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53-539: Lexington Park was commissioned by baseball owner Charlie Comiskey to serve as home for his St. Paul Saints Western League baseball franchise. In late 1899 the league changed its name to the American League in an ultimately successful bid to gain major league status. While the Saints were initially a member of that league, Comiskey moved his team to Chicago prior to Opening Day 1900 (where they still exist today as

106-469: A brick delivery wagon for the construction crews building the fifth Chicago City Hall, which stood from 1873 to 1885. Comiskey started his playing career as a pitcher , and moved to first base after developing arm trouble. He is credited with being the first to play hitters off of first base, allowing him to cover balls hit to more of the infield. He entered the American Association in 1882 with

159-780: A large role in the dissolution of the National Commission , baseball's former body of authority, following a quarrel with Ban Johnson . He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939. He was also named to the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame in May 2022, as the selection of Cardinals managing partner William DeWitt Jr. for his accomplishments as manager of the St. Louis Browns. Comiskey died in Eagle River, Wisconsin in 1931, and

212-829: A player who played first base because he was not as strong a fielder as hitter. At or near the ends of their careers, good hitters are often moved to first base as their speed and throwing arms deteriorate, a more talented position player was acquired, or their teams become concerned with the likelihood of injury. Such players include Hall of Famers George Brett , Paul Molitor , Mike Schmidt and Jim Thome (third basemen), Ernie Banks (shortstop), Rod Carew (second baseman), Al Kaline (right fielder), Mickey Mantle (center fielder), Johnny Bench , Joe Mauer , and Mike Piazza (catchers), Stan Musial and Willie Stargell (left fielders). In 2023, Philadelphia Phillies all-star Bryce Harper moved from outfield to first base after undergoing Tommy John surgery ; this enabled Harper to return to

265-451: A possible trade or a considerable reduction in playing time, a player may opt to move to first base instead. Catchers and corner outfielders sometimes move to first base due to deteriorating health or if their fielding abilities at their original position are detrimental to the team. Unlike the pitcher and catcher , who must start every play in a designated area (the pitcher must be on the pitcher's mound , with one foot in contact with

318-430: A tag out at home plate is usually not attempted because of the possibility of the catcher not being able to tag the runner and/or block the plate. If the runner at third base is known as a good or fast baserunner, the first basemen will make considerable effort to make sure the third base runner does not advance to home plate for a run by "looking" him back to third base. The primary goal of the first baseman in this instance

371-460: A year ($ 52,722 today). Joe Jackson and Buck Weaver made only $ 6,000 a year ($ 105,443 today). Eddie Cicotte had been promised a $ 10,000 ($ 175,739 today) bonus if he could win 30 games in a season. When Cicotte closed in on the 30-game goal, Comiskey had him benched to keep him from reaching the mark." Comiskey's stated reason for having manager Kid Gleason bench Cicotte was that with the Sox headed for

424-437: Is because the only other positions available to the player (catcher, third base, shortstop or second base) are overwhelmingly held by right-handed throwing players, who can make quicker throws to first base (or, in the case of catchers, third base). The same advantages of being a right-handed throwing catcher, third basemen, shortstop or second basemen apply to the left-handed first baseman. These advantages surface in plays where

477-400: Is called a "short hop". Since a ball that strikes the ground is always subject to the possibility of encountering a pebble or a rut or a spike-mark that sends it in a radically new direction, it is best that the first baseman catch the ball on the short hop by swiping or scooping the ball as close to the ground surface as possible. This technique also minimizes the amount of time required to make

530-427: Is ideally a tall player who throws left-handed and possesses good flexibility and quick reflexes. Flexibility is needed because the first baseman receives throws from the other infielders , the catcher and the pitcher after they have fielded ground balls. In order for the runner to be called out, the first baseman must be able to stretch towards the throw and catch it before the runner reaches first base. First base

583-568: Is now reinstated, at the TCF Bank branch building. †= Team's stadium under construction or refurbishment at time 1 = A team used the stadium when their permanent stadium was unable to be used as a result of damage. Charles Comiskey As manager As Owner Charles Albert Comiskey (August 15, 1859 – October 26, 1931), nicknamed " Commy " or " the Old Roman ", was an American Major League Baseball player, manager and team owner. He

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636-464: Is often referred to as "the other hot corner"—the "hot corner" being third base —and therefore, like the third baseman, he must have quick reflexes to field the hardest hit balls down the foul line, mainly by left-handed pull hitters and right-handed hitters hitting to the opposite field. Good defensive first basemen, according to baseball writer and historian Bill James , are capable of playing off first base so that they can field ground balls hit to

