Polo Grounds
Location	West 155th Street and Eighth Avenue New York, New York (now demolished)
Broke ground	1890
Opened	April 22, 1891
Renovated	June 28, 1911
Expanded	1923
Closed	September 18, 1963
Demolished	April 10, 1964
Owner	New York Giants
Surface	Grass
Architect	Henry B. The City of New York Year 1890 ( MDCCCXC) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1500 - Portuguese Navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral becomes the first European to sight Brazil. Year 1891 ( MDCCCXCI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1098 - Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul. Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 879 - Louis III becomes King of the Western Franks. 1407 - the lama Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in, that currently play in the National League West Division. Herts
Former names	Brush Stadium (1911-1919)
Tenants	New York Giants (NL) (1891–1957) New York Yankees (AL) (1913–1922) New York Mets (NL) (1962–1963) New York Giants (NFL) (1925–1955) New York Titans/Jets (AFL) (1960–1963) New York Bulldogs (NFL) (1949) New York Giants (NFL) (1921) Gotham Bowl (NCAA) (1961)
Capacity	34,000 (1911); 55,000 (1923)
Field dimensions	Left Field – 279 ft (85 m) Left-Center – 450 ft (137. The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in, that currently play in the National League West Division. The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League ( NL) is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball Champions National League: Boston Beaneaters American Association: Boston Reds Major League Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Milwaukee Braves over New York Yankees (4-3 Lew Burdette, MVP The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League ( AL) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in Champions World Series: Philadelphia Athletics over New York Giants (4-1 Awards and honors Champions World Series: New York Giants over New York Yankees (4-0-1 Statistical Leaders Major "Mets" redirects here For the medical term see Metastasis. The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League ( NL) is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball The 1962 season is perhaps most notable for the dismal 40-120 record of the New York Mets, which has been a continuing source of humor among baseball fans as well as comedians such as Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers over New York Yankees (4-0 Sandy Koufax, MVP The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York City suburb of East Rutherford New Jersey. The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. Baseball (Major League Pittsburgh Pirates def Washington Senators in the World Series Baseball (Negro Athletics Marathon March 19 &ndash Pan American Games Marathon, Mexico City Mexico The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. Note There were three earlier and unrelated major American professional football leagues of the same name One in 1926, one in 1936-1937 and one in 1940-1941 Athletics Marathon December 4 &mdash Fukuoka Marathon, Japan Men's Winner Barry Athletics Marathon May 4 &mdash Pan American Games Marathon, Sao Paulo Brazil Men's The New York Yanks American football team started in the National Football League in 1949 after Boston Yanks owner Ted Collins The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. Athletics Marathon International Races August 20 &mdash Enschede Marathon, Netherlands New York Giants (informally known as "Brickley's Giants" was a professional football team with the American Professional Football Association (now NFL The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. Baseball (Major League World Series - New York Giants defeat New York Yankees, 5 games to 3 Babe Ruth hits The Gotham Bowl was a post-season College football bowl game that was played in New York City, United States, in 1961 and 1962 The National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA, often pronounced "N-C-Double-A" is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions conferences organizations Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 1 m) Center Field – 483 ft (147. 2 m) Right-Center – 449 ft (136. 8 m) Right Field – 258 ft (78. 6 m)

The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Manhattan, New York City used by baseball's New York Giants from 1883 until 1957, New York Metropolitans from 1880 until 1885, the New York Yankees from 1912 until 1922, and by the New York Mets in their first two seasons of 1962 and 1963. A modern stadium (plural stadiums or stadia in English is a place or venue for (mostly outdoor Sports Concerts or other events consisting Manhattan Island, in New York Harbor, is much the largest part of the Borough of Manhattan, one of the Five Boroughs which form the City of New York The City of New York Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in, that currently play in the National League West Division. Baseball The NL AA and Northwestern League limit competition in the Tripartite Agreement, the first National Agreement and the birth of so-called Athletics Marathon August 17 &mdash Enschede Marathon, Netherlands Men's Winner The Metropolitan Club (the New York Metropolitans or the Mets) was a 19th century Professional Baseball team that played in New York Baseball See also 1880 in baseball Chicago White Stockings win National League championship The latest National Baseball World Series - Chicago NL ties St Louis A's, 3 games to 3 with one tie The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. Baseball World Series - Chicago Cubs defeat New York Giants, 4 games to 3 with one tie April 20: The Baseball (Major League World Series - New York Giants defeat New York Yankees, 4 games to 0 with one tie "Mets" redirects here For the medical term see Metastasis. Artistic Gymnastics World Artistic Gymnastics Championships Men's all-around champion Yuri Titov, USSR Athletics Marathon May 4 &mdash Pan American Games Marathon, Sao Paulo Brazil Men's It also hosted the 1934 and 1942 Major League Baseball All-Star Games. The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the "Midsummer Classic" is an annual Baseball game between players from the National League

