RetroSeasons recaps past sports seasons through stories, photos, videos, and stats from every team, league, and stadium in history. Coverage includes the NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL, as well as vintage media from defunct teams and leagues.
In the very early morning hours of Friday, April 14, 1911, a fire of uncertain origin swept through the stadium's horseshoe-shaped grandstand, consuming wood and leaving only steel uprights in place. The gaps between some sections of the stands saved a good portion of the outfield seating and the clubhouse from destruction. Giants owner John T. Brush decided to rebuild the Polo Grounds with concrete and steel, renting Hilltop Park from the Highlanders during reconstruction.
Progress was sufficient to allow the stadium to reopen just three months later, June 28, 1911, the date some baseball guides date the structure. As configured, it was the ninth concrete-and-steel stadium in the Majors and fourth in the National League. Unfinished seating areas were rebuilt during the season while the games went on. The new structure stretched in roughly the same semicircle from the left field corner around home plate to the right field corner as prior but was extended into deep right-center field. The surviving wooden bleachers were retained basically as is, with gaps remaining on each side between the new fireproof construction.
This version of the ballpark had its share of quirks. The "unofficial" distances (never marked on the wall) down the left and right field lines were 279 and 258 feet (85 and 79 m) respectively, but there was a 21-foot (6.4 m) overhang in left field, which often intercepted fly balls which would otherwise have been catchable and turned them into home runs. Contrasting with the short distances down the lines were the 450 distances in deepest left and right center (the gaps), with the base of the straightaway centerfield clubhouse standing 483 feet distant from home plate, up a 58-foot runway from the grandstand corners on either side of the clubhouse, which were themselves 425 feet (130 m) from home plate. The famous photo of The catch made by Willie Mays in the 1954 World Series against Vic Wertz of the Cleveland Indians occurred immediately in front of the "batter's eye", a metal screen atop the grandstand wall directly to the right of the centerfield runway. It would have been a home run in several other ballparks of the time as well as in most of today's modern ballparks. The bullpens were actually in play, in the left and right center field gaps. The outfield sloped downward from the infield, and people in the dugouts often could only see the top half of the outfielders.
The New York Yankees sublet the Polo Grounds from the Giants during 1913–1922 after their lease on Hilltop Park expired. After the 1922 season, the Yankees built Yankee Stadium directly across the Harlem River from the Polo Grounds, which spurred the Giants to expand their park to reach a comparable seating capacity to stay competitive. However, since nearly all the new seating was in the outfield, Yankee Stadium still had more desirable seats than did the Polo Grounds for watching baseball. However, the Polo Grounds became better suited for football due to the new seating placement.
The Giants' first night game at the stadium was played on May 24, 1940.
The Polo Grounds was the site of one of the most iconic moments in baseball history - the historic "Shot Heard 'Round the World" walk-off home run on October 3, 1951 that decided the hard-fought National League pennant playoff series between the Giants and their cross-town rivals, the Brooklyn Dodgers.
In the 1962 season, both the New York Giants and the New York Mets experienced contrasting fortunes in Major League Baseball. The Giants, led by manager Alvin Dark, showcased a strong performance, finishing the regular season with a commendable record of 103 wins and 62 losses. They featured standout players such as Willie Mays and Orlando Cepeda, who contributed significantly to their success. However, despite their remarkable regular season, the Giants fell short in the World Series, losing to the American League champions, the New York Yankees, in a tightly contested seven-game series.
On the other hand, the newly formed New York Mets had a difficult inaugural season. Managed by Casey Stengel, the Mets struggled to find their footing, concluding the season with a disappointing record of 40 wins and 120 losses. Plagued by inconsistent performances and a lack of experienced players, the Mets faced significant challenges throughout the year. Despite the team's struggles, the 1962 season laid the groundwork for the Mets' future development and eventual rise to success in the years to come.
In the 1963 MLB season, both the New York Mets and the Chicago Cubs struggled....
Chicago Cubs vs New York Mets - 14 inning thriller - Radio Broadcast / In the 1963 MLB season, both the New York Mets and the Chicago Cubs struggled. The Cubs, managed by Bob Kennedy and Charlie Metro, finished seventh in the National League with a 82-80 record, continuing their multi-decade championship drought. Meanwhile, the fledgling Mets, in only their second season, had a rougher time. Managed by Casey Stengel, they finished last in the National League with a record of 51-111, one of the worst in MLB history.
The 1934 Baseball All-Star Game was the second year that the game was played, but...
1934 MLB All-Star Game - Radio Broadcast / The 1934 Baseball All-Star Game was the second year that the game was played, but it's the first baseball game in which an audio recording still exists. The game featured an unbelievable 28 future hall of famers and is well known among baseball historians for the performance of starting pitcher Carl Hubbell. Be sure to listen closely to the first inning when, Hubbell strikes out five of the game's best hitters in succession: – Hall of famers Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons and Joe Cronin
The 1928 Major League Baseball season was a banner year for hitting, with several sluggers...
MLB 1928 Home Run Derby Simulation / The 1928 Major League Baseball season was a banner year for hitting, with several sluggers making their mark. The New York Yankees' Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig dominated the American League, with Ruth hitting .323 with 54 home runs and 142 RBIs, and Gehrig batting .374 with 27 home runs and a league-leading 142 RBIs. In the National League, the Pittsburgh Pirates' Paul Waner led with a .370 average, while the Philadelphia Phillies' Cy Williams topped the league with 31 home runs. The Yankees swept the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series, with Ruth and Gehrig combining for seven home runs in four games.
In this simulated 1927 MLB Home Run Derby, we're seeing a clash of titans with...
MLB 1927 Home Run Derby Simulation / In this simulated 1927 MLB Home Run Derby, we're seeing a clash of titans with Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Rogers Hornsby, and Hack Wilson, all at their prime. Ruth and Gehrig, famously part of the '27 Yankees' "Murderers' Row", are up against Hornsby, who had just moved to the Giants, and Wilson, who was leading the Cubs' offensive, setting the stage for a contest of power hitters from a golden era of baseball.
