The reason the warning track at old Yankee (before they started gradually moving in the fences) looked like a running track was because it was. It was .25 miles (granted, oddly shaped).They wanted to be able to hold multiple events there, including races. It was, in some ways, the first baseball stadium built with multipurposes considered in the design.
Polo Grounds looks pretty ready to hold football games (and Polo??). The weirdness of these stadiums makes me realize that lots of people must have seen some of the “cookie cutter” multipurpose stadiums 🏟️ as a big improvement over some of the weird ones.
@AdAnalyst so you are not wrong. The Polo Grounds and its various earlier iterations were all designed with sports other than baseball in mind. However, that is why I tried to word my statement carefully. Yankee Stadium was (maybe) the first "baseball" first stadium designed for multi-sport use, whereas the pologrounds was not initially designed as a baseball first park. As to your second point, I remember when I was younger when many multipurpose stadiums were still in use (think kingdome, three rivers, riverfront, Shea, metrodome, astrodome, candlestick, The Big A pre 98 renovations, the vet, County Stadium (Milwaukee), etc), that the older generation seemed very nostalgic about the ballparks they once had. Though they also had some fondness for seeing in their lifetime the revolutionary architecture associated with domes. Even the (then) Skydome was looked at with aww by some of them because of its retractable roof and centerfield hotel. That said, it seemed, at least by that point, that whatever novelty existed with the multipurpose boom of the '60s had worn off. All of this is anecdotal of course, and I cannot say for sure what their opinions were when these stadiums came to fruition. What I largely remember is so many of them saying, "The old parks were better and had real dimensions."
@@DCLocal84 that makes sense. Astrodome for example probably wasn’t the greatest stadium but when I look at pictures it looks like it’s from outer space. And that makes sense what you were trying to say with Yankee Stadium
The Baker Wall's height was only 70% made up of brick and wood, which is what you clearly see in the pictures. The other 30% on top was wire fence. So it was 60 feet in total, it's just hard to see the top.
Braves Field when it opened in 1915 was 402 down both lines and 550 to dead center. Only 7 balls cleared the fences in this configuration until the inner fences were installed in 1928.
They say the Braves owner who built Braves field thought that the most exciting play in baseball was the inside-the-park homer. He ended up owning a team that couldn’t outdraw the Red Sox, even when the Braves were better.
First MLB game I attended was Dodgers vs Cardinals at the Coliseum with my Little League team in 1961. It was a huge crowed and we sat at the very end behind right field. They were horrible seats being so far away. The Cardinals first baseman Bill White, hit three homers in a 10-1 win. That was a pre-season game against the Red Sox played in 2008 celebrating their 50th anniversary in LA.
As a kid growing up watching the Twins in the 2000s I thought every player had a few ground rule doubles every year. Apparently I never noticed that it would always happen when the Twins were home, haha.
The warning track at Yankee Stadium WAS a track. It was designed for running, originally. It was the inspiration for the later advent if purpose-built warning tracks.
I grew up in Pittsburgh. Saw Roberto Clemente play in Forbes Field. It will always be my favorite ball field. Also saw a game at the old Yankee Stadium. I guess we all have our favorites, but it doesn't get better for me than these two great ball fields. IMHO. YMMV.
The Pirates owner when they built Forbes Field hated home run, which is why the dimensions were what they were. It explains why Honus Wagner had so many triples, 252
Im from nyc i met many people who tell me they used to watch the games at the polo grounds from atop the projects over there. You can see them at 3:12 When this old man was telling me he just lit up like he was transported back to being a boy watching.
Braves Field still exists on Boston University’s campus, with parts of the grandstand still in use for a soccer/lacrosse field (Nickerson Field) as well as some of the office facilities behind what was right field.
Dodgers player the Red Sox in spring training games at the Coliseum in 2008, but the running track has been removed, the filed lowered at 14 rows of seats added making the field much smaller.
Polo was legendary. They need a modern day Polo Grounds. And now can you mention all the ballparks that moved their fences in and not mention Comerica Park ?
My favorite story about Philly's Baker Bowl was the giant advertisement for Lifebuoy Soap that was on it. It said "The Phillies use Lifebuoy Soap", and some wiseguy snuck into the stadium one time and tagged "And they still stink" onto the end of the advert tag.
11:22 Look at where the outfielders are at Forbes Field. It appears that a left-handed batter has just hit the ball. It looks like they really wanted to cut the ball off in those 400-foot alleys.