The original Polo Grounds was built in 1876 for the sport of polo, thus accounting for its name. Year 1876 ( MDCCCLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Polo is a team sport played outdoors on Horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team It was the only one of the four structures that was actually used for polo. The field was originally referred to in newspapers simply as "the polo grounds", and over time this generic designation became a proper name. It was converted to a baseball stadium when leased by the New York Metropolitans in 1880. Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each The Metropolitan Club (the New York Metropolitans or the Mets) was a 19th century Professional Baseball team that played in New York Baseball See also 1880 in baseball Chicago White Stockings win National League championship The latest National The stadium was used jointly by the Giants and Metropolitans from 1883 until 1885, and the name stuck for each subsequent stadium of the Giants. Baseball The NL AA and Northwestern League limit competition in the Tripartite Agreement, the first National Agreement and the birth of so-called Baseball World Series - Chicago NL ties St Louis A's, 3 games to 3 with one tie

The fourth and final Polo Grounds, which the Giants used until they moved to San Francisco after the 1957 season, and which the Mets used until Shea Stadium was completed in 1964, was the most famous, and is the one most people mean when they refer to the Polo Grounds. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city Athletics Marathon August 17 &mdash Enschede Marathon, Netherlands Men's Winner William A Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea (ʃeɪ̪ is a Stadium located in the New York City borough Athletics (track and field Indoor Competition March 6 &mdash Tom O'Hara sets a new world record for the indoor Mile The name "Polo Grounds" did not actually appear prominently on any of the stadiums, until the Mets posted it with a large sign in 1962.

The park (meaning nos. II through IV) was noted for its distinctive bathtub shape, with very short distances to the left and right field walls, but an unusually deep center field.

Left field also had an upper deck ("the short porch") which extended out over the field (after its 1923 extension), reducing the distance from 279 feet (85 meters) to about 250 feet (76 meters). That meant it was technically rather difficult to hit a home run into the lower deck of the left field stands, unless it was a line drive such as Bobby Thomson's famous home run in 1951. Robert Brown Thomson (born October 25, 1923 in Glasgow, Scotland) nicknamed The Staten Island Scot, is a Scottish In Baseball, the " Shot Heard 'Round the World " is the term given to the Walk-off home run hit by New York Giants Year 1951 ( MCMLI) was a Common year starting on Monday. Events of 1951 January

No player ever hit a fly ball that reached the 483-foot (147-meter) distant center-field wall, which fronted a part of the clubhouse which overhung the field. Given that overhang, it was not inherently clear what the actual "home run line" would have been in straightaway center. Some sources listed the center field distance as 505, which suggests that was where the true home run line would have been, at the back of the clubhouse overhang. But if there were any ground rules governing such a situation, they never had to be applied.

Chronology

The first Polo Grounds

Polo Grounds I

The original Polo Grounds stood at 110th Street between Fifth Avenue and Sixth (now Lenox) Avenue, directly across 110th Street from the northeast corner of Central Park. Central Park is a large public Urban park in New York City, with about twenty-five million visitors annually The Metropolitans, an independent team of roughly major-league caliber, were the first professional baseball team to play there, beginning in September 1880, and remained the sole professional occupant through the 1882 season. The Metropolitan Club (the New York Metropolitans or the Mets) was a 19th century Professional Baseball team that played in New York At that time the Metropolitans' ownership had the opportunity to bring them into the National League, but elected instead to organize a new team, the New York Gothams (who soon came to be known as the Giants), mainly using players from the Metropolitans and the newly defunct Troy Trojans, and entered it in the National League, while bringing what remained of the Metropolitan club into the competing American Association. The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League ( NL) is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in, that currently play in the National League West Division. This article refers to the former Baseball major league that existed from 1882 to 1891 For this purpose the ownership built a second diamond and grandstand at the park, dividing it into eastern and western fields for use by the Giants and Metropolitans respectively. The dual-fields arrangement proved unworkable because of faulty surfacing of the western field, and after various other arrangements were tried, the Metropolitans and Giants alternated play on the eastern field in later years until the Metropolitans moved to the St. George Cricket Grounds in Staten Island in 1886. St George Cricket Grounds or "St George Grounds" is a former Baseball ground located on Staten Island New York, USA

