Thursday, September 29, 2005

No polo played at these Polo Grounds...

The first 3 incarnations of the Polo Grounds did feature polo matches and when the 4th and final site was built on 155th Street in Mahattan in 1922, the reference to the rich man's sport continued. The Polo Grounds, home of the New York Giants would stand long enough to see the Mets and Titans (before their name was changed to the Jets) have a home until their stadiums were built in the 60s. September 29th would feature 2 historic events at the field built on Coogan's Bluff...

On a sunny end-of-September day in 1954 the Polo Grounds hosted the first game of the World Series between the Giants and Cleveland Indians. In the 8th inning of a tied (2-2) game and with the Indians threatening with 2 runners on base, Indian 1st baseman Vic Wertz connected for a long drive to the deepest part of the old ball park, 450 feet away in dead center. What happened next would be considered as one of the greatest catches in baseball history. With his back to the plate and running full stride, Willie Mays looked over his shoulder in time to make a miraculous catch. Cleveland manager, Al Lopez called it "one of the greatest catches I ever have seen" but Willie Mays had a different opinion, "I thought I had that one all the way." Willie was the only one in the world who took that view. The Giants would win that game 5-2 and go on to sweep the heavily favored Indians in 4 games...

3 years later, same September 29th date, the New York Giants would play their last game at the Polo Grounds before a meager crowd of 11,606. The Giants were beaten soundly by the Pirates, 9-1. It would be their last game in New York as they were headed for San Francisco where they would play from 1958 to the present...

Some personal memories of the old Polo Grounds in my commentary...

More September 29 Memories...

1951) The first network football game (University of California-Penn) is televised in color on CBS-TV...

1953) "Make Room For Daddy" starring Danny Thomas premiered on ABC-TV...

1954) Willie Mays makes one of the greatest catches of all-time (feature story)...

1957) Final Giant game at Polo Grounds (feature story)...

1960) "My Three Sons" debuts on ABC-TV...

1963) "My Favorite Martian" premieres on CBS-TV...

1963) The Rolling Stones open their first British tour supporting the Everly Brothers and Bo Diddley...

1967) "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" is released by Gladys Knight & the Pips...

1969) Jackie DeShannon gets a gold record for "Put A Little Love In Your Heart"...

1971) "McMillan and Wife" debuts on NBC-TV...

1974) John Lennon sits in as a guest deejay on WNEW-FM...

1976) Tommy Lasorda replaces Walter Alston as Dodger manager...

1977) "Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band" by Meco is #1...

1978) Pope John Paul I is found dead after only one month of serving as pontiff...

1982) Extra-strength Tylenol is laced with cyanide in Chicago, 7 die...

1983) "A Chorus Line" becomes the longest running show on Broadway...

1985) "MacGyver" starring Richard Dean Anderson debuts on ABC-TV...

1986) "Designing Women" premieres on CBS-TV...

1986) For the first time in baseball history 2 rookie pitcher brothers oppose each other in a game with Greg Maddux defeating brother Mike (Greg becomes a future Hall of Famer, Mike does not)...

1987) "Thirtysomething" debuts on ABC-TV...

1989) Zsa Zsa Gabor is convicted of battery charges for slapping a Beverly Hills police officer who had pulled her and her Rolls-Royce over for expired plates...

Happy Birthday to...

1922) Lizabeth Scott...

1931) Anita Ekberg...

1935) Jerry Lee Lewis...

1948) Bryant Gumbel...

1958) Andrew "Dice" Clay...

Commentary...

The Polo Grounds was easy to hit home runs in because the dimensions of the field were so short in left (279 feet) and right (257) field. They were even shorter where the second deck jutted out in left (250) and right (249) field. Center field was a massive 460 feet away, leading to the clubhouse steps. Home runs hit to left and right fields were referred to as very un-politically correct and down right racist, "Chinese" home runs...

My cousin and I would go to the Polo Grounds and usually sit in the lower right field seats which were general admission and unreserved seats. During batting practice the balls would whistle past you as players could easily reach the short porch in right field. The thing I remember about the old Polo Grounds was how clean it smelled when you first went in. That was probably due to how easy it was to get a good seat because the Giants attendance was so small. Of the 3 (Yankee Stadium, Ebbets Field and the Polo Grounds) stadiums in New York, theirs was always the smallest...

The Polo Grounds was just a walking bridge away from Yankee Stadium although it was located in Manhattan. It was also the stop before Yankee Stadium on the "D" line subway. The most famous player I ever met at the Polo Grounds is the subject of today's feature story, Willie Mays. I got to shake his hand as he was getting into his yellow Cadillac convertible. I didn't wash that hand for a long time...