Polo Grounds Historical Analysis by Baseball Almanac

Polo Grounds Historical Analysis

The Polo Grounds in New York had more than its fair share of variations. Here is a comprehensive breakdown of each of the five different ballparks where Major League play once took place.

"The screwball's an unnatural pitch. Nature never intended a man to turn his hand like that - throwing rocks at a bear." - Carl Hubbell

Polo Grounds (I) Major League Occupants
Data
New York Gothams [National League]	First Game	05-01-1883
	Last Game	10-13-1888
New York Mets [American Association]	First Game	07-17-1884
	Last Game	10-01-1885
Polo Grounds (I) Miscellaneous Items of Interest
Data
Fences	None
Field Surface	Grass
Highest Attendance	20,709	05-31-1886
Location	North Central Park.
	5th-6th Avenue.
	110th-112th Street.
Status	Seized by city for street construction.
Polo Grounds (I)

Polo Grounds (II) Major League Occupant(s)
Data
	First Game	07-08-1889
	Last Game	09-13-1890
Polo Grounds (II) Miscellaneous Items of Interest
Data
Fences	None
Field Surface	Grass
Highest Attendance	14,364	08-31-1889
Location	South Coogan's Hollow.
	155th-157th Street.
Status	Moved to Player's League park on other side due to increased size.
Polo Grounds (II)

Polo Grounds (III) Major League Occupant(s)
Data
	First Game	04-22-1891
	Last Game	04-13-1911
Polo Grounds (III) Ballpark Capacity
Data
Capacity (Yearly Attendance)	1891-1911	16,000
Polo Grounds (III) Ballpark Dimensions
Data
Left Field	04-19-1890	335'
	07-01-1890	277'
Center Field	1890-1908	500'
	1909-1911	433'
Right Field	04-19-1890	335'
	07-01-1890	258'
Polo Grounds (III) Miscellaneous Items of Interest
Data
Field Surface	Grass
Highest Attendance	38,805	06-11-1904
Polo Grounds (III)

Polo Grounds (IV) Major League Occupant(s)
Data
	First Game	06-28-1911
	Last Game	09-29-1957
	First Game	04-17-1913
	Last Game	10-08-1922
	First Game	04-13-1962
	Last Game	09-18-1963
Polo Grounds (IV) Ballpark Capacity
Data
Capacity Changes (Yearly Attendance Tm 1) (Yearly Attendance Tm 2) (Yearly Attendance Tm 3)	1911	16,000
	1917	39,000
	1919	38,000
	1923	43,000
	1926	55,000
	1930	56,000
	1937	51,856
	1940	56,000
	1947	54,500
	1953	56,000
Polo Grounds (IV) Ballpark Dimensions
Data
Left Field	1911	277'
	1921	286.67'
	1923	279.67'
	1930	279'
	1943	280'
	1955	279'
Center Field	1911	433'
	1923	483'
	1927	484.75'
	1930	505'
	1931	430'
	1934	480'
	1938	430'
	1940	505'
	1943	490'
	1944	505'
	1945	448'
	1946	490'
	1947	484'
	1949	505'
	1952	483'
	1953	480'
	1954	483'
	1955	480'
	1962	475'
	1963	483'
Right Field	1921	256.25'
	1923	257.67'
	1931	257.5'
	1942	257.67'
	1943	259'
	1944	257.67'
Polo Grounds (IV) Miscellaneous Items of Interest
Data
Field Surface	Grass
Highest Attendance	64,417	09-13-1936
Polo Grounds (IV)

The Polo Grounds on the southeast diamond (Version I) was the first ballpark to ever attract a crowd of more than 20,000, the first ballpark ever to host a doubleheader where each team was from a diffferent league and the home of the first American Association versus National League "World Series" in 1884.

The Polo Grounds (Version III) was destroyed by a enormous fire that lasted two full days April 14 through 15, 1911, and when it was over, only rubble was left.

Four sluggers have put a ball over the center field wall in the Polo Grounds (Version IV). Those sluggers are Luke Easter of the Negro Leagues in 1948; Joe Adcock on April 29, 1953; Lou Brock on June 17, 1962; and Hank Aaron on June 18, 1962.

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