A piece of Hollywood history has been lost.
The Jay Littleton Ball Park in Ontario, California, where scenes from the classic film “A League of Their Own” were shot, was destroyed in a fire that broke out Thursday evening.
The Ontario Fire Service said on social media that the first fire truck arrived at the scene around 11:30 p.m. local time and additional forces were requested to fight the blaze, which was first discovered in the wooden bleachers.
A total of 51 firefighters were deployed to extinguish the fire. A search revealed that no victims were found.
A view of the remains of the historic wooden bleachers and dugouts after a fire late Thursday morning destroyed the historic baseball field and filming location at Jay Littleton Ball Park in Ontario, California on Saturday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
BASEBALL UNIFORM WORN BY TOM HANKS FROM “A LEAGUE OF IRENBALL” TO BE AUCTIONED
The fire department also pointed out that the cause “remains under investigation.”
The baseball stadium’s all-wooden stands were built in 1937, and the facility has been used regularly by amateur leagues over the years, with the only other venue hosting a professional team, the Ontario Orioles, in 1947.
Due to its historic appearance, it became a popular filming location for movies, particularly the 1992 classic “A League of Their Own,” directed by Penny Marshall and starring Tom Hanks, Geena Davis and Madonna.
According to Aaron Matthiesen, president of the Ontario Eastern Little League, in an interview with ABC 7: “The dugout here on the third baseline is the place where Tom Hanks said his legendary line: ‘There is no crying in baseball!'”
According to Aaron Matthiesen, president of the Ontario Eastern Little League, Tom Hanks’ famous “There’s no crying in baseball!” scene was filmed at the ballpark. (Everett/Shutterstock)
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Matthiesen also told FOX 11 that homelessness is an ongoing problem in the park.
“We have a constant problem with homeless people in the park,” he told the newspaper. “In the past, they have broken into the building and cut the gas line so they could supply themselves with gas… it just got into disarray and I think, unfortunately, that’s what happened.”
The fire department and the city of Ontario did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
The charred remains of the historic wooden bleachers and dugouts frame the view of the scoreboard after a fire destroyed the historic baseball field at Jay Littleton Ball Park in Ontario, California, late Thursday morning. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
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Other famous films shot in the park include “Eight Men Out” starring John Cusack, “The Babe Ruth Story” and most recently the Amazon Prime TV series version of “A League of Their Own”.
Dan Bell, Ontario’s director of communications, told Entertainment Weekly: “This is a terrible loss for our community. Everyone here has either played on this course themselves or had relatives or children who have played on this course over the years. A lot of people have played on this course over the 87 years of its existence.”
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Bell also clarified that the field was intact, but the stands were completely gone. “We have to consider what we do with that field going forward,” he told the outlet. “Because it’s such a significant part of our city’s history, we’ll consider how we move forward with it.”
