Some Other Ballparks in Brooklyn

The major entries at this site are for parks which hosted professional or major semipro baseball matches, and two very large amateur venues of historical significance. That leaves out a large chunk of amateur and semipro baseball history, of course, as well as places where professional teams played (or tried to play) just once. Here are as many of those missing parks as we can track down.

Most of these parks no longer exist- even in the 1860s and 1870s newspapers regularly reported teams moving to new grounds due to the progress of building works. Much amateur baseball migrated to the Parade Ground, and professional and semipro ball to the few larger ballparks available. Today, of course, many public parks in Brooklyn feature softball fields or full sized baseball diamonds, often in large numbers, taking care of a demand which once saw a ballfield on every second block. We have tried to include all of these, and continue to search back through the years for more.

This list was partially sourced from Long Before the Dodgers by James L. Terry, and from the collected papers of Bill Cahill- who has been there and done that before us with spectacular success- at the Queens Borough Public Library, with some corrections, additional parks, and other material gleaned from over 160 years of contemporary newspapers, and just wandering around Brooklyn to see what's here. There is certainly no way to list everywhere in Brooklyn that has hosted baseball. The odds are pretty good that on any block in Brooklyn you are within throwing distance of a former or current ballpark.

A word or two about method: Many 19th and early 20th century ballparks had no proper name. We have chosen here to grant club names to parks without other clear names, based on the most prominent or the earliest tenant we could find. For such parks, newspapers would mostly use references such as "The Gotham Club of New York played the Resolute Club of this city on the grounds of the latter." In a few cases a park was consistently referred to only by its address, and in those cases we have named it thusly. If there is a famous club obviously missing, they probably played at the Parade Ground, or perhaps they are just missing. Information is patchy, to say the least, and researching many of the less active grounds is difficult at best. We cannot guarantee that we have not presented two fields as one, or one as two, somewhere in this page.

Any corrections, help in making this list a little more complete, or stories for the lesser known parks, would be most welcome.

Brooklyn Union Star Cricket Club Grounds

Opposite Sharp's Hotel, corner of Myrtle and Portland Avenues, near Fort Greene.

This ground saw the earliest recorded game of organized baseball in Brooklyn - an eight against eight match between the members of the Brooklyn and New York Clubs on October 24, 1845. The Brooklyns lost by a score of 37 to 19, but handsomely won a single wicket cricket match shortly afterwards.



New York Herald, October 25, 1845


This field formed part of Fort Greene Park (originally called Washington Park) from its establishment in 1847. Like the other Washington Park at 5th Avenue and 3rd Street, this one was an important site in the Battle of Brooklyn. A column stands atop the hill, the original site of the Fort, commemorating the Prison Ship Martyrs of the Revolutionary War.



George Brainerd's photograph of football at the park in the 1870s
Photograph courtesy Brooklyn Public Library—Brooklyn Collection


Early in the 1900s, the Washington Field Club played matches at the park. On August 28, 1907, the Brooklyn Royal Giants visited, and were trounced by the Washington F.C., 28 to 9 in front of 500 spectators. Morton and Ramsdell each scored seven times for the home team. For the Royal Giants, Berry was pressed into service as a relief pitcher, having caught the early part of the game, and still found the energy to go 3 for 6 and score two runs.

Nowadays, with trees all over the park, there is scarcely room for any sports, other than at the tennis courts. There might be room for a baseball game in the southeast corner.


Fort Greene Park today - overhead, the southeast corner,
better suited for a game nowadays, and the northwest,
where the cricket grounds probably once were

Adelphi Field

Classon Avenue and Park Place.

This field was about 10 minutes walk from the campus of Adelphi Academy, a private high school from which Adelphi College (later University) also evolved. The land was purchased in 1894 for $50,000. In 1898 this park hosted a game between the Merits and the professional Colored Giants. Both schools played baseball and football here, as well as hosting track meets. The Ben Hur Athletic Association also played home games here. After a transition period through 1908, all Adelphi outdoor sports moved to the new Adelphi Oval in 1909.

Adelphi Oval

Fulton and Crescent Streets, Ridgewood Avenue.

Also known as Fulton Oval. This was baseball and football home to Adelphi Academy and Adelphi College from football season of 1907 through 1916, as well as such teams as the Euclids of the Uptown Church Athletic League. At Adelphi's Juniors vs Seniors field day in 1913, Idelle Scott "won great applause as the star twirler" of the baseball game. In a 1914 Uptown Church League match, Open Door defeated Wesley 8-5 in ten innings. Astoundingly, Wesley pitcher Bruce struck out 20, while Open Door pitcher Muller struck out 17.

In March, 1916 this plot was sold to building interests, and both schools moved to a new Adelphi Field over the border in Queens Village for the 1917 season. The current Adelphi Field, home of the university baseball team, is in Garden City, Long Island.


Football at Adelphi Oval, Adelphi baseball for 1909

Carey Field

Willoughby and Stuyvesant Avenues and Hart Street.

St. John's, like Adelphi, was for some time a university and a prep school. The SJU's main campus is now in Queens, and the prep school is no more. Carey Field was a "dirt packed, stone strewn diamond," home to both university and prep for baseball, football, soccer, and track. St. John's Prep put up some big numbers here- a 22 to 2 thrashing of arch rival Brooklyn Prep in 1938, and a 25 to 2 slaughter of Brooklyn Cathedral Prep in 1940. No-hitters were pitched for Prep at Carey Field by Redmond Hogan in 1930 and Walter Rooney in 1945. On May 25, 1954, Joe De Blasi of Holy Trinity pitched a no hitter against St. John's Prep, but lost the game 1 to 0, as three consecutive errors in the first inning allowed a run to score.

Bob Sheppard, veteran stadium announcer for the Yankees, was St. John's Prep midget team first baseman in 1927. Sheppard won a game at Carey Field for the midget nine against Brooklyn Prep's crippled pitcher Johnny Dollard, 1 to 0, with a squeeze bunt in the 10th inning. He never forgave himself, and apologised in print in 1980.



1950 - Ronnie Kuehn of St. John's Prep dives back to first before
Holy Trinity's Ed Peterson can make the tag. St. John's won 9-0.

Atlantic Ground

Marcy Avenue between Putnam and Gates Avenues.

Home to the Atlantic Club before moving to the Capitoline Grounds in 1864. Saw many famous Atlantic victories during their first hat-trick of championships, including the overwhelming 52 to 27 demolition of the Mutuals on October 16, 1861 when Henry Chadwick wrote that the Atlantics played with "all their pristine vigor and excellence." Every Atlantic player scored at least five runs in the game, and the team tallied an amazing 26 runs in the third inning. The Enterprise Club also shared this ground.

Long Island Cricket Club Grounds

Terminus of the Fulton Avenue Railroad, Bedford. 1855 maps appear to indicate that the railway terminus was at the corner of Nostrand Avenue and Fulton Avenue.

This ground was owned by Mr. Holder, and was the very first home of the Atlantic Club, obviously sharing with the Long Island Cricket Club. On Independence Day in 1856, the Long Island Club hosted and handily won a cricket match with the Brooklyn Club, reported in the Eagle as a "quite a grand affair" with "refreshments on hand for the comfort and gratification of the visitors."

Later, the ground was occupied by the Pastime Club, which included several former members of the Long Island Cricket Club. In 1858, the grounds were described in Porter's Spirit of the Times:

The locality of the grounds of the Pastime Club are unquestionably the best in Brooklyn. Ample shade is afforded, and a fine green turf renders the field peculiarly attractive to the players, and far superior to the dusty grounds of a majority of the clubs.

On August 18, 1859, the visiting Excelsior Club overran the Pastimes in the late innings to win 20 to 12. Of note in the fifth inning was a triple play made by the Pastimes, which was the consequence of a mistaken call by umpire Sniffen of the Atlantic Club. In Chadwick's words:

In the fifth innings of the Excelsiors, Leggett being on the second base and C. Whiting on the first, Polhemus struck a ball which was prettily fielded by Beers [sf] to second base--putting out C. Whiting--and by Boyd to third base, at which point Leggett would have been fairly put out if Holt [3d b] had touched him with the ball, but instead of doing so he threw to first base [Carroll] in order to put out the striker. The Umpire, however, decided Leggett out, forgetting that in consequence of Whiting being put out, Leggett was not obliged to vacate the second base, and that, therefore, it was necessary that he should have been touched with the ball.

