Polo Grounds
New York, NY

Home of three teams for more than a half a century, Polo Grounds was one of baseballs hallowed ballparks. Prior to the construction of Polo Grounds which stood from 1911 until 1964, their were several other ballparks called Polo Grounds which the New York Giants played in. The original Polo Grounds was located near Central Park where polo was played. The owner of the Metropolitans, John Day

moved his team here to play baseball in 1883. The team played here for five years until the city evicted the team after the 1888 season. By 1889, Day moved his team to Coogan's Bluff, where two ballparks were located. The New York Giants of the Players League played at the northern ballpark, Brotherhood Park; and the New York Giants of the National League played at the southern ballpark, which they named Polo Grounds.  The Giants of the Players League went bankrupt after the season and the Giants (NL) moved into Brotherhood Park for the 1891 season. The Giants then renamed the ballpark Polo Grounds. The third Polo Grounds consisted of 16,000 wooden seats, with some bleachers in the outfield. Unfortunately, on April 14, 1911 the entire wooden structure burned to the ground.

A new ballpark built of concrete and steel was built in place of the wooden structure. The Giants played at Hilltop Park, home of the New York Highlanders (Yankees) for two months while there ballpark was being rebuilt. Although Polo Grounds was not completely finished, the Giants moved back into the ballpark on June 28, 1911. The grandstand consisted of 16,000 seats. By the end of the season the capacity grew to 34,000. Double decked grandstands extended from home plate, to half way down the left field line, and 40 feet past the right field foul pole. Polo Grounds inherited a new tenant in 1913, when the New York Yankees moved into the ballpark with the Giants. The dimensions at Polo Grounds were 277 in left field, 455 feet in center, and 258 feet in right field. Polo Grounds was a hitter paradise with the exception of centerfield. A pop fly down the either line could become a homerun easily. With acquisition of Babe Ruth the Yankees became a success at Polo Grounds. Owner of the Giants, John McGraw became very angry when the Yankees began drawing more fans than the Giants at Polo Grounds. After the 1922, McGraw evicted the Yankees from Polo Grounds.

In 1922, Polo Grounds was enclosed, with an exception in centerfield, increasing the capacity to 54,555. The grandstands were extended to the 2,300 bleachers that were on both sides of the clubhouse in centerfield. The left field upper deck overhung the playing field by 23 feet. Polo Grounds now looked like a horseshoe. Round behind home plate, the sides did not run parallel to the foul lines, but rather to a line drawn from home to second, extending straight into the power alleys before curving toward the middle in deep left and right centerfields. The center field wall ran straight across, except for a large cutout square in dead center that was the entrance to the clubhouses. Because the centerfield wall was 450 feet from homeplate, at one time there was a flower bed in centerfield until manager John McGraw ordered it removed. The bullpens were in the outfield in play.

Polo Grounds changed very little for the rest of its tenure as a baseball stadium. The Giants along with the Brooklyn Dodgers decided to move to California after the 1957 season because attendance fell at Polo Grounds. The last Giants game at Polo Grounds was on September 29, 1957. However, Polo Grounds was not demolished. Major League Baseball expanded and awarded a new baseball team to New York. After \$250,000 worth of renovations, the New York Mets moved into Polo Grounds for the 1962 and 1963 seasons while there new ballpark, Shea Stadium was being built. The final game ever at Polo Grounds was on September 18, 1963. Polo Grounds was demolished on April 10, 1964. Several 30 story housing projects now sit on the site where Polo Grounds once stood. A plaque commemorates where the ballparks once stood.