In 1964, my parents & I attended the New York World's Fair. I was eight years old & already a baseball fan. One day, we took a Circle Line sightseeing cruise around Manhattan, and we passed by the Polo Grounds, which was in the process of being demolished. I remembered that the Mets had played there, and even though Shea Stadium was a sight to behold (well, it WAS when it was new!), I felt sad when our tour guide told us that "The Polo Grounds are no more!" One quick comment about the game where Willie Mays made that catch. It happened during the 1954 World Series on September 30, 1954. Imagine that! The World Series, the "October Classic," actually started back then in September. Now, the Series stretches into early November!
Wow, what an awesome memory to have. I’m 29 years old, so most of these old stadiums for me exist solely in pictures and stories that have been passed on. It’s crazy to think that the World Series used to start so early. Back then, there wasn’t any playoffs. Just the regular season winners in each league and they played each other in the World Series. Going from regular season straight to the World Series seems unfathomable now. Thanks for your thoughtful comment and thank you for watching!!
1955 was the last year in which the World Series started in September. But as stated, now we have World Series games being played in November, no thanks to MLB.
I attended several met games at the polar grounds in 1962 and 1963. But before that, I also attended several New York Titan football games (known as New York Jets). The stadium was unusual in the sense that you walked off the subway and actually went down to the stadium after you got the street level so it was really below grade. By the way, my grandmother used to call Memorial Day, Decoration Day when I was a kid
My father grew up going to Giants (baseball) games at the Polo Grounds. He was in the centerfield seats right where Willie Mays made “the catch” in 1954.
Towards the end is a picture of a family of 3...taken in early 1940s' They are my Dad and Mom and older brother. They have all passed on. I have same picture from NY paper. I was home as only 1-3 years old. Was very excited to see and have shown this to my five children and many grand- children.
I was in the left field upper deck when Willie Mays made "the catch." I remember turning to my brother and saying "Boy, what a throw!" I was there when Joe Dimaggio hit his last major league home run, in a World Series game. However, what I best remember is that the dressing rooms weren't behind the dugouts, but rather up those stairs in center field. After every game there was an announcement - "No spectators will be permitted on the playing field until all players and umpires have reached their dressing rooms." Then you could run on the field. Sweet memories.
@@georgepins9387 Wow. That’s amazing. You’re lucky to have been there for history being made, and to see Polo in all its glory. Thank you so much for watching and commenting.
Yeah, the catch was already amazing enough, but the fact that he got the ball out of his glove as quickly as he did and threw it all the way back was arguably even more amazing. I'm not nearly old enough to have witnessed The Catch myself--my parents weren't even born yet--but I did watch the Foolish Baseball video on it... and they really put into perspective just how amazing that feat really was. Not many players in MLB history would have even had a prayer of making that catch, and I don't know if anyone other than Willie Mays could have followed it up with such an amazing throw.
It was well built, but on borrowed time after the Giants left. NYC needed the land for housing. The Mets gave it a reprieve, but Shea Stadium was contingent on their existence.
Fine video. I first attended an MLB game at the Polo Grounds on August 11, 1957, a double header between the Giants and the Phillies. Also saw 5 Mets games there in 1962 and 1963. Never had a bad time there. I even got excited just walking past the place to go to a World Series game in 1962. A couple of things you omitted. Most famous college football game played there was the Notre Dame vs Army game about which Grantland Rice wrote his Four Horseman of the Apocalypse column. Most famous pro football game played there was the 1934 NFL championship that you mentioned, also known as the "Sneakers Game." One of the photos you included showed the center field clubhouse windows, with a person sitting inside one of the windows clearly visible. Herman Franks, a Giants coach and later manager, sat with a telescope behind one of those windows, stealing the visiting catcher's signs throughout the team's 1951 comeback from 15 games behind Brooklyn, and a newsreel verified that Thompson had thereby been signaled to expect the pitch that he lined into the left field seats to end the playoff.
I love those facts you mentioned. You have a passion for obscure knowledge just like me, I see. I would have loved to attend a game there, unfortunately I was born over 30 years too late. Thank you for this comment Lucas, and thank you for watching.
Trivia: The wrecking ball used to level The Polo Grounds was the same one used to demolish Ebbets Field. I only saw The Polo Grounds once - from the outside. That was in 1960.
Yessir. And I’ve been getting comments a lot on this video from people who have seen it in person. That’s so awesome man. Even seeing it from the outside.