Fulton and Brooklyn Avenues

As stated - Fulton Avenue is now Fulton Street.

A match between the Athletic Club and the Jerome Park Club of the Bronx was scheduled to take place at this location on September 20, 1867.

Sumner Athletic Club Grounds

Putnam Avenue and Sumner Avenue (Marcus Garvey Boulevard).

The Sumner Club joined in the amateur competition in 1886 and 1887, which was organized by the Nassau Athletic Club. This ground also saw matches in the local Insurance League. On October 8, 1886, Equitable defeated New York Life 22 to 6. Doremus of Equitable hit a home run grounder with the bases full - perhaps a consequence of the "unevenness of the ground."

The Manor House Grounds

Nassau and Driggs Avenues, and Russell and Monitor Streets, or very near there.

The Eckford Club played rent free on this strip of land, then owned by the Backus Estate, before moving in 1862 to the Union Grounds, where the club achieved its greatest fame. The Satellite Cricket Club also played on these grounds, occasionally trying their hand at baseball as well as cricket - this has caused some confusion between this ground and the separate Satellite Ground. The Wayne Club was another tenant. The Manor House Grounds are probably now McGolrick Park in Greenpoint.

A controversial match between the Wayne Club and the Lexington Club's second nine on October 31, 1857 saw differing reports submitted to the local papers by each team. In either case, the Wayne Club won, however. The bone of contention was whether the fifth inning should count, having been played in darkness. A member of the Wayne Club wrote to Porter's Spirit of the Times: They wanted to take advantage of the darkness, and insisted the fifth innings should be concluded; which conduct (if I may so speak) so disgusted three of their members, that they resigned at once, and are now members of the Waynes.



McGolrick Park (then called Winthrop Park) in 1912

Henry Eckford Ground

Terminus of the railroad, Greenpoint.

Not to be confused with the Eckford Club, the Henry Eckford were a similar but lesser team from the docks. Both senior and second nines played at this ground in the early 1860s. Guy Holt of the Henry Eckford represented Brooklyn in representative matches against New York, although the club was at that time considered a New York club, being outside the City of Brooklyn. On August 27, 1863, the Henry Eckfords defeated the Mystics 26 to 16, despite the Mystic nine including W. Kelley of the mighty Atlantics.

Knights Oval

Greenpoint Avenue and North Henry Street.

The semipro Knights of Saint Antony played here in the 1910s. In a thrilling match on May 26, 1912, the visiting North Woodsides took an 11-10 victory, but only after the Knights had scored twice and loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth. An even better match was to take place on September 2 of the same year. The Knights of St. Antony Cubs fought St. Raphael's Juniors for 3 hours and 25 minutes in the rain, with both starting pitchers going the distance. The Knights squad finally won, 3 to 2, when Cole drove in Donohue with two out in the bottom of the nineteenth. Losing pitcher Meyers struck out 25 in a heroic effort.

Taylor's Oval

Greenpoint Avenue, Morgan Avenue, Nassau Avenue.

Home to the Rambler Club Juniors and Midget squads around 1912. In 1914 the carnival to support St. Cecelia's Church transformed Taylor's Oval into a "miniature Coney Island" complete with fire divers, German and Irish villages, merry-go-rounds, a dance pavilion, and 12,000 electric lights to entertain a crowd of 10,000 people.

Penny Bridge Grounds

Meeker Avenue near the Penny Bridge.

This ground saw amateur games in the 1890s. In 1894, a best three of five series was scheduled between the nines of St. Aloysius and St. Cecilia's Chruches. On September 1, St. Aloysius took a tense match, 17 to 16, and with it the series and the silver cup donated by Mr. William Reilly of Monitor Street.

Leary's Oval

Kent and Provost Streets.

Also known as St. Alphonsus Oval. After World War I, the St. Alphonsus squad, formerly of Bay Ridge, reappeared at Leary's Oval in Greenpoint. Here they took on such teams as the Brooklyn White Sox, St. Mary's of Staten Island, and St. Christopher's Colored Stars of New York. On June 29, 1919, 1,200 fans saw the U.S.S. Mexico nine play a gripping game against the home side, going twelve innings, with the teams managing just nine hits between them while striking out 29 times. The sailors emerged victorious, at last, 1 to 0.

Greenpoint Little League Fields

Vandervoort Avenue and Division Place.

These three fields stand at the north end of a large block in industrial Greenpoint, owned by the National Grid company, formerly Keyspan. A sign in center field of field number 1 reads: National Grid & Greenpoint Little League "A Winning Team." On July 1, 2009, Vasallo Trading defeated Rozza Plumbing 14 to 1 to take the Greenpoint Little League World Series by a 2 to 0 sweep. Rocco Loguercio hit a grand slam in the first inning, and Lukas Burton gave up no hits before being removed for hitting the 85 pitch limit.



Greenpoint Little League Fields
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

National Grid Field

Vandervoort and Maspeth Avenues.

At the far south end of the same block is National Grid Field, formerly Keyspan Field. The stone strewn diamond is home to the Lady Bears softball team, representing Division III St. Joseph's College in the Hudson Valley Women's Athletic Conference. The team's history dates to 2002, and 2009 was their most successful year to date, compiling a 26-10 record en route to championships in both the regular season and the conference tournament. On April 18, 2009, Alyson Chiaramonte hit one batter but was otherwise perfect in striking out 13 and no-hitting New Rochelle for a 12 to 0 victory.



National Grid Field
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Satellite Ground

Broadway, Harrison Avenue, Rutledge and Lynch Streets.

This ground stood directly across Harrison Avenue from the Union Grounds. Home to the Fulton Club, as well as "colored base ball" games including the 1867 championship of Brooklyn, won 49 to 17 by the Monitors over the Uniques. Also, possibly, the Brooklyn Club around 1860. The ground was sold off for housing in 1868. Like the Capitoline and Union Grounds, and Washington Park, the Satellite Ground was named after the skating pond on the same location.

Osceola Club Grounds

Fourth and Fifth Avenues, and Dean and Wyckoff Streets.

Also home at various times to the Quickstep, Washington, American Eagle, Exercise, Hiawatha, and Favorita Clubs, and possibly the Dean Street Croquet Club. In 1858, the earliest match we can find at this site saw the second nine of the Osceola Club defeat the Hiawatha first nine by a score of 46 to 30 in six innings. Play was reportedly poor on both sides.

Superior Club Grounds

Henry, Union, Clinton, and Sackett Streets.

On October 10, 1857, the Superior second nine defeated the Montauk first nine 34 to 32, in a ten inning affair.

Vigilant Club Grounds

West of Fourth Avenue between Sixteenth and Middle Streets.

Also home to the superbly named E. Pluribus Unum Club. A classic seven inning game was played at these grounds in September, 1858. Trailing 23 to 20 in the middle of the sixth, the Sylvan Club scored nine runs, but the Vigilants scored nine themselves in the top of the seventh, and shut out the Sylvans in the bottom of the inning to win 32 to 29.

Exercise Club Grounds

Third Avenue and Tenth Street.

Play began here around 1859. At one time, this ground was also home to the Vigilant Club, and possibly the Solomon Club. In a match between the Vigilant and Exercise teams in 1860, Vigilant catcher Messerole was struck in the face by a foul ball. Distracted thereafter, the Vigilants played more carelessly than their name indicates, and lost 29 to 14.

Contest Club Grounds

Third and Fourth Avenues, 23rd and 24th Streets.

A match between the Contest Club and the Starlight Club of Jersey City was scheduled for this field on September 16, 1859.

Brighton Beach Field

Brighton Beach and Coney Island Avenues, Brighton 12th Street.