The Polo Grounds was designed for....polo. Hence, its oval design. They had tall fences down each line, so homers weren't as easy as you might thing, except for extreme pull hitters (like Mel Ott). The LA Coliseum was used because Dodger Stadium wasn't ready and the largest ballpark (a different Wrigley Field) was tiny for attendance. Walter O'Malley just couldn't resist the huge seating in the Coliseum. It went away once Chavez Ravine opened. All of the dual-purpose stadia built in the mid-'60s through the mid-'70s were all symmetrical in dimensions. Oakland, Anaheim, PIttsburgh, Cincinnati, Philadelphia JFK, all of them. Older ball parks had odd dimensions for one of two reasons. Either they were fitting a baseball diamond onto a field built for something else (like the Polo Grounds) or were tucking it into the downtown area among other facilities and buildings (like Fenway). Fenway had the short porch and the straight wall was built because the Red Sox couldn't get the city to let them close Lansdowne Street to make the dimensions normal. The wall runs along Lansdowne.
So depressing that the Polo Grounds & OG Yankee Stadium were demolished alongside all of the other Jewel Box ballparks. Does history mean nothing? If the White Sox still played at their original stadium maybe they would be as beloved as the Cubs instead of feeling like an afterthought. Sport franchise owners severely undervalue the importance of a sense of history and importance these stadiums carry.
These ballpark dimensions really affected the careers of ball players. Take Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio. Just imagine the numbers Ted would have racked up playing at Yankee statium, with its short right field, rather than Fenway's death valley in right. For DiMaggio - Yankee Stadium killed RH hitter, but if he played at Fenway - his numbers would have been better! You mentioned how deep LF was at Forbes Field. Remember, Ralph Kiner had 5 consecutive 40+ HR seasons, twice hitting over 50 HR's! Put him in Fenway, he would have hit 60+ HR's every season! These old ballpark dimensions clearly impacted how clubs built their teams. Yankees were built around LH pitching and hitting. Red Sox built around RH pitching and hitting. Huge centerfields meant speedy CF's. You mentioned the issue with Coors field - big outfield due to the light air of being a mile high - but most MLB teams have slow, power hitters in the corner OF spots. At Coors - all the OF need great speed and range, to prevent all the singles and doubles. Sometimes, other factors, such as prevailing winds affect a ball parl. Shea Stadium was "cookie cutter" - 330 down each line, 375 to LC/RC, and 410 to dead center - but due to the winds, Shea tended to favor LH hitters.
The Plexiglas was installed at the Metrodome primarily to stop fan interference, as the seats were right at the wall. When they eventually took it down they blocked off a few rows instead.
Thank you, I knew it wasn’t because of short dimensions. I had been told as a kid it was because of the giant fans behind home plate that aided balls hit. I’m shocked an adult in my childhood lied…shocked I tell you.
I always thought left field had a hockey environment with the 'hockey glass' in place. The other thing I will never forget at the Metrodome was the Hefty bag fences to cover up the retractable football seating.
i heard it was there because the turf they installed made the balls bounce too much and lead to a large amount of ground rule doubles. they removed it later when they replaced it with different turf that had less issues.
I really enjoyed watching this video, Depressed Ginger, and it was cool that you featured old Forbes Field in Pittsburgh because I lived in that area several years ago, but the ballpark was long-gone by then. Haha, yes, the Polo Grounds in New York had very crazy dimensions for sure!
aaah....actually...I heard, if you visit the Polo Grounds NOW at night, you do so at the risk of your life.....aaah...you're not a 'mugger' are you!!?!
What was worse than the dimensions at Arlington was the 20,000 unshaded metal bleachers in the outfield. What better way to watch a game on a sunny 145 degree Texas afternoon. Luckily the temps fell down to 120 by nighttime and the seats stopped glowing red hot by the 7th inning stretch.
I think the Baker Bowl wall was 60 feet when including the Chainlink fence on top, it looks like the regulation fence was as tall if not slightly smaller then the Green Monster at Fenway.
The Polo Grounds were great. For anyone who would take anything away from Willie Mays’ catch against Vic Wertz, because it wasn’t spectacular in the Ken Griffey sense, they need to consider that he was almost 450 feet from home. That was the biggest center field there ever was. As far as the Baker Bowl goes, I think that there was chain link on top of the wall that was in play, which brought it up to 60 feet. Fenway, to straight away right is deep, but the distance stays pretty constant along the bullpen wall. It’s 380 to straight away right, but it only goes to 383 at the center field edge of the Sox bullpen, where the wall juts out towards the triangle. Basically, it’s easier to hit home runs to right center than it is to straight away right at Fenway.
