in 1921 that he called "Wrigley Field." It was the first baseball facility to bear Wrigley's name. It opened up earlier than the minor league Los Angeles Angels' baseball facility of the same name which Wrigley built in 1925 in South Los Angeles. Coincidentally, one of the streets bordering this ball park was named Avalon, the location of Wrigley's Catalina facility. The more famous Chicago ballpark was known first as Weeghman Park, and then as Cubs Park, before being renamed Wrigley Field in 1926. The Catalina Wrigley Field's dimensions were built identical to those of the major league club's Chicago home field. Only a plaque noting the location remains now on the grounds of what is currently the Catalina Island Country Club, though its clubhouse is the same structure that Wrigley built for the Cubs. The locker room for the country club is the same locker room used by the Cubs during their spring training visit. The Cubs trained on Catalina every spring from 1921-1941, and from 1946-1951 (The island was controlled by the U.S. military during the war years). An amazing array of baseball stars spent their springs in the bucolic setting, including Charlie Root, Phil Cavaretta, Charlie Grimm and Hall of Famers Rogers Hornsby, Dizzy Dean, Gabby Hartnett, Joe McCarthy, Grover Cleveland Alexander and Hack Wilson. The team would arrive every spring on one of Wrigley's fleet of ships used for transportation from the mainland. These included the Hermosa, the Cabrillo, the S.S. Avalon, and, beginning in 1924, the S.S. Catalina, "The Great White Steamship." After disembarking, the team would join the fashionable set and stay at the island's fanciest hotel, the Hotel St. Catherine on Descanso Bay. The club would spend most of the spring playing intra-squad games, though occasionally outside teams such as the Pacific Coast League's Los Angeles Angels would make the trip over for some games, and the Cubs would make the trip to the mainland right after spring training for exhibition games with West Coast minor league teams. The team's home games were free, and the stadium was a major tourist attraction on the island during spring training. The Cubs' last season on the island was 1951. A spell of bad weather, including a snowstorm, may have played a role in convincing the team to move spring operations to Mesa, Arizona. www.southbayhistory.com 722 1st Street, Unit D, Hermosa Beach, California, 90254 Office: 310-373-0142 • Fax: 310-373-3493 for more history South Bay Digs Magazine is published every other Friday by m3 Media, LLC. Reproduction in any form or by any means is strictly prohibited without the prior written consent from m3 Media LLC. The Publisher and advertisers are not responsible or liable for misinformation, misprints, or typographical errors. All advertised properties are subject to prior sale or withdrawal without notice. Real estate advertised in this publication is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act. M3 Media will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis. Any and all submissions to this publication become the property of m3 Media, LLC and may be used in any media. TO OUR READERS: South Bay Digs Magazine welcomes your feedback and encourages reader response to our editorial features. Please send your letters to the Publisher at 722 1st Street, Unit D, Hermosa Beach, California, 90254 or via email to wdow@southbaydigs.com. Please include your name and contact information. Letters may be published and we reserve the right to edit. ADVERTISING: For inquiries, please contact Publisher Warren Dow at 310-373-0142. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Subscriptions are $26 per year. Subscribe by email: contact@southbaydigs.com CREATIVE SERVICES & AD DESIGN/ORIGINAL ARTWORK PROVIDED EXCLUSIVELY BY SOUTH BAY DIGS. © 2013 m3 Media, LLC. All rights reserved. 310.541.6416 MMegowan@cox.net (QSC, PV Specialist, SRES, SDPE) 28  ARCHITECT | DESIGN | BUILD 12.13.2013 Remax Hall of Fame, Remax Platinum Club

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