Also known as Brighton Beach Oval. In 1887, new grounds were built adjoining the Brighton Beach Race Course, to provide baseball for the crowds attending the amusements at Coney Island. The grounds had many well thought out features:

They are about 500 feet long and sufficiently wide to prevent any ordinary batsman from driving the ball out of sight of the spectators. The grand stand, which affords a full view of the grounds, is situated on the east of the field. It has a comfortable seating capacity of three thousand, which can be greatly increased if necessary. The diamond will be arranged so as to require the batsman to face northeast, and this, it is thought, will prevent the error that is so often made in laying out baseball fields, and which compels players in the field to handle balls with great difficulty on account of the sun being in their eyes.

Around 1908, after gambling on horse racing was banned and the race track fell into disuse, the ballfield became part of the Brighton Beach Baths Club. As part of the club, the field was used for amateur athletics and baseball as well as strictly vacation pursuits. In 1922, a major women's track meet took place here, which was attended by two of the best baseball players in the country, pitcher Katherine Davis and slugger Rose Thiede. A baseball throwing contest was added to the program for their benefit, and they also took part in a pickup game for photographers when the meet was postponed. In local amateur action on May 28, 1925, the Flatbush office of the Irving Bank-Columbia Trust Company overcame an early deficit to crush the People's Trust Company nine, 20 to 4. The Baths Club, a fixture since 1907, was eventually allowed to run down by the owners in 1994, and has been replaced by the Oceana Condominiums.



Rose Thiede at Brighton Beach Field

West Brighton Little League Field

West Brighton and Sea Breeze Avenues, West 3rd Street.

This field was active in the 1980s, when local author and historian Samantha Berkley, who went on to captain the softball teams at Abraham Lincoln High and SUNY Purchase, was a star pitcher on the West Brighton team. Her description sums up both field and neighborhood perfectly: We scored a home run either by smacking the ball off the back of the pre-war building or by hitting it over the right field fence to Seabreeze Ave., where the prostitutes hung out.

As Brighton Beach's demographics shifted fast, the field was out of commission by 1992, although its sign and diamond remained intact for another 14 years. In 2005, Kevin Walsh, keeper of the Forgotten New York website, ventured to West Brighton and found an overgrown lot awaiting renewal. Instead of renewal, however, a 22 storey tower known as The Sachi is now rising, in theory. In practice, a concrete foundation has been laid, and nothing else has happened.

The West Brighton Little League sign, however, survives. Ira Fritz, who starred for Brighton McDonald's in the late 1970s and early 1980s and once came within a single strike of pitching a perfect game, returned to the site in January, 2008. With more than a little help, he left in possession of the sign, and the field was demolished soon afterwards.



West Brighton Little League Field, 2005 and 2006, and late 80s star Samantha Berkley
Sign and field photos courtesy Kevin Walsh
Portrait courtesy Samantha Berkley
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Sea Beach Base Ball Grounds

Adjoining the Sea Beach Hotel, near where West 8th Street and Surf Avenue meet today.

This field was home to the Sea Beach Railway Company nine, which played matches on Sundays throughout 1884, without incident, and made the grounds open to children for recreational matches, too.

In 1885, however, things changed drastically. Charles Byrne, president of the Brooklyn Base Ball Club, announced his intention to play on Sundays at Coney Island, this being outside the Brooklyn limits at the time. The Sea Beach Grounds were chosen, and plans drawn up for a grand stand and free stand, variously reported to seat anywhere from 10,500 to 30,000 people. In February, reports were advanced, then denied, that the club had already signed a 10 year lease and assigned contracting work to John Y. McKane. Meanwhile, the owners of the Brighton Beach Race Track and the editors of the Brooklyn Eagle weighed in heavily against the idea of pro ball on Sundays.

All eyes were now on Coney Island and its base ball field. Encouraged by the Brooklyn Club, and no doubt by the revenue potential of professional matches, the Sea Beach Railway Company scheduled a game against the Granite Club on Sunday, May 3. The match had no sooner begun than eight players were arrested, at the direction of none other than local police chief John Y. McKane. The two captains appeared before Justice Newton, at Coney Island, and the charges were summarily dismissed "as they did not in any way disturb the peace." Justice Waring, at Gravesend, was not so inclined, however. He fined the remaining six players $2 apiece.

The case dragged on, amid varying reports of work progressing, or otherwise, at the site. The Brooklyn Club, not afraid to show an interest, filed briefs with the court in favor of the six players, but the fines stood. The Brooklyns ended up playing Sunday games in Ridgewood between 1886 and 1889, and no professional base ball would be played at Coney Island until 2001.



The Sea Beach Hotel circa 1885, with what appears
to be the Sea Beach Base Ball Ground at back

Manhattan Beach Baseball Grounds

Behind the Manhattan Beach Hotel, between present day West End Avenue and Dover Street.

The Manhattan Beach Cycle track was built in 1895 for $30,000 in back of the Manhattan Beach Hotel. Both were owned by magnate Austin Corbin. Grandstands held 6,000 people and bleachers another 4,000. By 1906, when William A. Brady bought the grounds and replaced the track with a ballfield, the stands held 10,000 and the bleachers 5,000.

Home Run Johnson and the Royal Giants played the Manhattan Beach Club, yet another to feature the twirling of Ernie Lindemann, on May 30, 1906, to christen the new grounds. The owners advised that "those familiar with the track in the days of bicycle racing will not know it when the doors are thrown open." Manhattan Beach won, 2 to 1, with Lindemann and Emory starring in the pitching duel in front of 3,200 fans. On June 24, Brady tried to sneak a Sunday game past the authorities when his Manhattan Beach nine played Altoona. He posted a sign advertising a band concert, and charged admission for same, while also playing a ball game. Under the instruction of Captain Lindemann, father of the pitcher (who was not playing at the time), plain clothes policemen arrested four players after the first pitch was thrown, and that was the end of the match.

In June, 1907, engineer Charles Voorhies, who was in charge of infrastructure work at Manhattan Beach, announced that the ballfield and stands were to be removed as part of a complete overhaul of the area surround the hotel.



This rare photograph by George P. Hall shows the Manhattan
Beach Hotel, with the cycle track and grand stand at the back, circa 1905.

Manhattan Beach Field

Ocean Avenue and Oriental Boulevard, just southeast of where the cycle track had been.

Also known as Seashore Field. Manhattan Beach Field was occasional home to James Madison High in the late 1920s and full time home for Long Island University from 1935 to 1941, and Brooklyn College in 1935.

On April 10, 1928, Madison High pummeled Haaren High 21 to 0 in a five inning game. 17 players got in the game for Madison: 15 got hits and the other two players scored three runs between them. On May 4, 1937, the Blackbirds rapped Brooklyn College for 21 hits in a 16 to 2 victory. As an added insult, LIU pitcher Bernard Pearlman, a converted first baseman, set a new Blackbird record by striking out 18 hitters. This field had room for at least 3,000 fans. Now, it is part of Manhattan Beach Park, and the site houses smaller sports facilities including a tree-lined little league field.



Manhattan Beach Field in 1937, Manhattan Beach Park today
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Kingsborough C.C. Field

Oriental Boulevard and Perry Avenue.

Completing the eastward trilogy of ballparks on the Manhattan Beach Peninsula is the spacious, well groomed home field of CUNY Kingsborough Community College softball and baseball. The Kingsborough baseball squad went 0-8 in the CUNY CC conference in 2006, 1-16 overall, after a 2-13 season in 2005. The school basketball team wins championships on a regular basis, however.



Kingsborough CC Field
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Niagara Club Grounds

Hoyt Street between Degraw and Douglass.

Jim Creighton played for the Niagara Club before moving to the Stars, then to the Excelsior. The Niagara seemed a club unaware of its own strength. In September of 1858, they hosted Amity of New York, "expecting to get beat" but "played careful and batted tip-top" to come up with a 31-8 victory.

Bedford Ground

Degraw Street (now Lincoln Place), Flatbush Avenue, and Ninth Avenue (Now Prospect Park West).

This ballpark, now on the site of Grand Army Plaza, was home to the Albion, Tippecanoe, and Bedford Clubs around 1858. Matches of ice baseball were also played on the park.



Grand Army Plaza today

Oneida Club Grounds

Lafayette Avenue and Oxford Street.