The proper name was THE Polo Grounds. "The Catch" by the late Willie Mays was in the 4th iteration of The Polo Grounds. The ball was caught just to the right of the clubhouse steps 480 feet from home plate.
Actually it was the third iteration. As I said, there’s different ways as to how the Polo Grounds are numbered. For my research, and for most people’s, including SABR (Society for American Baseball Research) it’s the third.
21:28: The 1934 NFL Championship is famous for being called "The Sneaker Game". The undefeated 13-0 Chicago Bears played the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds in the championship game on December 9, 1934.. Rain the day before the game followed by a hard freeze resulted in an ice covered surface that made it almost impossible for players to keep their footing wearing cleats. One of the Giants' coaches remembered a similar situation in the past and sent someone to a local college to gather sneakers from the basketball team's supply. The Giants put on the sneakers at halftime and what was a 10-3 Bears lead at the time ended up in a 30-13 Giants win.
5:38: It is possible that the 10,000 announced attendance in a structure with only 5,000 seats including spectators standing behind ropes in the outfield. This was very common in the early days of baseball all the way until the early 1900s. In the first World Series in 1903, at least one of the ballparks, Exposition Park in Pittsburgh, had a roped off section in the outfield behind which spectators stood. Any batted ball going into the crowd was ruled a ground rule triple. Team owners were almost solely dependent on ticket sale revenues and any means to get as many people in the park as possible was absolutely necessary.
First World Series was actually played long before that. However, if you’re talking about modern world series then it’s 1903. However you are right about the majors being established earlier, but in the research I did, since 1903 and beyond is considered the modern era, and prior to that many players were not considered major league caliber, some baseball historians consider the “major leagues” to be 1903 and beyond, which could also be said for the World Series I suppose. I should have clarified. I’m new at this and not perfect. Thanks so much for your comment, I hope your day is going well.
*Vic Wertz's shot that Willie Mays caught in center field was over 460 feet. You can see the "483 FT" on the center field wall above the monument in the picture.*
@@BD-1-And-Only *A guaranteed home run in every ballpark in 1954, except for one. The original Yankee Stadium. It probably would've hit off the high center field wall. It was 461 feet to center field back then.*
Thanks for sharing. I was 9 or 10 when returning home from camp (going south on our Boy’s Club bus), & at one point on Harlem River Dr. passing Yankee Stadium on the left, & the Polo Grounds on the right. It was the only time I would actually see it in real time 👍🏻
Yessir, you are indeed correct. It was in 1923. I probably should have included that in the video!! It also happened when the Giants hosted the Providence Grays. No clue why Providence didn’t get any home games, but the entire series was played at Polo. Also, fun fact, the Giants and Yankees met 7 times in the World Series total, 6 of them being when the Giants were still in New York.
The significance of Merkle Boner was that instead of a New York Giants win, the game was declared a tie.When the season ended two weeks later, the Giants and the Chicago Cubs were tied instead of the Giants winning the pennant by one game. This resulted in a one game playoff where the Cubs beat the Giants 4-2.
i think i recall that there are still steps you can see that once led to stadium and the stories of the elevated 3 train line that went by at something like a height of 100 ft ? people were known to fall or jump way back of course i was born after mets relocated to shea so what do i know !!! great effort though i will view other work u do !
YANKEE STADIUM RANKS WITH THE COLOSSEUM IN ROME OPEN IN 1923, FIRST TO BE CALLED STADIUM IN BASEBALL, IT WAS THE FIRST TRIPLE--DECK STRUCTURE OF IT'S KIND ☆☆☆☆☆.
I liked your video however the Polo Grounds was not the first site of a MLB night game. Old Crosley Field in Cincinnati Ohio was on May 24th 1935. The Reds beat the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1.
good job researching, I suggest part of that research include the proper pronunciation of names and places, that way it doesn't sound so read for the first time.
@@BD-1-And-Only a couple others but we all do it, rereading it and editing makes us all look smarter than we are. Its's all in the details, never be satisfied with a published work until its perfect.
Evers didn't tag Merkle out. Merkle had already left the infield and went to the clubhouse. Evers stood on 2nd base and called for a ball, any ball. Iron Man McGinnity saw what was afoot and did catch the throw to Evers and threw it into the seats. Eventually one was thrown to him and he forced Merkle out. That prevented the run from scoring. Had he tagged him out the run would have counted. The umpire allowed it because most umpires hated John McGraw's guts.