An early highlight of Giants' play at the Polo Grounds was Roger Connor's home run over the right-field wall and into 112th Street; visitors to the site today can judge for themselves that this was an impressively long home run for its time or any time. Connor eventually held the record for career home runs that Babe Ruth would break in 1920. The original Polo Grounds ceased to exist in 1889 when New York City, in the process of turning the theoretical street grid that had existed on maps for years into a reality in its uptown reaches, extended 111th Street through the grounds of the park. City workers are said to have shown up suddenly one day and begun cutting through the fence at the appropriate point for the new street. There was significant sentiment in the city against this move (the Giants had won the National League pennant the year before and had a very enthusiastic following), and a bill was even passed by the state legislature to give the Giants a variance on the grid extension and allow the park to stand; but the sitting governor, David B. Hill who had campaigned for office on a "home rule" pledge, vetoed the bill on the grounds that whatever he might think of the forced destruction of the park, the will of the city government was to be respected. For other people with a similar name see David Hill David Bennett Hill ( August 29, 1843 Havana, then Chemung County The loss of their park forced the Giants to look quickly for alternative grounds. After a brief interim playing at the St. George Cricket Grounds (where the Metropolitans had continued to play until their demise in 1887), the Giants moved uptown to the far terminus of the then Ninth Avenue Elevated at 155th Street and Eighth Avenue, site of all three later Polo Grounds. (For the Ninth Avenue Elevated and its terminus at 155th Street and Eighth Avenue see "abandoned subway stations (nysubway. org)" at www. scribd. com/doc/220588/abandoned-subway-stations-nysubway-org; see also IRT Ninth Avenue Line. The IRT Ninth Avenue Line, often called the Ninth Avenue Elevated, was the first Elevated railway in New York City, first opened in 1868 as the ) Despite this vagabond existence, the Giants managed to win the pennant and the World Series for the second consecutive year.

Earliest known picture of Polo Grounds I

The original Polo Grounds was used not only for polo and professional baseball, but often for college baseball and football as well, sometimes by non - New York teams. In fact the earliest known surviving image of the field is an engraving of a baseball game between Yale and Princeton on Decoration Day (May 30), 1882. (Harper's Young People, v. III (1882), p. 524. ): Yale and Harvard also played their traditional Thanksgiving Day game there on November 29, 1883 and November 24, 1887. (Bergin, The Game, p. 308. ) (See "American football" below. )

Polo Grounds II

Manhattan Field ca. 1901 with Polo Grounds outfield in background

All the later Polo Grounds were located at 155th Street and Eighth Avenue (now Frederick Douglass Boulevard) at the northwest corner. The site, on which a public housing project now stands, is overlooked to the north and west by a steep promontory known as Coogan's Bluff. For the Clint Eastwood movie see Coogan's Bluff (film Coogan's Bluff is the name of a Promontory located in upper Manhattan The ballpark itself was thus in the bottomland, or Coogan's Hollow. The land remained in the Coogan estate, and the Giants were renters for their entire duration at the ballpark.

The grandstand of the second Polo Grounds had a conventional curve around the infield, but the shape of the property left the center field area actually closer than left center or right center. This was not much of an issue in the "dead ball era" of baseball. The dead-ball era is a Baseball term used to describe the period between 1900 (though some date it to the beginning of baseball) and the emergence of Babe Ruth After one season alone at that site, the new Players' League team built their "Brotherhood Park" directly to the north, bordering the second Polo Grounds and otherwise bounded by rail yards and the bluff. The Players' National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs, popularly known as the Players' League (sometimes rendered as Players League) was a short-lived but As with the first Polo Grounds, if the teams played on the same day, fans in the upper decks could watch each others' games, and home run balls hit in one park might land on the other team's playing field. This amusing situation lasted for just one season, the Players' League being a one-year wonder, and the Giants moved into the more spacious neighboring field, taking the "Polo Grounds" name with them. The original ballpark was then referred to as Manhattan Field, and was converted for other sports such as football and track-and-field. It still existed as a structure for nearly 20 more years. Babe Ruth's first home run as a Yankee, on May 1, 1920, was characterized by the New York Times reporter as a "sockdolager" (i. George Herman Ruth Jr (February 6 1895 &ndash August 16 1948 also popularly known as " Babe " " The Bambino " and " The Sultan of e. a decisive blow), and was described as traveling "over the right field grand stand into Manhattan Field". [1] Bill Jenkinson's modern research indicates the ball traveled about 500 feet in total, after clearing the Polo Grounds double decked right field stand. Manhattan Field was a playground or vacant lot by then. Some years later, the vacant lot was paved over, to serve as a parking lot for the Polo Grounds.