The new Oneida Club challenged the even newer Lafayette Club to the first recorded match here in 1860, confident of victory. But the tyro Lafayettes proved too strong, and Oneida called a halt after five innings, trailing 23 to 6.

Ringgold Club Grounds

Washington and DeKalb Avenues.

For some weeks leading up to Thanksgiving Day, 1858, three local newspapers promoted an upcoming game here between the Ringgold and Oakland Clubs. On the day, the visiting Oakland Club celebrated in style, winning 90 to 34.

Nostrand Oval

15th Avenue and 77th Street.

The Lefferts Park Club played here in the 1910s, against other southerly opponents such as the Bath Beach Fawcetts. Other events included the 1917 P.S. 176 field meet, and 1914 Independence Day celebrations with an "old fashioned country circus."

Bergen Beach Grounds

Somewhere southwest of Avenue W and East 74th Street.

In 1900, the Invincible Athletic Club joined the Eagle Cup interclub competition, announcing that they had secured new grounds at Bergen Beach. The same grounds were used in later years for games of the Royal Arcanum League. We have no specific address for this field, but examining maps of the era indicates that the (very inexact) location given is where there was sufficient space.

Steiner's Oval

Steiner's Hotel, Bergen Beach.

On the sporting fields attached to this beach resort, a match was held in 1909 between the Young Men's Social Club and the Young Men's Hebrew Association. Steiner's Hotel was renowned for its Hungarian food and wine, and free dance pavilion. Unfortunately, a fire in July, 1910 destroyed the hotel.



Steiner's Hotel, Bergen Beach

Monroe Cohen Park

East 108th Street and Seaview Avenue.

We are unsure how long this park has been around, since it only acquired a name in 1976, for late Canarsie council member Monroe Cohen. It is also known as American Legion Park. The four diamonds host games of the 69th Precinct junior leagues, some games of Xaverian High School, and also cricket and football- the Brooklyn Renegades youth team, in particular.



The diamonds of Monroe Cohen Park, Stars vs Bulldogs in 2009
Overhead picture taken from Google Maps

Holy Family Field

102nd Street and Flatlands Avenue.

Also known as Athletic Field. The Holy Family Base Ball Club played games here under lights in the 1940s and 1950s. The team was part of the Queens Alliance and later the Catholic Youth Organizations League. Holy Family fought for local bragging rights with the Our Lady of Miracles squad, later known as the Canarsie Dons. Holy Family won most games against most teams, or, as the Eagle put it, "Winning games became a Holy Family B.B.C. policy long ago and at this late date the team intends to continue the habit." With a catcher named Campanella on the squad, it is little wonder they were so good. On July 15, 1947, the Springfield Cardinals visited Holy Family Field for a twin bill and were handily defeated, 11 to 4 and 14 to 3.

Legion Oval

New York Avenue and Avenue K.

Also known as Flatlands Oval. This was a regular site for American Legion games in the 1920s, featuring such squads as Flatlands Post and the Eries. Baseball games were played on this field, without fail, every July 4 holiday as part of the city's "Safe and Sane" celebrations.

Jacob Joffe Fields

Avenue K between East 58th and East 60th Streets.

This park was built on land acquired by the city in 1961, and named for Jacob Joffe, a local immigrant who had founded a civic organization called Futurama in 1950. The ballfields at the park were renovated in 2000 at cost of $550,000, provided by Concillor Herbert E. Berman. This upgrade provided a special drainage system which ensures the fields do not flood. The Brooklyn Meadows Softball League plays games here.



Jacob Joffe Fields
Overhead picture taken from Google Maps

Friends School Field

McDonald Avenue, East 4th Street, Avenue L, next to Erasmus Field.

In 1906, the Polytechnic Preparatory School (better known as Poly Prep) acquired this site, then known as Village Oval for the Village Base Ball Club, and renamed it Poly Field. The first event Poly Prep event here was the school's track championships on May 18, and "on a field none too good for the purpose, a splendid set of contests was run off." The stars of the meet were F. Crafts, who won both jumps and both hurdle races, and A. North, who won the quarter mile, half mile, and mile runs.

On August 20, 1910, Franklin Trust defeated Mechanics Bank, who committed 20 errors, 13 to 6 at Poly Field to win the Banks League championship. Poly Prep's football, track, and baseball teams remained until 1917. The site then hosted sundry football matches for a few years as Old Poly Field. Brooklyn Friends School renovated the field, renamed it Friends School Field, and used it for various sports from 1925 through 1973. The first season was highlighted by an 18 to 4 home baseball win over Hoboken Academy. The greatest Friends School team of this era, though, was the 1931 football squad, which went 6-0, scoring 213 points and giving up none.



Friends Field tucked in next to Sid Luckman Field
Overhead picture taken from Google Maps


The venue was sold in 1973 to the city for $2 million, is now known as Friends Field, and is mainly used for little league baseball. The 1937 field house still stands, restored after severe fire damage in 1973. Brooklyn Friends baseball disbanded in the 1960s, but returned recently, along with softball. The baseball team now plays at Red Hook, and softball at McLaughlin Park.




The 1910 Poly Prep squad, action at Poly Field in 1911,
Friends School field tennis and baseball, and the old field house
Poly Prep pictures courtesy Poly Prep Alumni
Friends School pictures courtesy BFS Alumni

Poly Prep Field

7th Avenue and Poly Place.

Also known as New Poly Field. Poly Prep began play here in the 1917 football season, with two games on Alumni Day, October 13. In the morning, Poly Seconds defeated Manual Seconds, 6 to 0, and in the afternoon the senior squad kept the shutout streak going, defeating Commerce of Manhattan 10 to 0.

On April 27, 1932, Poly Prep's Larry Halprin held Princeton Prep to one hit in a 4 to 0 win. On April 30, 1949, Bill Sankhauser defeated St. Paul's 4 to 2, allowing just two hits and striking out 15 in a seven inning game. The Blue Devils won the Ivy Preparatory School League baseball championship an incredible 28 times between 1946 and 1990. The Bank Clerk's League also played games at Poly Prep Field - on June 29, 1928, Red Roberts of Nassau National Bank struck out 21 in pitching a no-hit 19-0 win over Brooklyn Trust.

The field is now officially named Harlow Parker Athletic Field, and the quality of the baseball field's turf is likely the best in Brooklyn outside of Keyspan Park. Renovation work around 2007 saw the track and football field moved to the south end of the lot, with the new gridiron surfaced in artifical grass. The softball diamond now sits diagonally opposite the baseball diamond, which remained in place.



The Brooklyn Trust baseball team at Poly Prep in the 1930s, and Poly Prep Field in 2006 and 2009
Brooklyn Trust photo courtesy Chris Wallace, overhead picture taken from Google Maps

Washington Club Grounds

North Road and Bushwick Avenue, near Wyckoff's Woods.

The Washington Club chose this old cricket ground when they first organized in 1855. Their first practice at the ground was on July 18 at which they "performed admirably." Later practices were reported with scores- on August 3, for instance, the seven of Geo. Madden won over the seven of Jno. Strickland, 31 to 18.

Red Hook Recreational Area

Both sides of Bay Street, between Court and Columbia Streets.

This 58.5 acre area contains both the former Excelsior Grounds and Edison Field (I). Originally planned in 1934 as part of a major series of works across the city under the aegis of Robert Moses, it was laid out by landscape designer Gilmore D. Clarke. Red Hook Stadium, the major field at the site, was home to track, lacrosse, cricket, rugby, and soccer for many schools and clubs, football and baseball home of St. Francis Prep from the late 1930s, and later baseball home to St. Francis College. Nowadays there are still all manner of playing fields, and hugely popular soccer and baseball teams representing the local Mexican community- the Mexican Baseball League of New York began here in 1985 with four teams and now has 32. In 1952, the Brooklyn Cricket Club defeated the Australian Consulate XI by 153 runs at Red Hook Stadium.



Red Hook Stadium in 1940: St. Francis 21, All Hallows 0,
and the recreational area as it appears today
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Excelsior Grounds

The foot of Court Street.

