Throughout the period of 1883-1909, most baseball teams were playing at large wooden ballparks with covered grandstands that supported elaborate roofs and facades. Capacities reached in excess of 10,000 as many parks included one tier of inclined seating, topped with a small upper tier. Outfields were typically bordered by tall walls covered in advertisements that were sometimes fronted with bleacher seats.
The use of wood as the primary material presented a major problem, especially as baseball continued to thrive. Over time, the wooden stands aged and dried. Many parks caught fire, and some were destroyed completely. The popularization of baseball, rise of professional football, and expectations for long-term use of the parks, drove the transition to something new: steel and concrete "jewel-box stadiums" that would last for many decades.