Polo Grounds (3) (left) and Manhattan Field (aka Polo Grounds 2) (right) ca. 1900

Polo Grounds III & IV

The "third" and "fourth" Polo Grounds were actually the same ballfield. The 1890 structure initially had a totally open outfield bounded by just the outer fence, but bleachers were gradually added. By the early 1900s, some bleacher sections encroached on the field from the foul lines about halfway along left and right field. Additionally, there was a pair of "cigar box" bleachers on either side of the "batter's eye" in center field. The batter's eye (short for batter's eye screen) is a solid-colored usually dark area beyond the center field wall of a baseball stadium that is the visual The expansive outfield was cut down somewhat by a rope fence behind which carriages (and early automobiles) were allowed to park. By 1910, bleachers enclosed the outfield, and the carriage ropes were gone. The hodge-podge approach to the bleacher construction formed a multi-faceted outfield area. There were a couple of gaps between some of the sections, and that would prove significant in 1911.

On Friday, April 14, 1911, a fire of unknown origin swept through the horseshoe of the grandstand portion, consuming the wood and leaving only the steel uprights in place. The gaps between some sections of the stands saved a good portion of the outfield seating, as well as the clubhouse, from destruction. The Giants temporarily rented Hilltop Park from the Yankees while they began to rebuild the Polo Grounds double-decked grandstand with concrete and steel. Hilltop Park was the nickname of a Baseball park that formerly stood in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City.

The stadium's reconstruction was sufficiently far along to allow the Polo Grounds to re-open on June 28, 1911, the date from which later baseball guides dated the structure, now sometimes retronamed as "Polo Grounds IV". The new structure was the sixth concrete-and-steel stadium in the majors (and the second in the National League, behind Forbes Field). Forbes Field was a Baseball park in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania from 1909 to 1971 The new seating areas were rebuilt during the season while the games went on. The new structure stretched in roughly the same semi-circle as before from the left field corner around home plate to the right field corner, and was also extended into deep right-center field. The surviving bleachers were retained pretty much as they were, with gaps remaining between the bleachers and the new fireproof construction.

The Giants rose from the ashes along with their ballpark, winning the National League pennant in 1911 (as they also would in 1912 and 1913). As evidenced from the World Series programs, the team tried to rename the new structure Brush Stadium in honor of their then-owner John T. Brush, but the name did not stick, and it died with him. For other events named "World Series" see World Series (disambiguation. John Tomlinson Brush ( June 15 1845 - November 26 1912) was an American sports executive who was the owner of the New York Giants The remaining old bleachers were demolished during the 1923 season when the permanent double-deck was extended around most of the rest of the field and new bleachers and clubhouse were constructed across center field. Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Polo Grounds ca. 1922

Polo Grounds ca. 1923

This version of the ballpark had its share of quirks. The "unofficial" distances (never marked on the wall) down the left and right field lines were 279 and 258 feet respectively, but there was a 21 foot overhang in left field, which often intercepted fly balls which would otherwise have been catchable and turned them into home runs. Contrasting with the short distances down the lines were the 450-some foot distances in the gaps, with straightaway center field 483 feet distant from home plate; the corners of the bleachers on either side of the clubhouse runway were about 425 feet. the catch that Willie Mays made in the 1954 World Series against Vic Wertz of the Cleveland Indians would have been a home run in many other ballparks of the time. The Catch refers to a memorable defensive Baseball play by Willie Mays on September 29,, during Game 1 of the 1954 World Series between the Willie Howard Mays Jr (born May 6 1931 is a retired American Baseball player who played the majority of his career with the New York and San Francisco Giants For other events named "World Series" see World Series (disambiguation. Victor Woodrow Wertz ( February 9 1925 – July 7 1983) was a Major League Baseball First baseman and Outfielder The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. The bullpens were actually in play, in the left and right center field gaps. In Baseball, the bullpen (or simply the pen) is the area where relief Pitchers warm-up before entering a game The outfield sloped downward from the infield, and people in the dugouts often could only see the top half of the outfielders.

Polo Grounds ca. 1905

The New York Yankees sublet the Polo Grounds from the Giants during 1913-1922 after their lease on Hilltop Park expired. The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. Baseball World Series - Philadelphia Athletics defeat New York Giants, 4 games to 1 Baseball (Major League World Series - New York Giants defeat New York Yankees, 4 games to 0 with one tie Hilltop Park was the nickname of a Baseball park that formerly stood in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City. After the 1922 season, the Yankees built Yankee Stadium directly across the Harlem River from the Polo Grounds, a situation which spurred the Giants to expand their park to reach a seating capacity comparable to the Stadium, to stay competitive. The original Yankee Stadium is a Stadium located in The Bronx in New York City. See also Geography and environment of New York City The Harlem River is a navigable tidal Strait in New York City, USA that Seating capacity refers to the number However, since nearly all the new seating was in the outfield, the Stadium still had a lot more "good" seats than did the Polo Grounds, at least for baseball. At that point, the Polo Grounds most notably became better suited for football than it had been previously.

