The baseball world suffered the loss of a landmark Thursday night as the field famous for its feature in "A League of Their Own" burned to the ground.
Jay Littleton Ball Park had been in use since its construction in 1936-37. Members of the surrounding California town are mourning the demise of a facet of community history as much as fans of the film are mourning the field itself.
"It hurts a lot, but this community is very resilient. I believe at some point people will be coming out to see what they can do to rebuild it," said Rich Rivas, a local resident.
Here's what happened to the "A League of Their Own" baseball set and historic building, including how the California site was demolished after a fire.
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What happened to 'A League of Their Own' field?
Jay Littleton Ball Park was the scene of a fire Thursday, as reported by ABC's Tony Cabrera.
The blaze started around 11:30 p.m., and firefighters faced massive flames coming from the stadium and the dugout. They were unable to save the structure that still contained a lot of old wood from the original 1930s frame.
The field was designated a historic landmark in 2003. No injuries were reported, and it's still unclear how the fire started. Arson investigators were on the scene Friday morning looking through the wreckage.
A SoCal ballpark rich with Hollywood history goes up in flames in a raging inferno in Ontario. The suspicious fire gutting the Jay Littleton Ball Park, which was used in movies like "A League of Their Own" and "The Babe." The arson investigation - This morning at 6 from ABC7 pic.twitter.com/PByqo91a8b
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) August 23, 2024
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Where was 'A League of Their Own' filmed?
The classic baseball movie was filmed in many locations, including Chicago's Wrigley Field, Cooperstown and several scenes in Indiana. "A League of Their Own" also used Jay Littleton Ball Park in Ontario, Calif. as a set.
The field is owned by the city and operated by the public works agency. The park was also featured in movies "Eight Men Out" (1988) and "The Babe" (1992), as well as a 1999 episode of "The X-Files."