Lexington Park was commissioned by baseball ownerCharlie Comiskeyto serve as home for hisSt. Paul SaintsWestern Leaguebaseball franchise. In late 1899 the league changed its name to theAmerican Leaguein an ultimately successful bid to gainmajor leaguestatus. While theSaintswere initially a member of that league, Comiskey moved his team toChicagoprior toOpening Day1900 (where they still exist today as theChicago White Sox). As such, the ballpark holds at least the technical distinction of being the original home to a currentAmerican Leaguefranchise—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 replacementAmerican Associationclub), until finally selling it to local interests in 1909.
It 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-rivalMinneapolis Millers.The teams played again the next night, atNicollet 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 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. AnAldigrocery 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 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.