689-433: Is similar to a catcher's mitt in that it has extra padding and has no individual fingers. (In shape, it is closer to a mitten than a glove.) It is much larger than the other infielders' gloves; it is wide, very deep, and it is crescent-shaped at its edges, allowing the first-baseman to use the mitt like a scoop in catching errant throws from other players on the infield. Since many throws to first base are made in great haste,

742-407: Is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majority of plays made at that base. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the first baseman is assigned the number 3. Also called first sacker or cornerman , the first baseman

795-408: Is to ensure the runner does not advance and that the team records at least one out, especially in a close game. A 3–6–1 double play is almost like a 3–6–3 or a 3–4–3 double play, but the first baseman is usually playing deep in the infield. Here, the first baseman throws the ball to the shortstop covering second, but the pitcher then has the responsibility of covering first base to receive the throw from

848-518: The Chicago White Sox ). As such, the ballpark holds at least the technical distinction of being the original home to a current American League franchise—even if, admittedly, the league wasn't major at the time, and not a single major league game was ever played there. Comiskey continued to own the ballpark for another decade or so (leasing it out to a replacement American Association club), until finally selling it to local interests in 1909. It

901-1082: The National League , whose club (the Chicago Cubs today) played on the West Side. The St. Paul Saints moved to the South Side as the White Stockings of the renamed American League for the 1900 season (which was also the original name of the Cubs; it was eventually shortened to White Sox). The American League then declared itself a major league starting in 1901. As owner of the White Sox from 1900 until his death in 1931, Comiskey oversaw building Comiskey Park in 1910 and winning five American League pennants (1900, 1901, 1906, 1917, 1919) and two World Series (1906, 1917). He lost popularity with his players, who eventually came to despise him. The players' animosity toward Comiskey

954-695: The St. Louis Brown Stockings . He managed the team during parts of its first seasons and took over full-time in 1885, leading the Browns to four consecutive American Association championships and a close second in 1889. He also played and managed for the Chicago Pirates in the Players' League (1890), the Browns again (1891), and the Cincinnati Reds in the National League (1892–1894). Comiskey left Cincinnati and

1007-414: The pitcher's rubber , and the catcher must be behind home plate in the catcher's box ) the first baseman and the other fielders can vary their positioning in response to what they anticipate will be the actions of the batter and runner(s) once play begins. When first base is not occupied by a baserunner, the first baseman usually stands behind first base and off the foul line. The distance he plays from

1060-433: The putout . The second-most-difficult play for a first baseman is the " tag play ". Whenever an infielder's throw is so far off the mark that the first baseman must abandon their base to catch it, the first baseman is left with only two options. To put the runner out, he must either lunge back to the base before the runner reaches it, or he must tag the runner before the runner reaches the base. A tag involves touching

1113-471: The White Sox a second straight pennant. However, he initially defended the accused players and, in an unusual display of largesse, provided them with expensive legal representation. He ultimately supported baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis ' decision to ban the implicated White Sox players from further participation in professional baseball, knowing full well that Landis' action would permanently sideline

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1166-482: The World Series he had to protect his star pitcher's arm (Cicotte ended up with a 29-7 record for the 1919 season). In one incident, he promised his players a bonus for winning the 1919 pennant — the "bonus" turned out to be a case of flat champagne. When the scandal broke late in the 1920 season, Comiskey suspended the suspected players, while admitting in the telegram he sent to them that he knew this action cost

1219-402: The bag early on close plays to convince the umpire that the ball reached their glove before the runner reached first base. The first baseman also has the responsibility of cutting off throws from any of the three outfield positions on their way to home plate. Though highly situational, the first baseman usually only receives throws from the center or right fielder. The first baseman is usually at

1272-402: The ball while standing passively on the base, this shaves a fraction of a second from the time the runner has to reach base. When it is thrown too low and bounces before reaching the first baseman, catching the ball is difficult, especially while he is in a "stretch position". A throw caught shortly after its bounce, that is, while the baseball's path, rebounding from the turf, is sharply upward ,

1325-421: The base and foul line is dependent on the current hitter and any runners on base. The exact position may also depend on the first baseman's experience, preference, and fielding ability. For a known right-handed pull hitter , the first baseman might position himself further towards the second baseman's normal fielding position. For a known left-handed pull hitter , the first baseman will position himself closer to

1378-418: The batter reaches first base. For a 3–2–3 double play, the bases must be loaded for the force-out at home plate or the catcher must tag the runner coming from third base out. With a force-out at home plate, the first baseman fields the ball, throws to the catcher, the catcher steps on home plate for the first out, then he throws it back to the first baseman to complete the double play. The 3–2–3 double play with

1431-542: The batter. First basemen are not typically expected to have the range required of a third baseman , shortstop , second baseman or an outfielder . As a result, first base is not usually perceived to be as physically demanding as other positions. However, it can also be a very hard position to play; a large amount of concentration and timing is required. Though many play at first base their entire career, occasionally veteran players move to first base to extend their careers or to accommodate other recently acquired players. Facing