Home to the Excelsiors from 1859 to 1865. The grounds are now part of Red Hook Park (or, more formally, the Red Hook Recreational Area) which contains baseball fields, but the part on Court Street is now a soccer field. The Star Club may have played on this field also, or one nearby, also within modern Red Hook Park.



Part of Red Hook Park, once the Excelsior Grounds

The Flats Near the Junction of Court Street and Hamilton Avenue

Also known as the South Brooklyn Grounds. Games played at this very popular ground were not often reported in the newspapers, but the Brooklyn Eagle was there on June 29, 1890:

Three or four thousand base ball enthusiasts grilled in the sun yesterday on the flats near the junction of Court street and Hamilton avenue. This Sunday game is a great feature in South Brooklyn, the attendance reaching as high as 5,000 or 6,000 people occasionally. There is no church in the vicinity, and most of the residents not being at all Puritanical, there are no complaints. The police do not interfere, wisely believing that many of those attending the game would be in worse places otherwise. There is rarely any disturbance, and not a few people are to be found who say that there are as good games played on the flats as anywhere. And then the game costs nothing; there is no gate money; the spectators are not compelled to patronize the saloon keepers, who are said to support the game with ulterior views of disposing of cool beer to the thirsty crowds when the game is over. The games are generally played for a stake of $10 or $20 a side, which is probably put up by some interested person. Yesterday the game was between the Nassau club, of South Brooklyn, and the Hygeias, of Jersey City. A gentleman of color, said to be one of the Cuban Giants, umpired the game and gave general satisfaction. The Jerseymen had no show and were easily defeated by 18 runs to 3. The Nassaus were, however, reinforced by some of the best players of the Hamilton club, whuch defeated the Nassaus after an exciting game the previous Sunday.

Edison Field (I)

Henry, Lorraine, Bay, and Clinton Streets.

Also known at various times as Visitation Oval/Park/Field, and St. Mary's Field. This site was home to the Visitation Lyceum team from about 1900 to 1910. The Ampere A.C., and its successor, a semipro team fielded by the Edison Electric Company known as the Edisons and the Voltas in different years, began at Edison Field in 1907, playing matches against the likes of the N.Y.P.D. Later, the park hosted games in the local Commercial League. The field was also a long time home to the Visitation F.C. soccer team.



The 1910 Edison Baseball Club


For a time in the mid-1920s, both this field and Edison Field (II), at the orginal Washington Park site, were in use and going by the same name. By 1932, however, the Edisons of Brooklyn played at the Parade Ground and there was also a new Edison Field (III) in Astoria, Queens. But St. Mary's Catholic Club continued play at the old site, calling it St. Mary's Field for both soccer and baseball from 1926.

Lefty Moletti of the Ryder B.B.C. pitched a one hitter here against St. Stephen's B.B.C. on July 13, 1932. Moletti struck out 14, while Pennisi of St. Stephen's struck out 16 and only gave up 3 hits in taking the 6-0 loss. He also got the only hit for his team.

Like the Excelsior Grounds, the original Edison Field is now part of the huge Red Hook Park complex, but not in the form of a ballfield. The Works Progress Administration and Robert Moses' Parks Department constructed a recreation center and swimming pool on the Edison Field block in 1936.



How Edison Field appears now - a Robert Moses pool
Picture taken from Google Maps

Larkin's Oval

Bush and Henry Streets.

Also known as St. Mary's Oval, Columbia Park, and Arcadia Oval (II). The Columbia Lodge nine played here in 1902, the Arcadias of 1907 played here against such opponents as the Village B.B.C. and the Original Pharos Superbas, and the Catholic League of Brooklyn scheduled matches here in 1909, with St. Mary's C.C. at home. On June 20, 1909, the following exchange appeared in the Brooklyn Eagle:




To the Editor of the Brooklyn Eagle:
As manager of St. Mary's C.C. baseball team I want to protest against the way "Justice" was meted out to my men and their followers last Sunday. I had a game arranged with another team, and we were ready to play when two officers informed me there would be no game on account of a complaint by the people living in the neighborhood. As law-abiding citizens we did as we were told, but noticed the officers, whether intentionally or not, failed to see a game that was going on just across the street, to which an admission was charged. We understood that charging admission to a ball game is illegal on Sunday, but know of no law which prohibits free exhibition in an open field. We hope you will publish this letter to let our Brooklyn sports know that some teams are being "pounded," while others seem to escape notice. Hoping some of our friends will see this and give us advice in the matter. I remain, respectfully yours,
     THOMAS J. MULVEY,
     Manager St. Mary's C.C.
P.S. Our field is St. Mary's Oval, Bush and Henry Streets.


Captain Lahey, when spoken to about the letter today, said that there was no favoritism shown or intended. There had been many complaints about the Sunday games at St. Mary's Oval, which is not St. Mary's at all, the Captain says, but really Larkin's Oval, Larkin being a man who has a liquor saloon at the corner of Bush and Henry Streets, next door to the oval. The captain says that the players have menaced the public safety there, according to according to reports that had reached him, for the left field is in the middle of Henry Street, and once in a while a ball, hot from a bat, gets there at dangerous velocity.

"This man Larkin," said the captain this morning, "is something of a politician, and the people in the neighborhood call it Larkin's Oval. It may be true that the young men of St. Mary's Church play there once in a while, but it oftener happens that outside ball clubs, having no connection at all with church activities, play there on Sunday. There is no admission charged, but at the end of the seventh inning, as I have been informed, a tin dish is passed around the spectators for contributions. Last Sunday I sent a sergeant and two men down to the ground to stop the game, and I believe I did my duty.

"Concerning the Visitation Oval, I may say that as it is fenced in with a high fence it is essentially a private ground, run by the young men of the Lyceum of the Church of the Visitation, at the corner of Verona and Richards streets. If there is an admission charged I have never heard of it. The Visitation field is conducted quietly, and there are no complaints of noise or danger to the neighbors there. It was used by the Sunday School Athletic Union for its games, and is not in any sense like the place that is so near Larkin's saloon."

Todd Field

Columbia, Lorraine, Bush Streets.

Properly known as Todd Shipyard Athletic Field. This field was used for track meets and soccer as well as baseball, from 1918. In 1919, future Olympic sprint relay gold medallist Loren Murchison competed here, and big soccer games were held into the 1930s. On August 14, 1920, pitcher Haley of the Robins semipro squad shut out the New York Police nine, allowing only four hits in the 2-0 win. Mitchell was the unlucky loser for the Police.

In April, 1933, workers were tearing down the 20 foot high outer fence here when word spread that the timber was to be given away as free firewood. The site was rushed by desperate people who began tearing off pieces for themselves, causing a section of the fence to collapse. Two victims were hospitalized and several others injured.



The aftermath of the Todd Field fence collapse

A Lot on Clinton Street

Clinton Street near the Gowanus River.

In August 5, 1934, a baseball game was captured for posterity at this site by Percy Loomis Sperr, who recorded a great many scenes of life in the city during that era. Some of the players appear to be dock workers on lunch break, perhaps. This site is probably now part of the Red Hook Recreational Area.



Photographs by the prolific P.L. Sperr

Coffey Park

East of King and Richards Streets.

If Red Hook did not already have enough ballfields, anyone who can't find a space in the massive Red Hook Park complex can try the painted asphalt field at Coffey Park, which dates to 1901. The rest of the park features picnic facilities, playgrounds, and century old trees. A renovation costing almost two million dollars was completed in 1999.



Coffey Park
Overhead picture taken from Google Maps

Harold Ickes Playground

Van Brunt and Summit Streets.

This ballfield, named for the Secretary of the Interior under Franklin D. Roosevelt, was created as a result of the massive Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel project. The land was passed to the parks department in 1951, and houses a massive ventilation shaft for the tunnel, handball courts, and an asphalt ballfield, complete with dugouts and rubberized diamond.



Harold Ickes Playground, in the shadow of the ventilation building
Picture taken from Google Maps

Van Voorhees Park

Columbia Street and Congress Street, beneath the Brooklyn Queens Expressway.

