The Hollywood Stars were a Minor League Baseball team that played in the Pacific Coast League during the early- and mid-20th century. They were the arch-rivals of the other Los Angeles–based PCL team, the Los Angeles Angels .
42-747: The first incarnation of the Hollywood Stars began its existence in 1903 as the Sacramento Solons , a charter member of the Pacific Coast League. The team moved to Tacoma, Washington , in 1904, where it won the pennant as the Tacoma Tigers . During the 1905 season, the team returned to Sacramento to finish out the season, moved to Fresno in 1906 to finish last as the Fresno Raisin Eaters , then left
84-536: A Minor League Baseball team based in Sacramento, California . They played in the Pacific Coast League during several periods (1903, 1905, 1909–1914, 1918–1960, 1974–1976). The current Sacramento River Cats began play in 2000. The team derived its name from Sacramento's status as capital of California . Solon was an early Greek lawmaker and the term "solons" was often used by journalists as
126-427: A brawl between the two teams lasted 30 minutes, broken up only when 50 riot police were sent to Gilmore Field by Chief of Police William Parker , who was at home watching the game on television when the fight started. The Columbia Broadcasting System , owner of Gilmore Field, announced plans to raze the facility to build out what would become its new West Coast nucleus of CBS Television City in 1952. In October 1957,
168-733: A new Sacramento franchise was admitted to the PCL in 1918. For most of its existence, the Sacramento team finished in the second division, but there were a few bright spots. Originally known as the Senators, the team was purchased by Branch Rickey in 1935 and renamed the Sacramento Solons. Rickey's close friend and business partner Philip Bartelme served as the Solons' president from 1936 to 1944. The Solons finished first in 1937 but lost
210-764: A one-team city once more for the 1936 and 1937 seasons. The second incarnation of the Hollywood Stars joined the Pacific Coast League in 1909 as the Vernon Tigers . As the Tigers, the team won two PCL pennants (and finished first in another only to lose the postseason series) before moving to San Francisco for the 1926 season. The transplanted Tigers, now known as the Mission Reds or usually just "the Missions", foundered in San Francisco, failing to establish
252-410: A post-game interview show at Gilmore Field that immediately followed KTTV broadcasts of the Hollywood Stars home games. Patrick was assisted by sportswriter Braven Dyer. Mark Scott , who later became nationally known as the host of Home Run Derby , was the team's last play-by-play announcer. The Twinks began the custom of dragging the infield during the fifth inning, creating an artificial break in
294-544: A rivalry with the existing San Francisco Seals . In 1938, Missions owner Herbert Fleishaker moved his team back to Los Angeles, and took the name of the departed Hollywood Stars. After one season the team was sold. In early December 1938 the team was purchased by attorney Victor Ford Collins and Robert H. Cobb, owner of the Brown Derby restaurants. They formed the Hollywood Baseball association and enlisted
336-563: A synonym for "senators." Solon Huntington was a prominent Sacramento businessman during the 19th century, though less famous than his brother ( Collis Huntington ) and son ( Henry Huntington ).The team was also known at times as the Sacramento Sacts , an abbreviation of the name of the city, and the Sacramento Senators. During 1913-1914, when Harry Wolverton managed the team, San Francisco newspapers often tagged them
378-640: A team to watch when the Angels were on the road. Attendance had been quite good (by standards of that era) during their inaugural year in 1926, but tapered off after that, exacerbated by the Great Depression . When, after the 1935 season, the Angels doubled the Stars' rent, Lane announced the Stars would move to San Diego for the 1936 season, to become the San Diego Padres . Los Angeles became
420-470: A very popular team, winning three pennants before 1958. They had successful affiliations with the Brooklyn Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball . In 1955, actress Jayne Mansfield was named Miss Hollywood Star. The Stars became genuine rivals of the Angels, and it was not uncommon for fights between the teams to break out during Angels-Stars games. In fact, on August 2, 1953,
462-434: Is currently located. A couple hundred meters to the west was Gilmore Stadium , an oval-shaped venue built several years earlier, which was used for football games and midget auto racing. To the east was the famous Pan-Pacific Auditorium . Both facilities were built by Earl Gilmore , son of Arthur F. Gilmore and president of A. F. Gilmore Oil , a California-based petroleum company which was developed after Arthur struck oil on
