Washington Park (Brooklyn) [all variations]

[Kentucky Bomber]

It's too late to be of any use now, but a couple of months ago TCM showed some baseball movies in their Sunday night silent slot. One of them was so obscure that it wasn't listed in any of my baseball movie books. It was a comedy from 1914 entitled Hearts and Diamonds (catchy, huh) and was a formula sitcom for John Bunny, a very popular actor at the time.

The point of this is that as I was watching the film I saw that the team playing opposite Bunny's team had Brooklyn written across their shirts, but the ballpark didn't look anything like Ebbett's Field. I then realized that the fimmakers had engaged the Federal League Tip Tops to appear in the film and that the game in the movie was being played in Washington Park, the Dodgers' home until they moved to Ebbetts in 1914 and used by the Feds for the 1914-15 seasons. I don't know of many images of Washington Park at all, much less a film.

So check your listings and if the film ever comes around again, not likely, you'll have a chance to see something long gone.

[locke40]

These are from Wikipedia.

1880's:


1909:

[locke40]

Part of the wall of the last Washington Park, on 3rd Avenue in Brooklyn.

http://www.forgotten-ny.com/STREET%20SCENES/Dodgers/dodgers.html

[xtimx]

Part of the wall of the last Washington Park, on 3rd Avenue in Brooklyn.

http://www.forgotten-ny.com/STREET%2...s/dodgers.html

thats not far from my house. drove by it quite a few times. and forgotten-ny is an incredible site. get kevin's book if you haven't already!

[Brian McKenna]

From imdb.com:

http://imdb.com/title/tt0004060/

Due to film quality, it's unclear whether Christy Mathewson is in the film or not.

[mdemaio924]

Here's an image you might not have seen...

I have others...they were part of a series of photos taken by the city when they were putting in the R subway line under 4th Avenue...

[ribant]

thats not far from my house. drove by it quite a few times. and forgotten-ny is an incredible site. get kevin's book if you haven't already!

It seems that there is evidence the wall is not from the Dodger era. This website has a really strong argument the wall is from Washington Park IV, the rebuild for the Federal League Tip-Tops

http://www.covehurst.net/ddyte/brooklyn/washwall.html

[ribant]

These are from Wikipedia.

1880's:


1909:

The first picture is Washington Park I, now the site of a playground and a middle school.

The second picture is the Washington Park with the wall remnant that is currently a Con Ed site

[milladrive]

There were three variations of Washington Park in Brooklyn (1884-1891, 1898-1912, and 1914-1915). I think one thread for all should be sufficient, but also think it would be terrific if someone has some pix of the various parks and wishes to post them. The more info we have about the many ballparks with identical names (not just New York, of course), the better.

[milladrive]

I'm reposting the pics that are now represented in this thread with red x's due to Wikipedia's linkage policy.

Washington Park [I] hosted the Brooklyn Atlantics/Grays/Bridegrooms [AA] 1884-1889, and Bridegrooms/Grooms [NL] 1890-1891]. This pic is circa 1880's.

WashingtonPark01.jpg

After some time playing their home games in Ridgewood Park (AA Sundays, 1886-1889) and Eastern Park (1892-1897), the NL franchise moved into Washington Park [II], where they were known as the Bridegrooms/Superbas/Dodgers. They played in Washington Park [II] 1898-1912. Here's a pic of the park, circa 1909.

WashingtonPark02.jpg

The third and final incarnation of Washington Park stood on the same site as the second. It was rebuilt with steel and concrete for the Brooklyn Tip-Tops of the Federal League. This pic (primarily of the unique leg-supported scoreboard) is of the flag-raising on Opening Day 4/10/1915.

Washington_Park03_1915.jpg

Then there's a pic of outside the wall of the third Washington Park, which still exists, taken in 2011.

Washington_Park_wall 2011.jpg

As a bonus, I've found a colorized pic of Washington Park [II], circa 1912.