YANKEE STADIUM 🏟 RANKS WITH THE COLOSSEUM IN ROME, OPENED 1923, IT WAS THE FIRST TRIPLE---DECKED STRUCTURE OF ITS KIND AND THE FIRST BALLPARK WITH THE TITLE STADIUM 🏟 YANKEE STADIUM 🏟
I sure would like to see a Giants baseball game at the Polo Grounds.⚾️
Play mlb the show, The Polo Grounds is there
In 1964, my parents & I attended the New York World's Fair. I was eight years old & already a baseball fan. One day, we took a Circle Line sightseeing cruise around Manhattan, and we passed by the Polo Grounds, which was in the process of being demolished. I remembered that the Mets had played there, and even though Shea Stadium was a sight to behold (well, it WAS when it was new!), I felt sad when our tour guide told us that "The Polo Grounds are no more!"
One quick comment about the game where Willie Mays made that catch. It happened during the 1954 World Series on September 30, 1954. Imagine that! The World Series, the "October Classic," actually started back then in September. Now, the Series stretches into early November!
Wow, what an awesome memory to have. I’m 29 years old, so most of these old stadiums for me exist solely in pictures and stories that have been passed on.
It’s crazy to think that the World Series used to start so early. Back then, there wasn’t any playoffs. Just the regular season winners in each league and they played each other in the World Series. Going from regular season straight to the World Series seems unfathomable now. Thanks for your thoughtful comment and thank you for watching!!
1955 was the last year in which the World Series started in September. But as stated, now we have World Series games being played in November, no thanks to MLB.
I attended several met games at the polar grounds in 1962 and 1963. But before that, I also attended several New York Titan football games (known as New York Jets). The stadium was unusual in the sense that you walked off the subway and actually went down to the stadium after you got the street level so it was really below grade. By the way, my grandmother used to call Memorial Day, Decoration Day when I was a kid
My father grew up going to Giants (baseball) games at the Polo Grounds. He was in the centerfield seats right where Willie Mays made “the catch” in 1954.
Wow. What a cool memory for him. Not many get the chance to witness history being made.
Towards the end is a picture of a family of 3...taken in early 1940s' They are my Dad and
Mom and older brother. They have all passed on. I have same picture from NY paper. I was home as only 1-3 years
old. Was very excited to see and have shown this to my five children and many grand-
children.
@@DavidRoberts-pw2st wow that’s way awesome! Thank you so much for your comment. I’m glad I could make you smile.
I was in the left field upper deck when Willie Mays made "the catch." I remember turning to my brother and saying "Boy, what a throw!" I was there when Joe Dimaggio hit his last major league home run, in a World Series game. However, what I best remember is that the dressing rooms weren't behind the dugouts, but rather up those stairs in center field. After every game there was an announcement - "No spectators will be permitted on the playing field until all players and umpires have reached their dressing rooms." Then you could run on the field. Sweet memories.
@@georgepins9387 Wow. That’s amazing. You’re lucky to have been there for history being made, and to see Polo in all its glory. Thank you so much for watching and commenting.
Yeah, the catch was already amazing enough, but the fact that he got the ball out of his glove as quickly as he did and threw it all the way back was arguably even more amazing. I'm not nearly old enough to have witnessed The Catch myself--my parents weren't even born yet--but I did watch the Foolish Baseball video on it... and they really put into perspective just how amazing that feat really was. Not many players in MLB history would have even had a prayer of making that catch, and I don't know if anyone other than Willie Mays could have followed it up with such an amazing throw.
The picture you use at 16:33 isn’t from the Polo Grounds demolition.
That’s Carl Erskine at the wrecking ball ceremony at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn.
Correct, but it was the same wrecking ball.
Polo grounds gotta be one of the coolest looking stadiums in mlb history. It’s a shame they tore it down.
Shameful indeed.
It was well built, but on borrowed time after the Giants left. NYC needed the land for housing. The Mets gave it a reprieve, but Shea Stadium was contingent on their existence.
Cool stadium but it had fallen into disrepair.
Fine video. I first attended an MLB game at the Polo Grounds on August 11, 1957, a double header between the Giants and the Phillies. Also saw 5 Mets games there in 1962 and 1963. Never had a bad time there. I even got excited just walking past the place to go to a World Series game in 1962.