The Giants' first night game at the stadium was played on May 24, 1940. A night game is a sporting event that takes place completely or partially after the local sunset Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

American football

While somewhat awkwardly laid out for baseball, the various incarnations of the Polo Grounds were well-suited for football, and hundreds of football games were played there over the years.

Yale played football in the original 110th Street Polo Grounds in the 19th century, for some games which were expected to draw large crowds, including the Thanksgiving contests in 1883 and 1887. American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with American football is one of the many traditions in American culture that is associated with Thanksgiving Day. (Bergin, The Game, p. 308. ) (see also List of Harvard-Yale football games). The football teams of Harvard and Yale have been meeting nearly annually since their first game on November 13 1875

In the 20th century, both the New York Giants of the National Football League and the New York Titans/Jets of the American Football League used the Polo Grounds as their home field before moving on to other sites. The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York City suburb of East Rutherford New Jersey. The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. Note There were three earlier and unrelated major American professional football leagues of the same name One in 1926, one in 1936-1937 and one in 1940-1941

The grounds were also used for many games by New York-area college football teams such as Fordham and Army. College football is American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, Colleges and military academies Fordham University is a private University in the United States, with three campuses located in and around New York City. "USMA" redirects here For other uses see USMA (disambiguation The United States Military Academy (also known as USMA, An upset victory by the visiting University of Notre Dame over Army in 1924 led to Grantland Rice's famous article about the Irish backfield, which he called "The Four Horsemen". The University of Notre Dame du Lac (or simply Notre Dame) (ˌnoʊtɚˈdeɪm is a private Roman Catholic Research university located in Grantland Rice ( November 1, 1880 &ndash July 13, 1954) was an early 20th century American sports-writer. The Four Horsemen of Notre Dame comprised a winning group of football players at the University of Notre Dame under coach Knute Rockne. The field was also the site of several Army-Navy Games in the 1910s and 1920s. "The Army-Navy Game" redirects here For the episode of M*A*S*H, see The Army-Navy Game (M*A*S*H episode.

The football Giants hosted the 1934, 1938, 1944, and 1946 NFL championship games at the Polo Grounds. The 1934 National Football League Championship Game, also known as The Sneakers Game, was played at the Polo Grounds in New York City The 1938 NFL Championship Game was the 6th championship game played in the history of the National Football League. The 1944 National Football League Championship Game was the 12th NFL title game The 1946 National Football League Championship Game was played at the Polo Grounds in New York City on December 15, 1946 In addition the Boston Redskins moved the 1936 game from Boston to the Polo Grounds, as part of their transition in relocating to Washington. The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team based in the Washington D The 1936 NFL Championship Game was the 4th championship game played in the history of the National Football League.

The Polo Grounds was the site of many famous boxing matches as well, most notably the legendary 1923 heavyweight championship bout between Jack Dempsey and Luis Firpo. Boxing (sometimes also known as English boxing or pugilism) is a Combat sport in which two participants generally of similar weight, Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This is a chronological list of world heavyweight boxing champions since the introduction of the Marquess of Queensberry rules: Championship recognition Jack "Manassa Mauler" Dempsey ( June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983) was an American boxer who held the world Luis Ángel Firpo, ( October 11, 1894 ? - August 7, 1960) was an Argentine boxer.

Soccer

The Polo Grounds has held its fair share of international soccer matches as well over the years. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered In 1926, Hakoah, an all-Jewish side from Vienna, Austria, "drew the largest crowds ever to watch soccer in America up to that time: three successive games drew 25,000, 30,000, and 36,000 spectators. Year 1926 ( MCMXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Hakoah Vienna (Sport Club Hakoah Wien is an Austrian sports club Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich The highlight of the tour was a May 1, 1926 exhibition game between Hakoah and an American Soccer League all-New York team which drew 46,000 fans to the Polo Grounds in New York. The American Soccer League has been a name used by three different professional Soccer leagues in the United States. " The ASL team won 3 - 0.

The first soccer played at the Polo Grounds was as far back as 1894 when the owners of the various major Baseball clubs thought it would be a great way to fill their stadiums in the off season. Six famous baseball franchises of the era formed Association Football sections and fans were told that many would be fielding their baseball stars on the Football field in the opening season. The New York Giants soccer team took the field in an all white kit with black socks and played six games before the threat of a rival baseball league being formed diverted the owner's attention away from their new venture and caused it to be suspended mid season. New York Giants was a name used by three different New York soccer teams The Giants lay third in the league after six games with two victories, having played their matches in midweek in front of attendances in the high hundreds paying 25 cents a game. Although the owners remained positive about the venture and wanted to run it again the following season this never happened and the Giants' soccer team were no more. Ref

Here is photographic proof that soccer was played at the Polo Grounds

On May 19 1935, the Scotland national football team toured the United States, and in their first game played against an ASL All-Star squad which was unofficially representing the United States. The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Scotland won 5 - 1 in front of 25, 000 people at the Polo Grounds. In 1939, the Scots returned to America for another tour, and played at the Polo Grounds twice. In their first game at the Polo Grounds on May 21, 1939, Scotland tied the Eastern USA All-Stars 1 - 1 in front of 25,072 fans. In their second game at the Polo Grounds on June 18, 1939, Scotland beat the American League Stars 4 - 2.