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#1732775992878504-496: The Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants moved to California, forcing the aforementioned teams to move to Spokane , Salt Lake City , Phoenix and Vancouver , respectively. Although the Solons were not immediately displaced, the close proximity of the San Francisco Giants (just over an hour to the south) also took its toll on attendance. After the 1960 season, the team was sold and moved to Honolulu and renamed
546-596: The Brooklyn Dodgers confirmed their long-rumored move to Los Angeles for the 1958 season, which forced the Stars and the Angels to relocate. The Angels, who had been purchased by Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley prior to the 1957 season, became the Spokane Indians in 1958. Having no interest in operating the Twinks anywhere but in Los Angeles, the ownership group led by Frank J. Kanne, Jr., was compelled to sell
588-643: The Hawaii Islanders for 1961. The third version of the Sacramento Solons began during the AAA realignment in 1969 as the Eugene Emeralds . After the 1973 season, it was determined that Eugene was too small to support PCL baseball, and the team was moved to Sacramento for the 1974 season, taking the name of its predecessor teams, the Sacramento Solons. The Solons' old stadium, Edmonds Field , had long since been demolished. The only available facility
630-856: The New York Yankees . He moved to Los Angeles with the Mission Reds, and eventually joined the Hollywood Stars' starting rotation before being drafted by the Yankees in 1940. His large store of memorabilia included a rabbit's foot given to him by Gail Patrick . A great many future Major League Baseball standouts played for the Hollywood Stars, among them Gus Bell , Bobby Bragan , Bobby Doerr , Gene Freese , Babe Herman , Dale Long , Bill Mazeroski , Bob Meusel , Lefty O'Doul , Mel Queen , Dick Stuart , Lee Walls and Gus Zernial . The team's managers included Bragan, Jimmy Dykes , Fred Haney and Charlie Root . The Stars were affiliated with
672-769: The Wolves , a nickname which continued when they moved to San Francisco and became the Mission team. A Sacramento team played 1900–1902 in 1899–1902 iteration of the California League . This team was called the Senators, but also the Gilt Edges. That team then became a charter member to the Pacific Coast League (PCL) in 1903, called the Sacramento Solons (also known as the Sacts or the Senators). Other teams forming
714-627: The Hollywood Bees, but soon changed their name to the Hollywood Stars. The original Stars, though supposedly representing Hollywood , actually played their home games as tenants of the Los Angeles Angels at Wrigley Field in South Los Angeles . Though the Stars won pennants in 1929 and 1930, they never developed much of a fan base, playing their home games miles from the glamorous Hollywood district. They were merely
756-538: The Hollywood area. In January 1939 it was announced that plans were under way to create a $ 200,000 ballpark seating 12,500 by May 1939. Gilmore Field was opened in the Fairfax District adjacent to Hollywood. (The club played part of the 1939 season in nearby Gilmore Stadium , after having played at Wrigley Field during 1938.) Nicknamed the Twinks by the press, the new Hollywood Stars caught on and became
798-589: The PCL altogether. The Sacramento Solons rejoined the PCL in 1909, then moved to San Francisco during the 1914 season, finishing out the season as the San Francisco Missions . The team was sold to Utah businessman Bill "Hardpan" Lane and moved to Salt Lake City for the 1915 season. They played as the Salt Lake City Bees for the next 11 seasons until Lane moved the team to Los Angeles for the 1926 season. Originally they were known as
840-408: The PCL were the Los Angeles Angels , Portland Beavers , Oakland Oaks , San Francisco Seals and Seattle Indians . Although the Solons finished second in the inaugural year, attendance was not good and the team moved to Tacoma for the 1904 season, renamed the Tacoma Tigers . The Tigers won the PCL pennant in 1904 and won the first half of the split 1905 season before falling off so dramatically in
882-409: The action hoping fans would run to the concessions stands. The Stars adopted the use of batting helmets in 1949, at the mandate of Branch Rickey , who wanted to popularize the product as a safety precaution and a personal business venture. Notable players for the Hollywood Stars include pitcher Rinaldo Ardizoia who, at the time of his death on July 19, 2015, was the oldest living former member of