A couple of things you omitted. Most famous college football game played there was the Notre Dame vs Army game about which Grantland Rice wrote his Four Horseman of the Apocalypse column. Most famous pro football game played there was the 1934 NFL championship that you mentioned, also known as the "Sneakers Game." One of the photos you included showed the center field clubhouse windows, with a person sitting inside one of the windows clearly visible. Herman Franks, a Giants coach and later manager, sat with a telescope behind one of those windows, stealing the visiting catcher's signs throughout the team's 1951 comeback from 15 games behind Brooklyn, and a newsreel verified that Thompson had thereby been signaled to expect the pitch that he lined into the left field seats to end the playoff.
I love those facts you mentioned. You have a passion for obscure knowledge just like me, I see. I would have loved to attend a game there, unfortunately I was born over 30 years too late. Thank you for this comment Lucas, and thank you for watching.
Bobby Thomson, not Thompson.
The John T. Brush Stairway is the only thing remaining of the Polo Grounds.
I hope they keep it there too.
Trivia: The wrecking ball used to level The Polo Grounds was the same one used to demolish Ebbets Field. I only saw The Polo Grounds once - from the outside. That was in 1960.
Yessir. And I’ve been getting comments a lot on this video from people who have seen it in person. That’s so awesome man. Even seeing it from the outside.
The proper name was THE Polo Grounds. "The Catch" by the late Willie Mays was in the 4th iteration of The Polo Grounds. The ball was caught just to the right of the clubhouse steps 480 feet from home plate.
Actually it was the third iteration. As I said, there’s different ways as to how the Polo Grounds are numbered. For my research, and for most people’s, including SABR (Society for American Baseball Research) it’s the third.
It was the third man not the fourth. Also who cares if he forgot to say “the”. It was a good video.
It was the 3rd actually.
I enjoyed watching your video because of all the research you did to bring the history of the Polo Grounds to life. Well done!
Thank you! I appreciate the compliment!
21:28: The 1934 NFL Championship is famous for being called "The Sneaker Game". The undefeated 13-0 Chicago Bears played the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds in the championship game on December 9, 1934.. Rain the day before the game followed by a hard freeze resulted in an ice covered surface that made it almost impossible for players to keep their footing wearing cleats. One of the Giants' coaches remembered a similar situation in the past and sent someone to a local college to gather sneakers from the basketball team's supply. The Giants put on the sneakers at halftime and what was a 10-3 Bears lead at the time ended up in a 30-13 Giants win.
5:38: It is possible that the 10,000 announced attendance in a structure with only 5,000 seats including spectators standing behind ropes in the outfield. This was very common in the early days of baseball all the way until the early 1900s. In the first World Series in 1903, at least one of the ballparks, Exposition Park in Pittsburgh, had a roped off section in the outfield behind which spectators stood. Any batted ball going into the crowd was ruled a ground rule triple. Team owners were almost solely dependent on ticket sale revenues and any means to get as many people in the park as possible was absolutely necessary.
STAT-TEN Island.
I’m not from New York, my fault
But it’s a very well-known borough!
To me it's STATE-N Island. And I call it The Queens, not Queens.
@@KevinMiller-xn5vu It's Stat-ten Eye lend, Queens and da Bronx.
The 1st World Series was played in 1903, but both major leagues were already established by then.
First World Series was actually played long before that. However, if you’re talking about modern world series then it’s 1903. However you are right about the majors being established earlier, but in the research I did, since 1903 and beyond is considered the modern era, and prior to that many players were not considered major league caliber, some baseball historians consider the “major leagues” to be 1903 and beyond, which could also be said for the World Series I suppose. I should have clarified. I’m new at this and not perfect. Thanks so much for your comment, I hope your day is going well.
@@BD-1-And-Only Under the circumstances, you did just fine. Good luck with your future videos.
*Vic Wertz's shot that Willie Mays caught in center field was over 460 feet. You can see the "483 FT" on the center field wall above the monument in the picture.*
Pretty much would be a home run in almost any other ball park too. Incredible moment.
@@BD-1-And-Only *A guaranteed home run in every ballpark in 1954, except for one. The original Yankee Stadium. It probably would've hit off the high center field wall. It was 461 feet to center field back then.*
Thanks for sharing. I was 9 or 10 when returning home from camp (going south on our Boy’s Club bus), & at one point on Harlem River Dr. passing Yankee Stadium on the left, & the Polo Grounds on the right. It was the only time I would actually see it in real time 👍🏻
Thank you for putting this together. It was interesting and informative.