Following World War II, on September 26 1948, the USA beat the Israel 3 - 1 in their first ever game since independence before 25,000 fans at the Polo Grounds. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The United States men's national soccer team is the national Soccer team of the United States for men and is controlled by the United States Soccer The Israeli National Football Team (נבחרת ישראל בכדורגל is the national football team of Israel and is controlled by the Israel Football Association On June 9 1950, a crowd of 21, 000 fans came to the Polo Grounds to watch a 'International Dream Double Header'. Beşiktaş J.K. of Turkey defeated the American Soccer League All-Stars 3-1, and then Manchester United defeated Jönköping (the top amateur team in Sweden) 4-0. Beşiktaş Jimnastik Kulübü (commonly Beşiktaş, bɛʃɪktɑːʃ ( English: Beşiktaş Gymnastics Club) is a professional Sports club Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Jönköping is a city in Småland in southern Sweden with 84423 inhabitants (2005 "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. On May 17, 1960, Birmingham City of England played Third Lanark of Scotland and lost 4 - 1 at the Polo Grounds in New York City. Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Birmingham City Football Club is an English Professional football club based in the city of Birmingham. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Third Lanark Athletic Club are an Association football club that originally existed from 1872 to 1967 based in Glasgow Scotland. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. On August 6 of the same year, 25, 440 patrons showed up at the Polo Grounds to watch the inaugural International Soccer League Final which saw Bangu of Brazil edge out Kilmarnock FC of Scotland 2 - 0. Bangu Atlético Clube, or Bangu as they are usually called is a traditional Brazilian football team from Bangu, Rio de Janeiro in Rio de |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. The following year 1961 may have been the last year documented that soccer was played at the Polo Grounds. Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The second edition of the International Soccer League held most of its game at the Polo Grounds, with a few games held in Montreal. Montreal, or Montréal in French ( pronounced in French, in English) is the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec On July 16, 1961 Shamrock Rovers beat Red Star Belgrade 5-1, on August 9, Dukla Prague beat Everton 7 - 0, and 4 days later on August 13, Dukla Prague beat Everton again 2 - 0, thus winning the Dwight D. Eisenhower Trophy. Shamrock Rovers Football Club (Cumann Peile Ruagairí na Seamróige are a football club from Dublin, Ireland. Dukla Prague (AC Dukla Praha is a football team from Prague in the Czech Republic. Everton Football Club is an English football club located in the city of Liverpool. Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (October 14 1890 – March 28 1969 was President of the United States from 1953 until 1961 and a five-star general The combined attendance for both games at the Polo Grounds was 31, 627. In domestic league soccer, the Polo Grounds was the home to the New York Nationals of the American Soccer League in 1928. New York Nationals were a New York soccer team which played in the American Soccer League between 1927 and 1930 The American Soccer League has been a name used by three different professional Soccer leagues in the United States. Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Gaelic football

On September 14, 1947, the Polo Grounds hosted the final of the All-Ireland Senior Gaelic Football championship between Cavan and Kerry. Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition in the game of Gaelic football played in Ireland. Gaelic football ( Irish: Peil, Peil Ghaelach, or Caid) commonly referred to as " football " is a form of Football See also Cavan Senior Club Football Championship or Cavan Senior Club Hurling Championship. The Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA (or Kerry GAA) is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible It was decided that New York would host this match as a commemoration of the 1847 Irish famine which forced a large number of Irish people to emigrate to America. The Irish people ( Irish: Muintir na hÉireann, na hÉireannaigh, na Gaeil) are a Western European Ethnic group who originate This novel location for the game was chosen for the benefit of New York's large Irish immigrant population. The Irish diaspora (Diaspóra na nGael consists of Irish Emigrants and their descendants in countries such as Great Britain, the United States It was the first, and only, time that the final has been played outside of Ireland. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world

Center field

Willie Mays, The Catch and the 483 sign in 1954.