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#1732775992878924-884: The capital city in 2000 when a group of area businessmen led by majority owner Art Savage purchased the Vancouver Canadians of the PCL and moved the team to Sacramento. Foregoing the traditional name of Sacramento baseball teams, the owners named the team the Sacramento River Cats . Unlike their predecessors, who were often troubled at the box office, the River Cats have been among the leaders in Minor League Baseball attendance since their return to Sacramento, and leading all minor league teams in attendance for their first nine consecutive years in Sacramento. The River Cats took up residence at
966-523: The decrepit Hughes Stadium with its bandbox dimensions. The Solons' owners "leased" the team to San Jose for the 1977 and 1978 seasons, when the team was known as the San Jose Missions , in hopes of obtaining a new baseball-only facility. After two seasons of dismal attendance in San Jose, the team was sold and moved to Ogden, Utah , for the 1979 season. The Pacific Coast League returned to
1008-479: The distance markers, visible in some shots, were: foul lines 335 feet (102 m), power alleys 360 feet (110 m), and the pair of center field corners either side of the batters background 400 feet (120 m). In 1938 Herbert Fleishaker, owner of the Mission Reds moved his team to Los Angeles, and took the name of the Hollywood Stars after the city's previous PCL franchise. After but one season,
1050-552: The family property. The area was rich in petroleum, which was the source of the "tar" in the nearby La Brea Tar Pits . Later, the Gilmore Drive-In Theater was built, just south of the ballpark and east of the Farmers Market . The field had intimate quarters from the spectator standpoint – first and third bases were 24 feet (7.3 m) from the first row of seats. Home plate was 34 feet (10 m) from
1092-544: The financial support and enthusiasm of many stars and community leaders. Celebrities who were stockholders and part-owners of the team included Lloyd Bacon , Gary Cooper , William Powell , Barbara Stanwyck , Robert Taylor , George Raft , Charles Rogers , Raoul Walsh , Roscoe Karns , William LeBaron , Gene Autry (who later became owner of his own major league franchise ), George Burns and Gracie Allen , Bing Crosby , Cecil B. DeMille , William Frawley , Gail Patrick (then married to Bob Cobb) and Harry Warner . "No one
1134-468: The following major league teams: The Hollywood Stars were immortalized on the 1957 jazz album, Double Play! by André Previn and Russ Freeman . The baseball-themed album, with song titles like "Called On Account of Rain", "Batter Up", "Who's on First" and "In the Cellar Blues", features a topless model on the cover wearing a Hollywood Stars cap. The Stars were also mentioned on episode 24 of
1176-436: The fourth season of I Love Lucy . The Hollywood Stars are mentioned by Officer Ramirez in episode 212:The Big Lift of the radio program Dragnet . The 1952 movie "The Atomic City" shows off Gilmore Field as the scene of a Russian atomic secrets drop—taking place while FBI agents try to track it over the television monitors of a televised Hollywood Stars game. Sacramento Solons The Sacramento Solons were
1218-500: The newly built Raley Field , which was constructed specifically for baseball. The Solons were affiliated with the following major league teams: Gilmore Field Gilmore Field was a minor league baseball park in Los Angeles , California , that served as home to the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League from 1939–1957 when they, along with their intra-city rivals, the Los Angeles Angels , were displaced by
1260-403: The next few years. In 1914, attendance was so bad that the Solons moved to San Francisco in the middle of the season, finishing out the year as the San Francisco Missions . The team was sold to Salt Lake City businessman Bill "Hardpan" Lane after that season and moved there for the 1915 season, renamed the Salt Lake City Bees . When Portland dropped out of the league after the 1917 season,
1302-602: The other, becoming the star in The Rifleman , a popular 1950s TV show. The Stars would play at Gilmore Field through the 1957 season. In 1948, Gilmore Field was used as the spring training location for the Pittsburgh Pirates . Although L.A.'s Wrigley Field seemed to get the majority of Hollywood screen time, Gilmore Field also had its moments on celluloid. It was featured in a 1949 movie called The Stratton Story , starring James Stewart and June Allyson ,