Such a kind compliment, thank you! I hope your day is going well!
Polo Grounds Requiem for an Arena is on TH-cam and is a good watch
I will check it out, sounds intriguing.
I see a bright future for you on TH-cam. Keep up the good work.
Aye appreciate it! Thank you very much.
Correct me if I am wrong, but this was also the only stadium to host all of the games in a world series when the yankees played the giants.
Yessir, you are indeed correct. It was in 1923. I probably should have included that in the video!!
It also happened when the Giants hosted the Providence Grays. No clue why Providence didn’t get any home games, but the entire series was played at Polo. Also, fun fact, the Giants and Yankees met 7 times in the World Series total, 6 of them being when the Giants were still in New York.
I thought the Browns and Cardinals played the 1944 World Series at Sportsmans Park
Also the 2020 World Series was played in the bubble of Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas due to the pandemic.
Great stuff!
@@billystein5972 Thank you!
Polo Grounds ver. IV had the deepest CF.
The significance of Merkle Boner was that instead of a New York Giants win, the game was declared a tie.When the season ended two weeks later, the Giants and the Chicago Cubs were tied instead of the Giants winning the pennant by one game. This resulted in a one game playoff where the Cubs beat the Giants 4-2.
The stadium is in video games now
i think i recall that there are still steps you can see that once led to stadium and the stories of the elevated 3 train line that went by at something like a height of 100 ft ? people were known to fall or jump way back of course i was born after mets relocated to shea so what do i know !!! great effort though i will view other work u do !
YANKEE STADIUM RANKS WITH THE COLOSSEUM IN ROME OPEN IN 1923, FIRST TO BE CALLED STADIUM IN BASEBALL, IT WAS THE FIRST TRIPLE--DECK STRUCTURE OF IT'S KIND ☆☆☆☆☆.
Absolutely ridiculous dimensions for baseball.
For real. I recommend playing on it on the video game MLB The Show. It’s quite fun😂
RIP Willie Mays. They should place a placard or statue where "The Catch" was made.
I agree. Maybe a Willie Mays statue near it too
Polo is NOT played on a racetrack......
I didn’t say racetrack, I said horsetrack, which is a track or ground made for horses. Which is true.
@@BD-1-And-Only it's a LAWN.....
The Algorithm of YT led me here. Liked 👍 & subscribed & turned on the bell 🔔. Very cool information. Keep up the good work 👍
Aye you’re awesome! Thank you. 🙏🏼
great work you did on this- very cool
Thank you sir!
19:18 - RIP
RIP indeed. I published this just days before his passing.
I liked your video however the Polo Grounds was not the first site of a MLB night game. Old Crosley Field in Cincinnati Ohio was on May 24th 1935. The Reds beat the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1.
You are correct. My apologies.
@@BD-1-And-Only No problem..otherwise you did a great job.
good job researching, I suggest part of that research include the proper pronunciation of names and places, that way it doesn't sound so read for the first time.
@@dfboiler thanks bud😂 I know I got Staten Island wrong.
@@BD-1-And-Only a couple others but we all do it, rereading it and editing makes us all look smarter than we are. Its's all in the details, never be satisfied with a published work until its perfect.
Nice job kid. Got a sub from me!
Thank you very much!!
Evers didn't tag Merkle out. Merkle had already left the infield and went to the clubhouse. Evers stood on 2nd base and called for a ball, any ball. Iron Man McGinnity saw what was afoot and did catch the throw to Evers and threw it into the seats. Eventually one was thrown to him and he forced Merkle out. That prevented the run from scoring. Had he tagged him out the run would have counted. The umpire allowed it because most umpires hated John McGraw's guts.
How can you not pronounce Staten Island properly? I know you're young, but come on!
Yikes I know😂
I know, what's up with that ? What wrong with this kid ?
Nicknamed “The Bathtub!”
Yes sir Curtis! Honestly one of the coolest stadiums I’ve looked into. Stay tuned for the Pontiac Silverdome.
YANKEE STADIUM 🏟 RANKS WITH THE COLOSSEUM IN ROME, OPENED 1923, IT WAS THE FIRST TRIPLE---DECKED STRUCTURE OF ITS KIND AND THE FIRST BALLPARK WITH THE TITLE STADIUM 🏟 YANKEE STADIUM 🏟