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 of 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 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 as 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. Of course, I'll be exercising my creative license whenever and wherever ever possible. But, more than anything, this is about having fun and celebrating New York City's baseball history.
- Stats: BASEBALL REFERENCE
Enjoy the games ... PLAY BALL!
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GAME #57
POLO GROUNDS
Red Faber Wins 14th Game; White Sox Take Series Lead
A crowd of 22,000 watches in dismay as Miller Huggins removes Waite Hoyt early in the game. Wally Schang's triple drives home the first run of the game in the second. But Hoyt surrenders three runs on three hits and two walks while recording just one out in the fourth. Alex Ferguson comes in from the bullpen to put out the fire, but not before Ray Schalk, and Ernie Johnson gives Chicago a 3-1 lead. Third baseman Eddie Mulligan supplies Chicago the insurance they need with a run-scoring double to left field. In the sixth facing White Sox starter Red Faber, Roger Peckinpaugh hits a leadoff home run to deep left field. Then leading off the eighth, Peckinpaugh triples and scores on the throw when Babe Ruth grounds out third to first. But the Yankees score no more. Faber strikes out Wally Schang and Carl Mays to end the game. Two-time 20 game-winner Red Faber appears on his way towards another milestone season; he improves to 14-3 with a 2.52 earned run average.
- FINAL: CHI 4; NYY 3
- RECORD: 34-23 (.596); second place, 1.5 GB of Cleveland
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GAME #57
Cubs Park
Giants Tie Series With 11th Inning Outburst
The Giants and Cubs play into extra innings for the third time in four games. A double from Dave Bancroft, a walk to Frankie Frisch, and another double off the bat of Ross Youngs give the Giants a prompt 2-0 lead. Chicago gets one back in the bottom of the first, then takes a 3-2 lead in the second on a home run by catcher Bob O'Farrell and a run batted in from second baseman Zeb Terry. Starter Fred Toney does not complete the second. With Phil Douglas in relief, the score remains unchanged through the sixth. Chicago starter Lefty York continues on. With two out and two on in the top of the seventh, High Pockets Kelly drives home Bancroft with the tying run, and into extra innings, they go. Manager Johnny Evers sends York out for the eleventh. Perhaps, a mistake. He allows York to yield seven runs on six hits, two for extra bases, and two walks, without making a move. Art Nehf retires the Cubs in the bottom of the eleventh to close out the Giants victory. Phil Douglas earns the win, and the Giants even up the series at two.
- FINAL: NYG 10; CHI 3
- RECORD: 35-22 (.614); second place, 4.0 GB of Pittsburgh
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