The land for this park was originally acquired in 1864, then supplemented with further purchases in the 1940s. It reached its current 5 acre size in 1956 when the BQE was constructed. A number of renovations in recent years, the last in 2004, have resulted in a modern, nautically themed playground and a popular artificial surface on the ballfield, which replaced the old asphalt. The Dugout Cafe serves snacks for the local little leaguers on game days.



Van Voorhees Park, under the BQE
Aerial picture taken from Windows Live Local

Severese Oval

Beard and Dwight Streets.

Predating San Francisco's McCovey Cove by more than 90 years, this waterside field must have provided some interesting moments for the local marine life. In the only game that rated a mention in the newspapers, the Arcadias and J.N. Robins played here in 1907.



Severese Oval today
Picture taken from Google Maps

Christ Chapel Oval

Van Brunt and Wolcott Streets.

Although more famous in sporting circles for a basketball team in later years, Christ Chapel was entered in the Protestant Church Baseball League from 1906. In an 8-1 win over the local rival Pioneers on May 13, 1906, shortstop Douglass' home run was "the longest hit ever made on Christ Chapel Grounds." Two weeks later, the Lidgerwood team of the Factory League visited and was "literally overwhelmed" in a 21-4 defeat. The Christ Chapel infielders scored 14 runs between them. A part of the old block opposite the church remains as playground to the Patrick F. Daly School, with ballfield marked out on the artificial surface, which was beautifully renovated in 2008.



Christ Chapel Oval, in its modern form
Overhead picture taken from Google Maps

Woodbine Grounds

Clinton, Court, Creamer, and Lorraine Streets.

In the 1890s, the Woodbine Club played here on a narrow lot requiring a degree of crowd control - a policeman would use a rattan cane to keep fans from encroaching on the foul line. Star players for the Woodbines included shortstop Cahill, whose disagreeable nature on the field earned him the nickname Stick-in-the-mud, and outfielder Hagan, who played a fine game despite being deaf. Catcher Richard Butler would later play for Louisville in the National League. One year the club lost just a single game, 1-0 to Nassau of Greenpoint. Later the Woodbines became the Hudson Club, and around 1903 many of the players moved to Gowanus to play for the Marquettes.

Pioneer Grounds

Columbia and Mill Streets.

Also known as Ryan's Oval and Ryan Grounds. In July, 1902, the Manhattan F.C. played the Bedford A.C. here and made the long trip from Ridgewood worthwhile, winning 25 to 3. In 1909 the Ryder Athletic Club played here against such opponents as the Tacomas and the Oak Ridge Athletic Club. The Pioneer Club opened its tenure here on April 28, 1912, with a victory over the Berkeley Athletic Club. The Berkeleys did not get a hit until the seventh inning, and only finished with two, although they did score four runs. The Pioneers, however, scored 20. Pitcher Sweeney and third basebman Ryan scored four runs each. 500 fans saw the lopsided contest.

Wamsutta Grounds

4th Place and Henry Street.

Before World War I and before P.S. 142 was built at this site, there was the Wamsutta Club and a largely vacant space. The men of the club allowed the local kids from Fourth Place to use their name, and the kids formed the Wamsutta Base Ball Club. The kids bought equipment by running a raffle to buy "Hop," a local who had lost a leg in a railway accident years before, an artificial limb. Of course, he already had one. But they gave him the remaining proceeds and no one was any the wiser.

Carroll Park Grounds

First incarnation, bounded by Smith, Hoyt, Degraw, and Sackett Streets. Second incarnation, bounded by Smith, Hoyt, Carroll, and President Streets. Modern park, between President and Carroll Streets east of Court Street.

One of Brooklyn's oldest parks, Carroll Park was originally created as a community garden in the 1840s, and acquired by the city in 1856. The Carroll Park Grounds were at times home to the Excelsior, Star, Marion, Waverly, Alert, Esculapian, and Charter Oak Clubs. The second incarnation was also used as a camp for Union Army draftees in 1863. In 1866, the Typographical nine of Brooklyn defeated the American Bank Note Company nine of New York 64 to 15. For the Typos, pitcher Bergen was presented with a prize bat for scoring 9 runs and making no outs, and center fielder Henry Chadwick scored 5 runs for as many outs.

Over time, Carroll Park reverted to a more restful area, although sporting facilities were again added in the 1960s. A 1994 renovation cost $1.3 million and saw preservation of many of the park's historic touches, and a complete rebuilding of the sports areas. The ballfield here is very unusual in that its lines are not at right angles.



Carroll Park and its strange angles
Overhead picture taken from Google Maps

Hamilton Ground

Gates and Grand Avenues.

As well as the Hamilton Club (not to be confused with its rival and namesake in Jersey City), this ballpark was also home to the Liberty, Albion, Star, and Washington Clubs at various times. On October 8, 1858, the Hamiltons defeated the Metropolitan Club, 15 to 14. Hamilton pitcher Maxon achieved a rare feat for that era in the third inning, disposing of the Metropolitans with just three pitched balls, each recording an out.

Putnam Playground

Throop Avenue, Monroe Street, Madison Street, Marcus Garvey Boulevard.

Dating to the 1880s, P.S. 44 (now the Marcus Garvey School) is a long time Brooklyn fixture. This playground sits adjacent to the school, and has basketball and handball courts as well as the baseball diamond. The sports facilities were created in 2005, along with an official renaming to Raymond Bush Playground, for a legendary local basketball coach.



Raymond Bush Playground in 2008
Picture taken from Google Maps

Wheat Hill Grounds

Marcy and Lee Avenues near Rush Street.

Home to the Continental Club, which donated the silver ball won by the Eckford Club when they defeated the Atlantics in 1862. This trophy had originally been intended for a match between picked nines of New York and Brooklyn in 1861, but war intervened and the match never took place. Also an early home to the Putnams, who took a fine victory over the Excelsior Club in 1856, 21 to 15 in three innings, after which the teams and their guests adjourned to Trenor's Dancing Academy for "liberally provided" refreshments. The Putnam, Resolute, and Sylvia Clubs also hosted matches here at times.

Putnam Grounds

Broadway between Lafayette and Gates Avenues.

Also home to the Constellation Club, the second incarnation of the Harmony Club, and occasionally the Orientals of Bedford. In July 1860 the Constellations scored a famous home victory over the Nationals, 22 to 18, in a game featuring just one home run and 34 passed balls. The National Club that day featured several players who would go on to star for the Atlantics and Eckfords. But the ground is far better known as the site of an infamous match between the Atlantic and Excelsior Clubs, the next month. In the decider of the three game series between the clubs, the pro-Atlantic crowd's rowdiness halted the game with the Excelsiors leading 8-6, and having Creighton on base. The contest was declared a draw and a much relieved Atlantic Club retained the championship.



The Putnam Club's constitution was used as the
basis of the NABBP's constitution, in 1857.

Hickory Club Grounds

Bergen Street between Underhill and Vanderbilt Avenues.

The Hickory Club was organized in 1860, with John Murphy as president and W.T. Carroll as secretary.

Highland Park

Highland Boulevard, Jamaica Avenue, Jackie Robinson Parkway.

Not to be confused with Hilltop Park, the former home of the New York American League squad, or places of the same name in several other states, Highland Park was assembled with a series of land purchases between 1891 and 1906. More confusingly, the park was for some time known as Ridgewood Park. Ballfields were in place by 1908, and in 1915 the New York Times reported that five were available for use by permit. Today, we count six diamonds, including two with lights for evening matches. American Legion, little league, church league, and other amateur baseball has long been played at Highland Park. Presently, Highland Park is home to the Tigers of Bushwick Campus.



Baseball at Highland Park in 1915 and 1946


On May 27, 1935, East New York Vocational's George Pagano followed up a one hit shutout from the previous week, going one better with a no hit shutout at Highland Park. The Central Needle Trade High School hitters struck out 12 times against Pagano, and had no answer to his hitting, either. He made three hits, including a triple, as East New York won 14 to 0.

In 2007, Parks Commissioner Benepe announced a plan to drain part of the old Ridgewood Reservoir, which is within Highland Park, and create more ballfields. The plan was rejected in 2008 on environmental grounds.