I don't think the Polo Grounds was built for football. They played football there for the NY Football Giants and then the Titans. But the stadium was built for the NY Giants baseball team.
how about Huntington Avenue Grounds, the Red Sox home before fenway Left Field - 350 ft Left-Center - 440 ft Center Field - 530 ft (1901), 635 ft (1908) Right Field - 280 ft (1901), 320 ft (1908) Backstop - 60 ft
yeah, I heard Mickey Mantle was the only one to homer in Cleveland's Memorial Stadium centerfield. is this true!!?! (I probably spelled the name of your Stadium wrong). great place to play baseball!
When the Yankees shared the Polo Grounds with the Giants, left field was actually shorter because the wall was more angled, while right field kept going at the 135° angle until it met the CF wall, and it was "only" 433 to dead center
I don't remember Arlington being so basic. I remember watching Juan Gonzalez and Pudge and loved the Rangers back then but I'm surprised at how lame it is. Thought it was different
Yankee stadium with that 490 to center, basically a screw you, buddy, no home runs to center for you. Crazy. And the vertical polo grounds walls are insane, such a sharp variation: 295, 315, 360, 414, 447, 455. Again, crazy stuff.
Evidently someone didn't do proper research on Braves Field. The original dimensions were unheard-of. 410 down both lines and 550 to dead center!!! The stadium was built in 1915 during the dead ball era. When the great Ty Cobb stepped into the batters box for the first time he exclaimed " NO ONE WILL EVER HIT A BALL OVER THE FENCE HERE". The dimensions were changed in the 30s to what you described as short distances, i mean a video on strange ballpark dimensions and you didn't even mention the STRANGEST DIMENSIONS OF ALL !!!
For the fact that it probably was never called such nor even thought of as such since Americans wouldn't have known much about English top-flight football (soccer) ballparks, the Polo Grounds having a "Kop" (a single-tier large stand) in center field/east end zone makes it a bit out of the ordinary for US ballparks, especially baseball.
love this page and what you do bro, but you gotta do better at misspeaking & correcting errors before you upload. not tryna pick at you! just my thoughts. keep up the good work. 👍🏽💪🏽
Most stadiums do not have fences that are the same dimensions on both sides, so no, that was not a result of the cookie cutter stadiums from the 80's. Really only Kauffman and Dodger, maybe one or two more are like that. Those 2 stadiums are not considered boring. The thing that was boring about Arlington was everything else about it. Just a bunch of boring bleachers in the outfield. That and Arlingtons fences were more rounded than Kauffman and Dodger.
When the Yankees played the Cubs for the 1932 WS 'The Babe' was asked what he thought of Wrigley, and he said that he would play for half his salary if he could get all of his at bats there.
I like Arlington Stadium except the seats are shit and the bullpens are on the field. One of the biggest pet peeves of mine. Oakland. Wrigley. Those damn on-field bullpens…
I went to Arlington as a kid. The way that thing was constructed if fans started stomping the entire thing would shake. It scared the absolute crap out of me as a kid in the upper deck.
Bill James estimated that DiMaggio lost more homers to Yankee Stadium’s cavernous confines than any player in baseball history. In his book, The Year Babe Ruth Hit 104 Home Runs, statistician Bill Jenkinson pegged DiMaggio’s lost tally at 77 long balls under park neutral conditions.
aaah...actually....your announcer (creator) has too much 'jibber jabber'. I really think he should have done more 'homework', instead of saying, "I wanted to....." and "I should have....."....so much.
I think it became the parking lot for New Yankee Stadium. Edit: I was close, it became a complex known as Hertiage Park, the second base of the ballpark is right where homeplate at Yankee Stadium was.
They built the 2nd Stadium on the original site and played their home games at Shea Stadium (Mets) for 2 seasons, 1974/75. The 3rd Stadium was built next door and when completed Stadium 2 was demolished.
The steroid era was so popular because of all the runs and home runs and that's why they are moving fences in because more offense brings more fan excitement. Back then they didn't need to move fences in because they were on steroids and a juiced ball maybe
460? 490? What the hell were they thinking? Hey, let's keep these scores as low as possible and bore the crowds silly. I'm sure there were few Yankee hitters leading in home runs those years. Amazing.
If I remember correctly, the polo grounds was origionaly designed almost exclusively for baseball. It was the restrictions of the plot of land it was on that caused the bizarre dimensions
@@alanchristie368 It's called the Polo Grounds because it replaced a different facility the Giants used, which had actually been built for polo. This one was built for baseball. In fact, I think I remember reading this was the fourth "Polo Grounds" and only the first of the four had actually hosted polo; beyond that the name just followed the Giants by tradition.
