Polo Grounds

The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in New York City used by Major League Baseball's New York Giants from 1883 until 1957, New York Metropolitans from 1883 until 1885, the New York Yankees from 1912 until 1922, and by the New York Mets in their first two seasons of 1962 and 1963.

Related Topics:
Stadium - New York City - Major League Baseball - New York Giants - 1883 - 1957 - New York Metropolitans - 1885 - New York Yankees - 1912 - 1922 - New York Mets - 1962 - 1963

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The original Polo Grounds was built in the 1870s for the sport of polo, thus accounting for its name. The field was originally referred to in newspapers simply as the polo grounds, and over time the designation became a proper name. It was converted to a baseball stadium when leased by the New York Metropolitans in 1880, and the name stuck for each subsequent stadium of the Giants. The fourth and final Polo Grounds, which the Giants used until they moved to San Francisco after the 1957 season, and which the Mets used until Shea Stadium was completed in 1964, was the most famous, and the one most people mean when they refer to the Polo Grounds. It hosted many events over the years, though never an actual polo match.

Related Topics:
1870s - Polo - Baseball - New York Metropolitans - 1880 - San Francisco - 1957 - Shea Stadium - 1964

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The park was noted for its distinctive bathtub shape, with very short distances to the left and right field walls, but an unusually deep center field.

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Left field also had an upper deck which extended out over the field (after its 1923 extension), reducing the distance from 279 feet (85 meters) to about 250 feet (76 meters). That meant it was technically rather difficult to hit a home run into the lower deck of the left field stands, unless it was a line drive such as Bobby Thomson's famous home run in 1951.

Related Topics:
Bobby Thomson - 1951

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Not surprisingly, no fly ball ever reached the 483-foot (147-meter) distant CF wall which fronted a part of the clubhouse which overhung the field. Given that overhang, it was not inherently clear what the actual "home run line" would have been in straightaway center. Some sources used to list the center field distance as 505, which suggests that was where the true home run line would have been, at the back of the clubhouse overhang. But if there were any ground rules governing such a situation, they never had to be applied.

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