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Thursday, May 13, 2021

100 YEARS AGO AT THE POLO GROUNDS 5/13/1921: Giants Take Series From Cardinals; Yankees Set To Challenge Defending World Series Champs

From the desk: WHEN THE POLO GROUNDS WAS THE WORLD


100 Years Ago Today at the Polo Grounds: 
New York Giants & New York Yankees 
1921 Seasons Revisited

In their last season at Hilltop Park, the now formerly known New York Highlanders lost 102 games.  Rebranded as the Yankees, in 1913, they moved just a few blocks away into the Polo Grounds as tenants of the Senior Circuit's New York Giants.  To the chagrin of Giants manager John McGraw, the Americans proceeded to lose another 94 games.  

Known to hold a grudge, McGraw still harbored much animosity two full decades later, not only towards Ban Johnson and his rebel circuit (unkept promises included) but more so towards the Yankees.  As they were founded at the expense of his rendered defunct Baltimore Orioles.  

For as long as the Yankees paid their rent, the tenant/landlord relationship with the Giants remained amicably strained.  Mainly because the middling Americans, except for one season in 1916, never elevated themselves above the ranks of Junior Circuit also-rans.  But that changed in 1919 when they briefly vied for the pennant but tuckered out down the stretch to finish third.  A franchise-record 619,164 fans showed up to root for the American League contenders.  However, the Yankees' burgeoning success was not yet a pressing issue, per se, for the Giants, who were coming off a second-place finish and their best season in a decade at the turnstile.

Then, in 1920, baseball's tectonic plates along the New York/New England fault shift.  The Yankees' purchase of George Herman "Babe" Ruth from the Boston Red Sox sends seismic waves reverberating throughout the baseball world but none more intense than in Washington Heights.  

Ruth's earth-shattering record of 54 home runs was something never experienced before in the history of baseball.  However, it was an accomplishment for which John McGraw had little appreciation.  He believes players work too hard and earnestly only to have their skills disrespected by some miscreant's lone swing of the bat.

Gotham's citizenry never before descended from Coogan's Bluff in such quantity and spectacle than in 1920 as the Giants would set a franchise record with 929,609 reported attendance.  However, the New York Nationals faced an economic dilemma of Ruthian proportions.  McGraw's disdain for his tenants was further heightened when the Yankees outdrew the host Giants in their own home for the first time in each franchise's history.  Headlined by Babe Ruth, the Yankees seized the city's attention, evidenced by an all-time major league record of 1,289,422 in attendance.

In 1921, over two million fans would again pack the Polo Grounds.  Babe Ruth would continue accomplishing the unimaginable, and if that wasn't surreal enough, he proceeds to top it.  All the while, with each passing day, John McGraw grows more incensed.  Lest we forget, New York City is still Little Napoleon's empire.  

Sharing a ballpark for both teams is becoming an insufferable condition—the Giants attempt to evict the Yankees before the start of 1921 to no avail.  But a solution lies not too far away ...  

Until then, two major league titans charge headlong into a season-ending October clash at the Polo Grounds.  It is New York City's first-ever World's Championship Subway Series.  All games are played at the Polo Grounds, making Coogan's Bluff the center of the baseball universe. 

This is my replay of that season.  I'll be exercising my creative license whenever and wherever ever possible.  More than anything, this is about having fun and celebrating New York City's baseball history.  
Enjoy the games ... PLAY BALL!



GAME #23
POLO GROUNDS

Giants and Mother Nature Conspire Against Cardinals

The Giants settle their business in the nick of time.  High Pockets Kelly drives in Frankie Frisch in the home fourth, and Cardinals starting pitcher Roy Walker doubles home shortstop Doc Lavan in the top of the fifth, knotting the game at one.  Providing regular backstop Frank Snyder a spell behind the plate, Earl Smith connects off Roy Walker on a two-run home run in the bottom half of the fifth.  Frankie Frisch leads off the bottom of the sixth with a walk and promptly steals second.  Afterwhich, Ross Youngs sends Frisch home with a double, and center fielder Curt Walker triples driving in Youngs for a 5-1 Giants lead.  It was then when storm clouds gathering over the Polo Grounds burst open, ending the game after six innings.  The Giants take the series from St. Louis, three games to one.
  • FINAL: STL 1; NYG 5
  • RECORD: 15-8 (.652); third place, 3.0 GB of Pittsburgh



GAME #21
Navin Field

Carl Mays and Babe Ruth Lead Yankees to Series Victory Over Detroit; Onward To Cleveland!

Detroit enjoys their only lead of the game in the first.  With the bases loaded in the second, Babe Ruth sends home all runners with a triple for a lead the Yankees would not relinquish.  That's not to say Detroit failed to inflict a measure of damage to Yankees starter  Harry Harper who in the sixth inning is hit by a line drive off the bat of Tigers' catcher Eddie Ainsmith resulting in a fractured left thumb.  Toeing the slab for Detroit, Howard Ehmke lacks for control, walking eight batters and yielding nine hits.  However, two infield errors clear the way for three unearned runs.  Harry Harper and reliever Alex Ferguson similarly join to walk eight batters and surrender ten hits.  But when Detroit rallies for two runs in the ninth, Miller Huggins calls upon Carl Mays who secures the game's final out.  For the Yankees ace, this marks his third relief appearance in the last four games.  He gained a complete game victory over Detroit on Tuesday, and in these last two games answered Hugs' call to the pen.  Bob Meusel, Aaron Ward, and Alex Ferguson each drive in a run apiece.  Babe finishes the series 7 for 15 with two triples and his ninth and tenth home runs of the season.  Today's three RBI raise his total to 27 for the young season, five behind High Pockets Kelly who presently leads the major leagues with 33 runs batted in.  New York takes the series from Detroit, three games to one.  Next stop for the Yankees: Cleveland, where they'll challenge the defending World Series champion Indians.
  • FINAL: NYY 6; DET 4
  • RECORD: 12-9 (.571); third place, 2.0 GB of Cleveland





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