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1344-451: The outfield wall advertised Los Angeles-based businesses, such as Gilfillan Radio . In The Atomic City (1952), Gilmore Field plays the site of a "Communist spy drop" during a game, with the still-new televising of the game providing the FBI agents with close-ups. Gilmore Field was also seen in the movie 711 Ocean Drive (1950). Half of the neon art deco "Hollywood Stars" sign, above
1386-412: The postseason series to the San Diego Padres . In 1942 the Solons won their first – and only – Pacific Coast League pennant. These were the glory years of the Pacific Coast League , during which it was unrivaled for the attention of West Coast baseball fans. The Solons drew reasonably well when featured opponents included teams from Los Angeles, Hollywood , San Francisco and Oakland . However, in 1957,
1428-474: The second half that the team was returned to Sacramento to finish out the season, where it lost the postseason series to the Angels. The Sacramento team moved to Fresno in 1906, renamed the Fresno Raisin Eaters , then returned to Sacramento in 1907, where it played in the California League for the next three seasons. The Solons returned to the PCL in 1909, but were mired in the second division for
1470-577: The stadium entrance, is clearly visible. The ballpark site was abandoned after 1957. Gilmore Field was razed in 1958, beginning soon after an announcement in the Los Angeles Times of January 17. Much of the site is now occupied by a parking lot at CBS Television City , near the Farmers Market . In September 1997, the Pacific Coast League Historical Society, CBS, and the A.F. Gilmore Company dedicated
1512-432: The stands. The outfield gave the pitchers more of a break with foul lines 335 feet (102 m) long, power alleys about 385 feet (117 m), and 407 feet (124 m) to center field. The power alleys were thus 40 feet (12 m) deeper than in the cross-town counterpart, Wrigley Field . The diamond was situated in the northwest corner of the field. At the time of filming of the final scenes for The Stratton Story ,
1554-489: The team was sold to new owners, among them Bob Cobb of Brown Derby Restaurant fame and the inventor of the California Cobb Salad . In their salad days, as it were, the Stars attracted glamorous actors and other celebrities or anyone else who wanted to be "seen", much as Dodger Stadium would later. One of the L.A. Angels players, Chuck Connors , made a successful move from one side of the box seat railing to
1596-510: The team, which it did, to a group based in Salt Lake City. The Stars, in a sense, "returned" to Salt Lake City (to which the original Stars had moved in 1926) in 1958, becoming the Salt Lake City Bees once more. Pioneers in broadcasting, the Hollywood Stars televised a home game in 1939 as an experiment, and became the first team to regularly broadcast home games in the late 1940s. In the summer of 1951, Gail Patrick hosted Home Plate ,
1638-464: The transplanted Brooklyn Dodgers of the National League . Gilmore Field opened on May 2, 1939 and was the home of the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League until September 5, 1957. The stadium had a seating capacity of 12,987 people. The ballpark was located on the south side of Beverly Boulevard between Genesee Avenue and The Grove Drive, just east of where CBS Television City
1680-474: The true story of a promising pitcher ( Monty Stratton ) whose career was curtailed due to a hunting accident that left him with an artificial leg. Stratton's major league baseball career was over, but he made a comeback at the minor league level. The scenes at the end of the movie were set elsewhere but were filmed at Gilmore Field. The layout of the outfield, including the exceptionally high left and right field corners, help to identify it. Also, some billboards on
1722-483: Was 23,500-seat Hughes Stadium , a football facility, the dimensions of which made the stadium a hitter's paradise. Left field, in particular, was less than the regulation minimum 250 feet from home plate. Despite two consecutive last place finishes, the Solons led the PCL in attendance due to the home run barrage. The Solons changed affiliations and the Texas Rangers refused to allow their top prospects to play in
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1764-493: Was permitted to invest any big money", wrote the Los Angeles Times , which described the Hollywood Stars as "a civic thing ... plainly and simply, a Chamber of Commerce activity on the part of a group of people who want their little corner of the world to be better than all other corners." The club was promoted as "the Hollywood Stars baseball team, owned by the Hollywood stars". Moreover, the team actually played in
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