Wrigley Field ( Los Angeles ) Wrigley Field was a ballpark in Los Angeles , California which served as host to minor league baseball teams in the region for over 30 years , and was the home park for the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League as well as a current major league team , the later Los Angeles Angels , in their inaugural season , 1961 . The ballpark was also used as the backdrop for several Hollywood films about baseball , as well as TV series such as " Home Run Derby " . History . Wrigley Field was built in South Los Angeles in 1925 and was named after William Wrigley Jr . , the chewing gum magnate who owned the first tenants , the original Los Angeles Angels Pacific Coast League team . In 1925 , the Angels moved from their former home at Washington Park ( Los Angeles ) , which was also known as Chutes Park . Wrigley also owned the Chicago Cubs , whose home ( Wrigley Field ) is also named after him . The Los Angeles Wrigley Field was built to resemble Spanish - style architecture and a somewhat scaled - down version of the Chicago ballpark ( known then as Cubs Park ) as it looked at the time . It was also the first of the two ballparks to bear Wrigley ' s name , as the Chicago park was named for Wrigley over a year " after " the L . A . park ' s opening . At the time , he owned Santa Catalina Island , and the Cubs were holding their spring training in that island ' s city of Avalon ( whose ballfield was located on Avalon Canyon Road and " also " informally known as " Wrigley Field " ) . Coincidentally , one of Wrigley Field ' s boundary streets was Avalon Boulevard ( east , behind right field and a small parking lot ) . The other boundaries of the block were 41st Street ( north , behind left field ) , 42nd Place ( south , behind first base ) , and San Pedro Street ( west , behind third base and a larger parking lot ) . Not only did L . A . Wrigley get its name first , it had more on - site parking than the Chicago version did ( or does now ) . For 33 seasons , 1925 to 1957 , the park was home to the Angels , and for 11 of those seasons , 1926 through 1935 and 1938 , it had a second home team in the rival Hollywood Stars . The Stars eventually moved to their own new ballpark , Gilmore Field , just west of the Pan Pacific Auditorium . With its location near Hollywood , Wrigley Field was a popular place to film baseball movies . Some well known movies filmed there were " The Pride of the Yankees " and the movie version of the stage play " Damn Yankees " . Even the " film noir " classic " Armored Car Robbery " had its title heist set at Wrigley . It later found its way into television , serving as the backdrop for the " Home Run Derby " series in 1960 , a popular show which featured one - on - one contests between baseball ' s top home run hitters , which had a brief revival in the 1990s when it aired on ESPN Classic . Episodes of shows as diverse as " The Twilight Zone " ( " The Mighty Casey " , 1960 ) , " Mannix " ( " To Catch a Rabbit " , 1969 ) and " The Munsters " were also filmed there . Some closeups were filmed there for insertion into the 1951 film " Angels in the Outfield " , a film otherwise set at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh . Wrigley was used for other sports as well . Six world title boxing bouts were held there , including the 1939 Joe Louis - Jack Roper fight . On May 28 , 1959 , the park hosted the USA - England soccer friendly where England won 8 - 1 in front of 13 , 000 . L . A . Wrigley ' s minor league baseball days ended when the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National League transferred to Los Angeles in 1958 . The use of Wrigley was studied by the Dodgers , but they opted for seating capacity over suitability as a baseball field , and instead set up shop in the Los Angeles Coliseum ( which had a 251 - foot foul line ) while awaiting construction of Dodger Stadium . In 1961 , a new L . A . Angels club , named after the minor league team Los Angeles Angels ( PCL ) , joined the American League as an expansion team and took residence at Wrigley for just the one season . The team set a still - standing first - season expansion - team record with 71 wins . Thanks to its cozy power alleys , the park became the setting for a real - life version of " Home Run Derby " , setting another record by yielding 248 home run s . That 248 mark would stand for over 30 years . After the 1961 season , the team moved to Dodger Stadium ( or Chavez Ravine , as it was known for Angels games ) , which was the Angels ' temporary home while Angel Stadium was being built . The new Dodger Stadium also " took over " for Wrigley Field , as the site of choice for Hollywood filming that required a ballpark setting . There were no more regular tenants after 1961 , and the park was torn down in the mid - 1960s . The site is now occupied by the recreation facility called Gilbert Lindsay Park which was originally the parking lot . The park has a ballfield in the northwest corner of the property . The original site of the Wrigley diamond and grandstand is occupied by the Kedren Community Mental Health Center and parking lot . Dimensions . The ballpark ' s dimensions were cozy but symmetrical , giving a nearly equal chance to right and left - handed batters in the " Home Run Derby " series . The only difference was that the left field wall was high , whereas the right field fence was only high .