Washington Park II, Brooklyn, circa 1912.jpg

[ribant]

Website with two great articles on the various Washington Parks

http://www.brooklynballparks.com/

[alpineinc]

"1912 ca. View from behind home plate of a pitch thrown during a Brooklyn Dodgers versus Chicago Cubs game. Pitcher is Lefty Liefield of the Chicago Cubs from 1912-1913. Stadium advertisements along the ballpark fence and apartment buildings are in the background. (Chicago vs Bklyn. - Liefield pitching - Ball in air)"

V198115204.JPG


"1912 ca. View from behind home plate of a pitch thrown during a Brooklyn Dodgers versus St. Louis Cardinals game. Pitcher is Slim Sallee of the St. Louis Cardinals from 1908-1916. Stadium advertisements along the ballpark fence and apartment buildings are in the background. (St. Louis vs Bklyn. - Sallee pitching - Ball in air)"

V198115205.JPG

Largest sizes available.


http://brooklynhistory.pastperfect-o...V198115204.JPG

http://brooklynhistory.pastperfect-o...V198115205.JPG

[alpineinc]

Construction of Washington Park III (the last one), for the Federal League Brooklyn Tip-Tops (as in the bread), or the unwieldy nickname "BrookFeds" in 1914. Unfortunately it was abandoned only two years later when the league folded in 1916.

15589v.jpg
Huge size

15588v.jpg
Huge size

15587v.jpg
Huge size

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ggb2005015600/
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ggb2005015599/
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ggb2005015598/

[joefromchicago]

It's too late to be of any use now, but a couple of months ago TCM showed some baseball movies in their Sunday night silent slot. One of them was so obscure that it wasn't listed in any of my baseball movie books. It was a comedy from 1914 entitled Hearts and Diamonds (catchy, huh) and was a formula sitcom for John Bunny, a very popular actor at the time.

The point of this is that as I was watching the film I saw that the team playing opposite Bunny's team had Brooklyn written across their shirts, but the ballpark didn't look anything like Ebbett's Field. I then realized that the fimmakers had engaged the Federal League Tip Tops to appear in the film and that the game in the movie was being played in Washington Park, the Dodgers' home until they moved to Ebbetts in 1914 and used by the Feds for the 1914-15 seasons. I don't know of many images of Washington Park at all, much less a film.

So check your listings and if the film ever comes around again, not likely, you'll have a chance to see something long gone.

I know I'm replying to a post that's over six years old, but I recently saw the short film Hearts and Diamonds that Kentucky Bomber refers to. It's in the collection "Reel Baseball" from Kino. While watching, I came to the same realization that KB did -- that the park in the film is Federal League Park, aka Washington Park (III or IV, depending on how you count it). Seeing an outfield ad for Ward's Tip-Top bread made me suspect that it was the Brookfeds' park, and coming here and viewing the photo in post #10, showing the large centerfield scoreboard that is seen in the film, convinced me. There are also some shots of the stands and the entrance to the park. Some of the ballplayers might very well have been members of the Brooklyn club, although there are no credits for the actors.

As for the movie itself, it has some comic moments, but it's mainly of interest to film antiquarians. John Bunny was indeed a very famous film comedian in his day who is now all-but-forgotten. One of the best gags has Bunny, an enormous man who looks like he is always on the verge of bursting a blood vessel, hitting a long fly ball but running out of breath when he reaches second base. His teammates then load him into a wheelbarrow and cart him the rest of the way home.

[RUKen]

One of the best gags has Bunny, an enormous man who looks like he is always on the verge of bursting a blood vessel, hitting a long fly ball but running out of breath when he reaches second base. His teammates then load him into a wheelbarrow and cart him the rest of the way home.

Here are a couple of stills from the movie, including the wheelbarrow scene:

Brooklyn Hearts and Diamonds 1914 film scene with John Bunny 2.jpg

Brooklyn Hearts and Diamonds 1914 film scene with John Bunny.jpg