Polo Grounds [IV] / Brush Stadium (1911-1963)

[Lpeters199]

Dewey came very close.

[Paul W]

Dewey came very close.

within a mustache hair !

[RfkFedEx]

This is Budd Lynch, longtime Detroit Red Wings broadcaster, at the fight. Budd is still doing the PA announcing job for Red Wings games at Joe Louis Arena, at the age of 91.

And he appears to have been a heavy set man back then. Hard to believe his cardiovascular system would surpass the life of yet to be built Shea Stadium.

[Lpeters199]

And he appears to have been a heavy set man back then. Hard to believe his cardiovascular system would surpass the life of yet to be built Shea Stadium.

Here's a ticket stub from Budd Lynch night in November. Budd lost his right arm in World War 2. He's always been a modest, unassuming gentleman. The thing I remember most about Budd is that he's always referred to Gordie Howe as simply Gord Howe in his play by play.

[icee82]

Here is a color shot of the Rosary conference at the Polo Grounds.

[Chevy114]

Here's a ticket stub from Budd Lynch night in November. Budd lost his right arm in World War 2. He's always been a modest, unassuming gentleman. The thing I remember most about Budd is that he's always referred to Gordie Howe as simply Gord Howe in his play by play.

That last shot is killer!

[six4three]

Here's a shot of the New York Giants in front of the Polo Grounds in 1943. Nice look at a couple of the ads.

[mandrake]

Nice picture ! And no low income housing projects behind the 3b/LF side yet !

[JoeDOYS]

This is Budd Lynch, longtime Detroit Red Wings broadcaster, at the fight. Budd is still doing the PA announcing job for Red Wings games at Joe Louis Arena, at the age of 91.

Thats pretty wild. He looks kinda fat and out of shape here...amazing hes gone this long.

[RayNY]

Here's a shot of the New York Giants in front of the Polo Grounds in 1943. Nice look at a couple of the ads.

The guys in the front look like they're squatting to take a s**t (see #55).
Sorry, had to say it.


I wonder how the Polo Grounds would look today if they never tore it down and renovated it over the years like Fenway and Wrigley. Was it architecturally unsuitable? I just wonder because it'd be cool if the Mets had one of those stadiums like the Cubs and Sox.

[mandrake]

The guys in the front look like they're squatting to take a s**t (see #55).
Sorry, had to say it.


I wonder how the Polo Grounds would look today if they never tore it down and renovated it over the years like Fenway and Wrigley. Was it architecturally unsuitable? I just wonder because it'd be cool if the Mets had one of those stadiums like the Cubs and Sox.

From people who went there (like my parents): excellent for football, not very good for most baseball seats. While there were some great seats for MLB, like UD infield, there were thousands of far away or obstructed, or far away and obstructed seats for baseball.

But they were also Brooklyn fans, so who knows. My dad thinks Ebbets was perfect, my mom says it wasn't.

[RfkFedEx]

Does anyone know why is ballpark had such an odd shape?

I've seen many pics of the original concrete and steel structure seen here, as well as the wooden grandstand it replaced. I have viewed the evolution of this building and its various expansions through the years.

I would think that as far back as the late 1800s, they could have found a vacant lot for baseball that was a little less constricting.

Those foul lines seem ridiculous to have invested in constructing the concrete and steel structure seen in this pic.

Don't get me wrong, I think it was a cool park, I'm just wondering.

[mandrake]

Does anyone know why is ballpark had such an odd shape?

I've seen many pics of the original concrete and steel structure seen here, as well as the wooden grandstand it replaced. I have viewed the evolution of this building and its various expansions through the years.

I would think that as far back as the late 1800s, they could have found a vacant lot for baseball that was a little less constricting.

Those foul lines seem ridiculous to have invested in constructing the concrete and steel structure seen in this pic.

Don't get me wrong, I think it was a cool park, I'm just wondering.

Well, it was always a little odd. It was sandwiched between a high cliff (Coogan's Bluff) and the Harlem River. Beyond the outfield was the 9th Avenue Elevated Line. To the 3B/LF line was the train yards. To the 1b/RF side was "Old Manhattan Field" which predated the Polo Grounds. Fianlly the 1923 expansion of the out field grandstands that increased capacity from 35,000 to 55,000 gave it the very odd shape. Basically, they had no room at all on either side.

[Lpeters199]

Horace Stoneham lookalike:

[Paul W]

a little more accurate about (hic!) horace...

[Paul W]

Does anyone know why is ballpark had such an odd shape?