1484-455: The core of his team. Indeed, the White Sox promptly tumbled into seventh place and would not be a factor in a pennant race again until 1936 , five years after Comiskey's death, and did not win another pennant until 1959 and the World Series until|2005}}. Comiskey is sometimes credited with the innovation of playing the first base position behind first base or inside the foul line, a practice which has since become common. Later he had played

1537-460: The end of a double play, though he can be at the beginning and end of a double play. Unusual double plays involving the first baseman include the 3–6–3, 3–4–3, 3–2–3, or a 3–6–1 double play. In a 3–6–3 or 3–4–3 double play, the first baseman fields the ball, throws to second, where the shortstop (6) or second baseman (4) catches the ball to make the first out and then throws back to the first baseman who reaches first base in time to tag first base before

1590-406: The fair side of first base. The first baseman then relies upon the pitcher to cover first base to receive the ball to complete the out. Indications of a good defensive first baseman include a large number of assists and a low number of throwing errors by other infielders. The nature of play at first base often requires first basemen to stay close to the bag to hold runners or to reach the bag before

1643-419: The field quicker than expected while also lessening the stress of throwing with his surgically repaired right arm. Only rarely does a player begin his major-league career at first base and go elsewhere, as with Jackie Robinson , a natural second baseman who was played at first base in his rookie season so that he would avoid the risk of malicious slides at second base. Hank Greenberg , a natural first baseman for

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1696-497: The fielder is wearing the first-baseman's mitt rather than another type of glove. Every ground ball hit to an infielder becomes a race between the batter-runner and the team in the field; the fielder must catch the batted ball and throw it to first before the batter can reach the base. Consequently, part of the first baseman's job is to step toward the incoming ball and stretch their body so that their catching hand makes contact with it as soon as physically possible. Compared to catching

1749-416: The first baseman are to their right, so that a right-handed first baseman fielding them backhanded does not need to turn after fielding a batted ball to throw it. In addition, a majority of plays only require the first baseman to receive a throw, not to field or throw himself. This is attributed to the overall majority of baseball players batting right-handed, and therefore, a majority of batted balls are hit to

1802-439: The first baseman must be prepared to catch balls that are either high or low, as well as balls thrown quite a distance to either side, all while maintaining contact with the base (using one foot or the other). This requires a fair amount of agility and physical coordination. Among the most difficult plays a first baseman is normally required to make are the "short hop" and the " tag play ", both of which are far easier to execute when

1855-447: The first baseman will position himself behind the runner and appropriate for the current batter. When waiting for a throw from another player, the first baseman stands with their off-glove foot touching the base, then stretches toward the throw. This stretch decreases the amount of time it takes the throw to get to first and encourages the umpire to call close plays in favor of the fielding team. Veteran first basemen are known to pull off

1908-406: The foul line to stop a ball hit down the line. To protect against a bunt on the first base side of the infield, the first baseman will position himself in front of the base and move towards the hitter as the pitch is thrown. As soon as the pitcher commits to throwing towards home plate, the first baseman will charge towards the hitter to field the bunt. During these plays, it is the responsibility of

1961-529: The in-coming runner's head or shoulder, often in one fluid motion that is integrated with the act of catching the ball. Performed properly, the tag play can be spectacular to see. First basemen are typically not the most talented defensive players on a major-league team. Someone who has the agility, throwing arm, and raw speed to play another fielding position usually plays somewhere other than first base. Great-hitting catchers may play some games at first base so that they can hit in some games without having to absorb

2014-415: The knowledgeable observer, and as late as the 1990s a grocery store on the site (since demolished) preserved the location of Lexington's home plate with a distinctively-shaped commemorative floor tile. The area is currently being redeveloped. An Aldi grocery store is one of the most recent additions to the site. According to Stew Thornley's 2006 book, a plaque that had once been affixed to the grocery store

2067-429: The left side of the infield and fielded by the third baseman or shortstop. Left-handed first basemen are also advantageous in attempting to pick off baserunners at first, as the left-hander can catch and tag in one motion, often doing both at the same time, while right-handed first baseman must sweep their glove across their body, costing them a crucial fraction of a second in applying the tag. The first baseman's mitt

2120-714: The majors in fall 1894 to purchase the Western League Sioux City Cornhuskers in Sioux City, Iowa and move it to Saint Paul, Minnesota , renaming the team the St. Paul Saints. He had compiled a .264 batting average with 29 home runs , 883 RBI and 419 stolen bases . As a manager, he posted an 839-542 record. After five seasons of sharing the Twin Cities with another Western League club in Minneapolis , Comiskey and his colleagues arranged to share Chicago with

