Sicks' Stadium (Seattle) in the 1930s: a Reminiscence

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In this account, Sally Flood remembers the games at Seattle's Sicks' Stadium in the late 1930s.

Sally Flood's Account

"My neighbors were baseball fans and used to take me to the Rainier games between '36 and '37. Fred Hutchinson didn't get to the majors until 1939 but I remember his notoriety as a graduate of Franklin High School and then on to his great career. In 1940, Bill Mulligan became the business manager of the Rainiers and his daughter Mary and sister Mickey worked the concession stands. Our hero was Edo Vanni.

"I remember the ambiance, all wood everywhere. Not a first class operation in the '30s. We sat on benches, no seats. Maybe that's because we were on the first base side and higher up. I remember looking east of the field and seeing the people sitting on the grass on the hillside watching the game.

"I remember the hoopla over Fred Hutchinson. He was such a hero even in High School. We ate fried chicken and potato salad my neighbor fixed. Later Edo Vanni from Queen Anne was the city's claim to fame. Later in life, when we talked baseball [to] anyone who could remember, the entire Pacific Coast League was indeed a trivia leader. I still can.

"When Bill Mulligan came to Seattle from Spokane his daughter Mary and I became good friends. More Queen Anne alumni! She and Mickey worked the concession stand and sold tickets. By this time I was a teenager and not ready to get hooked on baseball, but we'd drive out to Sicks and hang out with them, much to her Dad's disgust. Bill went on to Portland as business manager of the Portland Beavers. He's in the Hall of Sports Fame at Gonzaga.

"The most important thing about these memories is that they paved the way for my great passion in life. Major League Baseball since the late 1940s."

Sources:
Personal reminiscence.

By Sally Flood, January 01, 1999

People's Histories include memoirs, reminiscences, contemporary accounts, reprints of older historical accounts, commentary on and interpretation of current and historical events, and expressions of personal opinion, many of which have been submitted by our visitors. Unless noted otherwise, these essays have not been verified by HistoryLink.org and do not necessarily represent its views.

Sicks' Stadium in Rainier Valley, 1938
Courtesy MOHAI

Sicks' stadium, 1930s?