A fire engulfed a beloved California baseball field, Jay Littleton Park, the setting of many popular baseball films in the late ’80s and early ’90s. The historic landmark was home to A League of Their Own, Eight Men Out, and The Babe, all of which had ties to the field.
According to Deadline, the fire was initially reported in the evening on Thursday in Ontario, about 40 miles east of Los Angeles. As the crews reached the scene, the fire was fully developed, already engulfing many of the seats and dugout in flames. A member of the Ontario Fire Department announced there was an open investigation into the cause of the fire, but there were no reported injuries. The arson damage was still being assessed after the fact, but the officials said most of the facility burned to the ground.
Named Jay Littleton Ball Park after Joe “The Jay Bird” Littleton in 1997, the city of Ontario made the park a historic landmark in 2003. The field and park have a rich history, with baseball being played there for over 80 years. It was also used by professional minor league team the Ontario Orioles in 1947.
Hollywood Movies Filmed in Littleton Ball Park
Before the fire, the field was well-maintained due to its use in several Hollywood films and its continued use by various leagues. A landmark in the city, it was home to several film shoots for the 1992 biographical film The Babe, starring John Goodman as baseball legend Babe Ruth. Charlie Sheen’s 1988 film Eight Men Out was shot at Littleton Ball Park as well. John Cusack, Clifton James, Michael Lerner and Christopher Lloyd also starred in the film. The city added that many commercials were filmed in this location over its 80-year lifespan.
Most notably, Littleton was the setting for Penny Marshall’s culturally significant film A League of Their Own, released in 1992 to great success. The film is inspired by the true story of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League that ran from 1943 to 1954. One of the most popular baseball films of all time, it is filled with famous quotes like “There’s no crying in baseball!” and stellar performances from a cast that includes Tom Hanks, Madonna, Geena Davis, Lori Petty, and Rosie O’Donnell. The film was recently rebooted as a Prime Video series of the same name, which debuted in 2022 to generally positive reviews and stars Chanté Adams, D’Arcy Carden, and Abbi Jacobson, among others. Despite winning a GLAAD Award, the series was canceled after just one season.