I've seen many pics of the original concrete and steel structure seen here, as well as the wooden grandstand it replaced. I have viewed the evolution of this building and its various expansions through the years.

I would think that as far back as the late 1800s, they could have found a vacant lot for baseball that was a little less constricting.

Don't get me wrong, I think it was a cool park, I'm just wondering.

when the giants moved uptown from the original polo grounds just north of central park in 1890, they rented a rectangular plot of land in "coogan's hollow" and layed down a ballpark (the franchise never owned the land that it played on).
the southern portion of the hollow (along 155th st.) was occupied by what was known as "manhattan fields" that was used for track & field and football and also occupied by the players league franchise. after demolition of the stands, this land was used as parking area for the polo grounds. the northern parcel was owned and used by the interboro rapid transit co. as a elevated train yard, you can see the it in many old photos.
the giants were constricted by the shape of the land that they leased and "built to suit".
good images (still & moving) of the "old/wood" polo grounds show up in bud greenspan's documentary film - "the glory of their times" which was based on audio recordings of players from the 1890-1916 period compiled by lawrence ritter for his book of the same title. good watching and reading!

[Lpeters199]

From: http://www.angelfire.com/fl/mainfram...ounds_shuttle/

[Sean O]

It always blew my mind that the Giants couldn't find some way to build into the Manhattan Field area when the Polo Grounds had the dimensions it did. If it were completely hemmed in by buildings I could understand the bizarre layout, but not when there's a giant (effectively) open field directly next to it.

I should sketch out what a mid-1950s major renovation to the Polo Grounds would've looked like, with the demolition of the the entire RF stands.

[RfkFedEx]

It always blew my mind that the Giants couldn't find some way to build into the Manhattan Field area when the Polo Grounds had the dimensions it did. If it were completely hemmed in by buildings I could understand the bizarre layout, but not when there's a giant (effectively) open field directly next to it.

That's what I'm still wondering. The Giants must have had zero help from the city in those days if ownership was too cheap to buy the land.

Moving out of that place might have been the next best move in Yankee history.

Had the Giants effectively modernized and expanded the PG to keep up w/ OYS, things might have been different by the 50s.

Ebetts Field also looks to have been a much nicer facility in its day considering its lifespan nearly paralleled that of the PG.

[RfkFedEx]

Does anyone know if Giants Stadium will be imploded or torn down?

[Lpeters199]

From: http://picasaweb.google.com/MercuryWW

[Lpeters199]

Polo Grounds from: http://picasaweb.google.com/MercuryWW

[Yankeefan3783]

I found this link on uniwatchblog, apparently MLB 10 The Show will feature 10 classic stadiums, including the Polo Grounds.

http://kotaku.com/5456844/classic-st...-wont-be-easy/

[Paul W]

That's what I'm still wondering. The Giants must have had zero help from the city in those days if ownership was too cheap to buy the land.

Had the Giants effectively modernized and expanded the PG to keep up w/ OYS, things might have been different by the 50s.

Ebetts Field also looks to have been a much nicer facility in its day considering its lifespan nearly paralleled that of the PG.

ebbets field was aging in the late 50's like wrigley is now, the aisles did not meet fire dept. safety codes and almost no parking. ask anybody who was there the last few years...

the coogan family owned the land the polo grounds sat on and stoneham did not have the means to take on additional expense to expand the building.
besides, if they somehow acquired the space along 155th st. for the ballpark, where would the parking area go??
he was stuck with declining attendance, the loss of football rental revenues and heavy maintenance of the building.

[TJH1923]

ebbets field was aging in the late 50's like wrigley is now, the aisles did not meet fire dept. safety codes and almost no parking. ask anybody who was there the last few years...

the coogan family owned the land the polo grounds sat on and stoneham did not have the means to take on additional expense to expand the building.
besides, if they somehow acquired the space along 155th st. for the ballpark, where would the parking area go??
he was stuck with declining attendance, the loss of football rental revenues and heavy maintenance of the building.

Not to mention Polo Grounds and Ebbets Field were in deteriorating neighborhoods. The fan base was moving to the suburbs and parking became critical for both franchises because their fans were now driving to the games in greater numbers than ever before.

The political process (see Robert Moses) in the city put up road blocks at every turn. NYC politics is a big reason both franchises opted to move out of the city. Both franchises would have stayed if the city would have been flexible to both team's attempts to have new venues constructed.

The city was lucky they didn't lose the Yankees too......The city came pretty damn close to screwing that up also.