Diamonds Are Not Forever: A History of Major League Baseball in New York Through its Stadiums
"I see great things in baseball. It's our game - the American game. It will take our people out-of-doors, fill them with oxygen, give them a larger physical stoicism. Tend to relieve us from being a nervous, dyspeptic set. Repair these losses, and be a blessing to us." - Walt Whitman, 1846
Baseball has been called the American pastime since its beginning in the mid-nineteenth century. It is said that the institution of baseball mirrors American history and culture. The 1920s were referred to as baseball's "golden age," because of the enormous popularity that the sport was enjoying at the time. Attendance and new stadiums proliferated across the country. The era, best remembered for Babe Ruth's showmanship and homerun exploits and the beginning of Lou Gehrig's illustrious career, occurred during the golden age of affluence and prosperity in America that was known as the "Roaring Twenties." When equal rights for African Americans were beginning to enter into the nation's consciousness in a meaningful way, professional baseball led the way in integrating the sport which, like much of American society, had been segregated for so many decades.
A late 19th century baseball game
Just as the history of baseball mirrors America, the baseball experience in New York City reflects not only America, but the city's own unique culture and history as well. As politics, immigration, economics, and demographics profoundly affected New York City overall, these factors had an enormous impact on the history of baseball in the city. But perhaps no factor is more unique to New York City than the real estate issue. The scarcity of land in the city has always impacted almost every aspect of life. From the crowding of new immigrants on the Lower East Side to the power enjoyed by the politicians who possessed control over the purchase and sale of valuable parcels of land in the city, life in New York City has always been governed in large part by access to desirable real estate. The experience of the city's Major League Baseball teams in their quests to build stadiums throughout the 20th century is testament to the importance of real estate in New York City.
Politics
Immigration
Economy
Demographics
Building a safe and accessible stadium with adequate seating capacity, essential to the success of every major league baseball team, is a particular challenge in New York City where land is scarce and the location of real estate is probably the most critical factor in the success of a business. The fate of the four New York City major league baseball teams, the Giants, the Dodgers, the Yankees, and the Mets, has been in large part a result of the economic and political influences involved in the construction of their respective stadiums.
Conclusion
Since the end of the 19th century, baseball has been a part of the life and culture of New York City. For many New Yorkers, allegiance to a New York City baseball team is an integral part of their characters. Yet New York has managed to lose viable teams, at least one of which, the Brooklyn Dodgers, had attained almost a cult status in its community. In both cases, the loss was primarily due to the unavailability of a suitable stadium for the team. In both cases, the fate of the teams rested in the hands of politicians or business people, not necessarily people who know baseball. Today, the Yankees, considered the best team in baseball, have issues surrounding the future of their stadium. The stadium that was built for the Mets as part of Robert Moses' grand vision is the product of an unfortunate trend that put the game of baseball second to economics and politics. Not surprisingly, not even 40 years after its opening, Shea Stadium is considered obsolete, and its future is uncertain as well. A stadium that is quirky, intimate or charming provides a city with character. Going to a game in a stadium with its own unique character is as important to the experience as the game itself. When it comes time to replace either Yankee Stadium or Shea Stadium, New York City would do well to emulate the stadiums built in cities such as Baltimore and San Francisco in recent years. A well-located stadium with its own special identity clearly is of tremendous importance to the success of a New York team, and the success of its teams are of tremendous importance to New York City. Therefore, decisions regarding the building, renovation or destruction of stadiums should be made by people who know and love both baseball and New York City.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Home Inventing Gotham Bibliography E-mail Me