In Game 1 of the 1954 World Series, Giants outfielder Willie Mays made a sensational catch of a fly ball hit by the Cleveland Indians' Vic Wertz into deep center field, a catch which in the words of radio announcer Jack Brickhouse, "Must have looked like an optical illusion to a lot of people", and which turned the tide of that Series in the Giants' favor. The 1954 World Series matched the National League champion New York Giants against the American League champion Cleveland Indians. Willie Howard Mays Jr (born May 6 1931 is a retired American Baseball player who played the majority of his career with the New York and San Francisco Giants The Catch refers to a memorable defensive Baseball play by Willie Mays on September 29,, during Game 1 of the 1954 World Series between the The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Victor Woodrow Wertz ( February 9 1925 – July 7 1983) was a Major League Baseball First baseman and Outfielder John Beasley "Jack" Brickhouse ( January 24, 1916 &ndash August 6, 1998) was an American sports broadcast announcer

Babe Ruth hit many of his early signature blasts at the Polo Grounds, reaching the center field seats on several occasions. His longest blast at the grounds, over the right-center upper deck in 1921, was estimated at over 550 feet. Had Ruth played regularly in the remodeled Polo Grounds, he would have been capable of hitting the clubhouse if conditions were right. Neither he nor anyone else ever did, but a few came close.

After the 1923 remodeling, only four players ever hit a home run into the center field stands:

• Luke Easter in a Negro League game in 1948
• Joe Adcock in 1953
• Hank Aaron and Lou Brock on consecutive days in 1962. Luscious Luke Easter ( August 4, 1915 in Jonestown MS - March 29, 1979 in Euclid OH) was a professional baseball player Part of the History of baseball in the United States series The Negro leagues were American professional Baseball leagues Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Joseph Wilbur "Billy Joe" Adcock ( October 30 1927 - May 3 1999) was an American First baseman and right-handed Year 1953 ( MCMLIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Henry Louis "Hank" Aaron (born February 5 1934 in Mobile Alabama) nicknamed "Hammer" "Hammerin' Hank” or "Bad Henry” is a retired Louis Clark "Lou" Brock (born June 18, 1939, El Dorado Arkansas) is an American former player in Major League Baseball Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Brock is the surprising name on that list, as he was noted mostly for hits and stolen bases (especially after being traded to the Cardinals in 1964), but he displayed power-hitting capability from time to time.

The final years

Although the Polo Grounds had once been as celebrated as Yankee Stadium now is, the end of the Polo Grounds' existence was anticlimactic. The original Yankee Stadium is a Stadium located in The Bronx in New York City. Part of the problem was that the stadium was not well maintained from the late 1940s onward; while the Giants owned the stadium, they did not own the parcel where it stood. Also, the neighborhood around it had already gone to seed. All of this combined to severely hold down ticket sales, even when the Giants played well. In 1954, for instance, the baseball Giants only drew 1. 1 million fans (compared to over 2 million for the Milwaukee Braves) even as they won the World Series.

The football Giants left for Yankee Stadium following the 1955 NFL season, and the baseball Giants' disastrous 1956 season (most of which they spent in last place before a late-season surge moved them up to 6th) caused a further drag on ticket sales. The Giants' 1956 attendance was less than half of the figure for the Giants' World Series-winning 1954 season. That meant little to no money for stadium upkeep.

Frustrated with the subsequent obsolescence and dilapidated condition of the Polo Grounds and the inability to secure a more modern stadium in the New York area, the Giants announced on August 19, 1957 that they would move following that season, after nearly three-quarters of a century, to the West Coast. The " West Coast " " Western Seaboard " or " Pacific Seaboard " are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the Western United States The ballpark then sat largely vacant for the next three years, until the newly-formed Titans and then the newly-formed Mets moved in, using the Polo Grounds as an interim home while Shea Stadium was being built. William A Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea (ʃeɪ̪ is a Stadium located in the New York City borough (As a 1962 baseball magazine noted, "The Mets will have to play in the Polo Grounds, hardly the last word in 20th Century stadia. ")

In the 1992 book The Gospel According to Casey, by Ira Berkow and Jim Kaplan, it is reported that in 1963, the Mets manager Casey Stengel, who had bittersweet memories of his playing days at the grounds, had this to say during a rough outing to pitcher Tracy Stallard, whose greatest claim to fame had been giving up Roger Maris' 61st homer in 1961: "At the end of this season, they're gonna tear this joint down. Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel ( July 30, 1890 - September 29, 1975) nicknamed "The Old Professor" was an American Evan Tracy Stallard (born August 31 1937) in Coeburn VA, was a Major League Baseball pitcher from 1960-1966 Roger Eugene Maris ( September 10 1934 &ndash December 14 1985) was an American Right fielder in Major League Baseball Athletics Marathon August 12 &mdash Enschede Marathon, Netherlands Men's Winner The way you're pitching, the right field section will be gone already!"