The sprawling grounds of Highland Park
Overhead picture from Google Maps

Resolute Club Grounds

Penn and Rutledge Streets, Bedford and Lee Avenues.

Also home to the Phoenix, Oriental of Bedford, and Arctic Clubs. The Phoenix may not have been a great base ball club, but match notes do mention their post game meals. After a Niagara Club victory on August 31, 1859, they were "sumptuously entertained" by the locals and "at a late hour took their departure for home, highly pleased." In 1862, the Brooklyn Base Ball Club played matches here on Mondays and Thursdays in 1862.

Fawcett Oval

78th Street and 18th Avenue.

Home to the Bath Beach Fawcett Club. In September 1917, Branch pitched a two hitter against the Colored Giants, but six errors behind him meant he gave up four runs. The Fawcett team scored nine, however, to win the game.

Glenmore Oval (I)

79th Street and 15th Avenue.

Also known as Missouri Oval. Having started out playing football games on a disused lot at Cropsey Avenue and Bay 9th Street, the Glenmore A.C. moved here in time for summer of 1910 and their baseball debut, and stayed through 1912. The club invited teams to play at West End Oval on Saturdays and here on Sundays. In their first four football games in 1910, the Glenmores swept all four, scoring 76 points and giving up none. On September 11, 1911, a game against the local rival Bath Beach Field Club ended in controversy. Glenmore led 4-2 after eight innings, but Bath Beach rallied in the top of the ninth, scoring two and having a man on first with none out. The umpire then called the game on account of darkness, and the score reverted to 4-2, a Glenmore win.

The strong semipro Missouri Pacific Railway Baseball Club also called this field home in 1911, dispatching such opponents as the Parquettes with ease, and offering to travel up to 200 miles for the right inducement.

Felbar Oval

20th Avenue and 80th Street.

Also known as Glenmore Oval (II) and Bensonhurst Oval. The Parkway A.C. played here in the early 1900s, fielding a first and a second nine. The Bensonhurst Field Club also played home games here around 1907. The Glenmores played here in 1914, again mixing home games between their own grounds and West End Oval. On June 27, in their first match here, Glenmore lost a remarkable game to the Clarion Club, 6 to 4. Starting pitcher Farrell gave up six runs, and left after getting only two outs. In relief, Bischoff gave up only two hits the rest of the way, but Clarion's lead held up.




McKinley Park

Fort Hamilton Parkway, Seventh Avenue, 75th Street, 73rd Street.

McKinley Park was opened in 1903, and named for recently assassinated President William McKinley. The Junior Eagle League, around 1917, played games in its Bath Beach and Borough Park section at McKinley Park. The McKinley Park Club also played here, advertising for strong amateur opponents. Sports still play a prominent role at McKinley Park, despite the modern day lack of ballfields - tennis here dates back 100 years.



Entry form for the Junior Eagle League, McKinley Park today
Overhead picture taken from Google Maps

West End Oval

Cropsey Avenue between Bay 19th Street and Bay 20th Street.

Also known as Bath Beach Baseball Field. The Bath Beach Field Club played matches here in 1907, featuring such opponents as the Sterlings. This park was later home to the West Ends, a team founded in 1912 by Ernie Lindemann, previously the star pitcher for Ambrose Hussey's Ridgewoods. To accommodate the new team, grandstands and bleachers were built to seat 4,000 fans. In September, 1914, the New York Giants scheduled an exhibition match at West End Oval against Billy Gilbert's All Stars. Charlie Ebbets protested, saying that this violated the Dodgers' territorial rights, and in any case the game was for money on a Sunday, which was illegal at the time. The game did not take place, and three people were arrested during the preliminary match for selling programs on the Sabbath. Glenmore A.C. was a long time tenant for footall and baseball, as was Bay Ridge High School, before and after its 1916 name change to New Utrecht High. Bay Ridge High beat St. James Academy 25 to 1 on the diamond in April, 1915 on the way to winning the P.S.A.L. championship of Brooklyn.



Billy Gilbert - West End magnate, and Bay Ridge High's 1913 football squad


On April 22, 1916, the reigning champions from New Utrecht High were humbled at West End Oval by Erasmus Hall pitcher Waite Hoyt, who twirled a no-hit game, allowing only a walk and and error by right fielder Davison in the first inning, and setting down every batter thereafter. He was, however, lucky to achieve the feat. Dutch Karlson of New Utrecht smashed a ball to deep center field, and raced all the way to second - without touching first base. Karlson was tagged out without recording a hit for his efforts.

By 1926, when the city was leasing the space for use as a playground, owner Michael Neiman was looking for a larger payoff. He submitted a petition, with 2,000 signatures, to the Board of Estimate asking that the city buy West End Oval as a permanent playground site. Accusations soon surfaced, from those with signatures on the document, that the petition they had signed was an old one asking the city to convert property at Dyker Beach, already city owned, to a playground. The West End Oval was eventually sold for residential development instead.



Waite Hoyt's story was just beginning


Bath Beach Oval

15th and Cropsey Avenues.

Also known as Thirteenth Regiment Field. The Bath Beach Field Club played matches here in from 1910, offering a "fair inducement" for fast semipro clubs to visit. Opponents included the Hollywood Field Club, Curlie's Colored Giants, Trinity Travelers, St. Brendan's Lyceum, and West End Field Club. At the end of the 1909 season the club advertised that its new diamond would be "one of the best in Brooklyn." In 1915, the Associated Banks Baseball League played matches here, as did the Thirteenth Regiment team, although that squad was more famous for its feats in indoor baseball at the regiment's armory.

Elmore Oval

Cropsey Avenue and Bay 11th Street.

Home to the Elmore Athletic Club. On June 16, 1913, the Elmores found themselves down 11-4 against the Ozanam A.C. of New York after 4 innings, but rallied strongly for a 16-11 victory. Pitcher Howie helped his own cause with a single, three doubles, and a triple.

Bath Beach Playground

Shore Parkway and Bay 16th Street.

This park dates to 1937, and remains a haven of quiet in this corner of Brooklyn. Large scale renovations in 1984 and 2000 saw many sports facilities added or improved, including the softball field. In 2004 the field was named in honor of the late Victor V. Allegretti, a local businessman and philanthropist. This field is one of many the Knights of the Dyker Heights Athletic Association call home.



Bath Beach Playground
Photo taken from Google Maps

Brighton Oval

Atlantic Avenue and Essex Street.

On September 9, 1906, the Brighton nine and the Cuban X Giants played each other to a standstill in an eleven inning 6-6 tie, before the Giants had to leave to catch their train. Brighton had scored two in the eighth and one in the ninth to tie the score. In 1907 the police and the Brighton Athletic Club were at war over Sunday baseball. On several occasions players were arrested for "creating a disturbance" by hitting a ball out of the park. In July, two Royal Giants players were arrested when one hit a foul tip into the crowd. No charge was ever sustained from these arrests. The Ætna Club, playing nearby in 1907, and were similarly troubled by the law. At one point the Eagle reported: Captain Rooney out in the wilds of East New York must not let the Brightons or the Etnas touch a ball of any kind.

In 1908, things were very different at the Brighton Oval. Inspector Miles O'Reilly began the season as the last had ended, hounding the Brighton A.C. and warning players and management alike of the consequences of charging admission on a Sunday. But his presence at the ground abruptly ceased early in the season, and the club continued paid Sunday baseball unhindered by the law. The Eagle noted that Thomas Smith, a prominent officer in the Fire Department, was owner of the Brighton Oval, and offered this about the lack of enforcement:

The fact that Inspector O'Reilly did not appear then or since should not be regarded as a reflection upon him. The explanation of his absence was furnished by the management of the club itself. It soon became noised about. Briefly speaking it was to the effect that Inspector O'Reilly had received orders from officials higher up in the department that he must not interfere with the game.

Since then all sorts of explanations have been offered for the apparent immunity which the club enjoys from police interference. Some of the reasons are given in remarkably plain English. At least, it is a well understood fact that the police did not refrain from interfering with the game because they are such strenuous enthusiasts in athletic sports, nor because they believe the Brighton Baseball Club is a team which should be encouraged in playing the national game. On the contrary, there is a decidedly commercial aspect to the reasons which are being whispered about.