2173-637: The next night, at Nicollet Park 's first night game. The six-decades-old ballpark did not quite go out in a wave of euphoria the way its Twin Cities cousin Nicollet Park did, but the Saints did manage to defeat the Minneapolis Millers in the final game. Although demolished in the 1950s, elements of the park remain in existence to this day. A significant segment of the southwestern foundation can still be seen by

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2226-455: The player is required to throw to another infielder after fielding a batted ball. In these instances, a right-hander will be required to turn more towards their target before throwing whereas a left-hander will usually already be positioned to make a throw. However, compared to the advantage for the right-handed throwing third baseman, shortstop, or second baseman, these advantages for the left-handed first baseman are minor because many balls hit to

2279-442: The right when there is a runner on first, tagging the runner and returning to the first base in time to get the man running towards him. A left-handed throwing non-pitcher is often converted to or begins their career playing at first base. A left-handed throwing baseball player who is not particularly fast or has a weak arm (and therefore not well suited for playing in the outfield) will usually be relegated to playing first base. This

2332-409: The rigor of catching every game. According to Bill James, aside from pitchers and catchers, the most difficult defensive position to play is shortstop, followed by second base, center field, third base, left or right field (depending upon the ballpark), and finally first base as the easiest position. Anyone who can play another position on the field can play first base. Lou Gehrig is an example of

2385-415: The runner with the ball (or with the gloved hand holding the ball) before the runner reaches the base. At first base, the typical tag play occurs when the infielder's throw is high and to the left of the first baseman, causing him to jump and stretch their long mitt to catch the ball before it sails into the dugout or the grandstand . The tag is made, after the catch, by swiping the mitt downward, toward

2438-420: The second baseman to cover first base. With a base runner present at first base, the first baseman stands with their right foot touching the base to prepare for a pickoff attempt. Once the pitcher commits to throwing towards home plate, the first baseman comes off the bag in front of the runner and gets in a fielding position. If the bases are loaded, or if the runner on first base is not a base stealing threat,

2491-428: The shortstop. A first baseman can theoretically also make an unassisted double play. There are two ways to achieve this. The first is by catching a line drive and returning to first base to tag the base before a baserunner can return. This is rare because the first baseman is usually slower than most baserunners who generally return to their bases on line drives near any fielder. The second is by getting an infield hit to

2544-533: The team following Grace's death in the 1950s. Dorothy sold controlling interest in the team to Bill Veeck in 1958, but Chuck remained a minority owner until 1962. When the White Sox moved to a new ballpark in 1991, the Comiskey Park name was carried over from their previous home (since 1910); it is now known as Guaranteed Rate Field . A statue of Comiskey stands near center field in the new ballpark. First baseman A first baseman , abbreviated 1B ,

2597-539: Was a key person in the formation of the American League , and was also founding owner of the Chicago White Sox . Comiskey Park , the White Sox's storied baseball stadium, was built under his guidance and named for him. Comiskey's reputation was permanently tarnished by his team's involvement in the Black Sox Scandal , although he was inducted as an executive into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939 . Comiskey

2650-516: Was born on August 15, 1859, in Chicago , the son of Illinois politician John Comiskey . He attended public and parochial schools in Chicago, including St. Ignatius Preparatory School , and, later, St. Mary's College (in St. Mary's, Kansas ). He played baseball at St. Mary's, and played for several professional teams in Chicago while apprenticed to a plumber and working at construction jobs including driving

2703-504: Was buried at Calvary Cemetery in Evanston. Comiskey's son J. Louis inherited the team but died a few years later. The trustees of his estate were going to sell the team, but J. Louis' widow Grace was able to gain control of the team and avoid a sale. Her two children, Dorothy Comiskey Rigney and Charles "Chuck" Albert Comiskey II (who served in the White Sox front office in the 1940s and 1950s before he became owner), became co-owners of

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2756-490: Was on the block bounded by Lexington Parkway, University Avenue, Fuller and Dunlap. Home plate was originally in the southwest corner of the block. Following a fire in November, 1915, a steel and concrete grandstand was built with the plate repositioned to the northwest corner. Lights were installed in 1937. The first night game was played on July 15, with the Saints hosting the arch-rival Minneapolis Millers . The teams played again

2809-698: Was seen as a factor in the Black Sox scandal , when eight players on the AL champions conspired to "throw" the 1919 World Series to the NL champion Cincinnati Reds . Comiskey was notoriously stingy (his defenders called him "frugal"), even forcing his players to pay to launder their own uniforms. Traci Peterson notes that, in an era when professional athletes lacked free agency, the White Sox's formidable players had little choice but to accept Comiskey's substandard wages. She writes: " Swede Risberg and Lefty Williams made less than $ 3,000

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