The final incarnation of the stadium was indeed demolished in 1964, and a public housing project was erected on the site. Demolition of the Polo Grounds began in April of that year with the same wrecking ball (painted to look like a baseball) that had been used four years earlier on Ebbets Field. Ebbets Field was a Major League Baseball park located in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York, USA. The wrecking crew wore Giants jerseys and tipped their hard hats to the historic stadium as they began the dismantling. It took a crew of 60 workers more than four months to level the structure.

Timeline and teams

• Polo Grounds I
  • Gothams/Giants (National League), 1883-1888
  • Mets (American Association), 1883-1885
• Polo Grounds II (otherwise known as Manhattan Field)
  • Giants (NL), 1889-1890
• Polo Grounds III (originally called Brotherhood Park)
  • Giants (Players' League), 1890
  • Giants (NL), 1891-1911
• Polo Grounds IV (also known as Brush Stadium from 1911 to 1919)
  • Giants (NL), 1911-1957
  • Yankees (American League), 1913-1922
  • Giants (NFL), 1925-1955
  • Bulldogs (NFL) 1949
  • Titans/Jets (AFL), 1960-1963
  • Mets (NL), 1962-1963

Dimensions

Diagram of the Polo Grounds drawn in 1951

Compiled from various photos, baseball annuals, The Official Encyclopedia of Baseball (Turkin & Thompson, 1951) and Green Cathedrals by Phil Lowry. The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League ( NL) is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball This article refers to the former Baseball major league that existed from 1882 to 1891 The Players' National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs, popularly known as the Players' League (sometimes rendered as Players League) was a short-lived but The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League ( AL) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. The New York Yanks American football team started in the National Football League in 1949 after Boston Yanks owner Ted Collins Note There were three earlier and unrelated major American professional football leagues of the same name One in 1926, one in 1936-1937 and one in 1940-1941

1890

• Left Field Line - 335 ft. (not posted)
• Center Field - 500 ft. (not posted)
• Right Field Line - 335 ft. (not posted)

1911-1922

• Left Field Line - 277 ft. (not posted)
• Center Field - 433 ft. (not posted)
• Right Field Line - 258 ft. (not posted)

1923-1957

• Left Field Line - 279 ft. (not posted - sometimes listed as 280)
• Left Field Upper Deck Overhang - about 250 ft.
• Shallow Left Center - 315 ft.
• Left Center 1 - 360 ft.
• Left Center 2 - 414 ft.
• Deep Left Center - 447 ft. left of bullpen curve
• Deep Left Center - 455 ft. right of bullpen curve
• Center Field - approx. 425 ft. (unposted) corners of runways
• Center Field - 483 ft. posted on front of clubhouse balcony, sometimes 475 ft.
• Center Field - 505 ft. (unposted) sometimes given as total C. F. distance
• Deep Right Center - 455 ft. left of bullpen curve
• Deep Right Center - 449 ft. right of bullpen curve
• Right Center 2 - 395 ft.
• Right Center 1 - 338 ft.
• Shallow Right Center - 294 ft.
• Right Field Line - 257 ft. 3 3/8 in. (not posted - sometimes listed as 258)
• Backstop - 65 ft. sometimes also given as 74 ft.

Seating capacity

1911-1922

• 34,000

1923-1957

• 56,000

See also

• Polo Grounds Shuttle, an elevated railway shuttle to the grounds

Sources

• Green Cathedrals, by Philip J. The IRT Ninth Avenue Line, often called the Ninth Avenue Elevated, was the first Elevated railway in New York City, first opened in 1868 as the A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway or metro(politan system is an electric passenger railway Lowry
• Ballparks of North America, by Michael Benson
• Land of the Giants: New York's Polo Grounds, by Stew Thornley
• Summer in the City, text by Vic Ziegel, N. Stew Thornley (born July 23 1955 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is an author of books on sports history particularly in his home state Y. Daily News photos edited by Claus Guglberger (pp. 8,71,126,184 provide good documentation of the distance-markers on the walls)
• The Game: The Harvard-Yale Football Rivalry, 1875-1983, by Thomas G. Bergin. Yale Press, 1984.
• "A Game of Base-Ball at the Polo Grounds, New York City, on Decoration Day — Yale vs. Princeton. " Harper's Young People, v. III (1882), p. 524.

External links

• Polo Grounds dynamic diagram at Clem's Baseball
• Project Ballpark, Polo Grounds I
• Project Ballpark, Polo Grounds II (covers second through fourth Polo Grounds)
• San Francisco Giants : History : Ballparks
• The 1947 All-Ireland final
• American Soccer History Archives
• National Soccer Hall of Fame