It was further suggested that Smith was able to arrange a transfer between fire stations to better suit his baseball involvement, and that the club was able to block off surrounding streets to facilitate traffic flow to suit their needs.

Ætna Field

East New York.

The Ætnas, commonly spelled Aetnas or Etnas in the newspapers, are not to be confused with a club of the same name in Jersey City. This was an athletic club in East New York that fielded teams for track and field, bowling, and basketball as well as baseball. On June 4, 1906, the Eleanor A.C. visited and were handed a 26-5 thrashing. Every Ætna player tallied at least two runs.

Rival Oval

Evergreen Avenue and Pilling Street.

This field was home to the Rival Athletic Club around 1907, hosting such visitors as the Original Saratogas and Newport A.C. The Rivals were a busy team. In 1908 they defeated the Barnards on May 23, but not content with that, followed up on May 24 by defeating Original Tigers and Excelsior Juniors.

Howard Field

Atlantic, Ralph, Howard Avenues and Pacific Street.

Home to the Howard Club, formerly of Saratoga Park and Wallace's Ridgewood Grounds, and also home to the Brooklyn Hebrew Orphan Asylum nine and the St. Benedict's Club. In an 8-2 win over Federal Shipyard on May 21, 1922, the Howards pulled off the first triple play at the field, courtesy of shortstop Peck. The Brooklyn Eagle reported: Schafer started the inning with a single, and Patte got a short single, putting Schafer on second. Nasher at this stage hit sharply to Peck, who made a hurried throw to De Castro. De Castro threw to Kuhn, whose throw to Zackman nabbed Schafer, who was trying to make home on the play.



The Brooklyn Hebrew Orphan Asylum squad of 1916

Marine Park Ballfields

South of Fillmore Avenue and Marine Parkway.

On August 27, 1930, Mayor Walker dedicated the first baseball diamond at Marine Park. It cost $5,800 to build, and was christened with a game between two public park junior teams. Since then, plans have changed many times, millions of dollars have been spent, and Marine Park now features a golf course, superb landscaping, all manner of amenities, and thirteen little league sized ballfields. In the middle of all the fields are two cricket pitches, which see constant use in summer also.




A panoramic view of Marine Park in 2009


In 1946, a light plane crashed into one of the Marine Park fields during a game, and while the players scattered safely, pilot George Sadler did not survive.

On May 7, 1950, Joe Warnack of the Disney All Stars pitched a no-hitter at Marine Park in defeating the Flatbush Cubs, 4 to 1. The Cubs' run was scored by Lou Bacatti in the fourth inning, on a steal of home.




Marine Park in 2006, Safe at home in 1944
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Joe Torre Stadium

Avenue U and 38th Street.

In April, 1979, New York Mets manager Joe Torre wrangled $60,000 from the city to build two ballfields side by side in the neighborhood where he had grown up, not far from the Marine Park fields. These fields became home to the Joe Torre Little League, which placed no small amount of pressure on his 14 year old son, Michael. The fields remain, now named Rocco Torre Ballfields in honor of Joe's late brother. One unusual feature here is that the dugouts are fully enclosed, providing protection from foul balls and weather alike.



Rocco Torre Ballfields in 2006 and 2009
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Crawford Athletic Field

Avenue U, 58th and 60th Streets.

Also known as Monsignor Crawford Field. These two junior sized fields have been city parks since 1956, and were revitalized in 2000 at a cost of $630,000, which was provided by Councillor Herbert E. Berman. Four blocks to the north is Mary Queen of Heaven Church, which was founded by Father Thomas J. Crawford, after whom the fields are named, in 1927. In May, 2009, the children of Mill Basin showed off their skills in a Major League Baseball Pitch, Hit, and Run clinic here. Amity Little League and Good Shepherd Sports both play at Crawford Athletic Field.



Crawford Athletic Field
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

James Marshall Power Playground

Avenue N, Utica Avenue, East 49th Street.

This playground opened in 1959 and featured a turf softball diamond at the time. The field became worn over the years, and was replaced by an artificial surface during 1998 renovation work. The playground is named for James Marshall Power, a veteran of World War 2 whose law work and civic service in Brooklyn were tireless before his premature death at age 35, in 1957.



Power Playground
Photo taken from Google Maps

Dr. John's Playground

Gerritsen and Bijou Avenues.

This park was opened in 1936, and renovated in 1999 at a cost of $500,000. It was renamed for Dr. John Elefterakis, a graduate of neighboring P.S. 277, who served the local community as a much beloved physician until his untimely death in 1997. The ballfields here are of the asphalt and rubber surface variety common in Brooklyn playgrounds, and are regularly used by the school.



Dr. John's Playground
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Gerritsen Ballfields

Gerritsen, Channel, and Devon Avenues.

The Gerritsen Beach area within Marine Park is named for Dutch colonist Wolphert Gerritsen. The ballfields, which also include an airport for model planes, were renovated in 1993 at a cost of $192,000. The Brooklyn Meadows Softball League is one of the leagues which plays here. In 1928, this field saw a match between Cardinal Gibbons Council of American Legion and Woodhaven Aldines.



Gerritsen Ballfields
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Dean Playground

Dean and Bergen Streets, 6th and Carlton Avenues.

This playground was acquired and opened by the city in 1948, and renovated in 1970 and 2000. Its name was only officially bestowed in 1987, although locals had called it the Dean Street Playground all its life. The artificial grass ballfield is a new addition, created in 2008 and 2009 at a cost of $1.8 million. The field has proven popular for baseball, with children playing pickup games there even in the cold weather of November, 2009.



Dean Playground after and during renovation
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Plank Road Hotel

The Plank Road, Valley Grove.

The Plank Road eventually became Flatbush Avenue, and the Valley Grove area is now part of Prospect Park. The fledgling Atlantics played a practice match at the hotel on August 16, 1855, in which Loper pitched his eleven to victory over Sniffin and his eleven, 38 to 31 in three innings. This is the earliest recorded game of the great club.

Prospect Park Lake

In front of the Well House, southern end of Prospect Park.

The Brooklyn Eagle of January 20, 1883, reported that a base ball match on skates would take place, with teams to be chosen at 2pm by Messrs. Chadwick and Barnie. Unfortunately, a storm prevented play, but four days later Nelson's Side defeated Barnie's Side by a score of 26 to 13, as the indefatigable Chadwick umpired.

Later that year, Brooklyn's chief engineer issued his parks report, which stated that "large areas of the lake were frequently used in Winter for foot ball and base ball, the players being on skates, principally participated in by the pupils of the Polytechnic, Adelphi and other educational institutions of the city."



Part of the lake- the base ball diamond would
be on the right hand side of this picture
Photo by Garry R. Osgood, used under Creative Commons 2.5 license

Long Meadow Ballfields

Western part of Prospect Park.

In 1959, during work on the Parade Ground, Robert Moses had ballfields installed in the Long Meadow of Prospect Park, complete with chain link fence and brick bleachers. In the major restoration of Prospect Park which began in 1979, the fields were reworked in a more blended way, with fence and bleachers removed. Today, the ballfields host junior baseball and softball games of the Prospect Park Baseball Association, which organizes leagues in parks all over Brooklyn.



Long Meadow Ballfields in present day Prospect Park
Overhead photo from Google Maps

Oriental Club Grounds

Union Avenue between E and F Streets, Greenpoint.

Play began on this ground in when the Oriental Club of Greenpoint was organized in 1858, with the visiting Niagara Club winning 28 to 10. The Washington Club of Greenpoint also played here, defeating Live Oak of New York 29 to 18 on June 24 of that year.

National Club Grounds

Hamilton Street and Park Avenue.

Also home to the Morphy Club. The National Club was home to such stars as Lip Pike and Joe Sprague before they went on to bigger things at the Atlantic and Eckford Clubs.

Borough Park Oval

16th and 17th Avenues, 56th Street.

Also known as Blythebourne Oval. The Blythebourne Club fielded senior and junior nines at this field from around 1907, taking on such colorfully named teams as Mayflower and Imperial. On August 26 of that year, the visiting St. Joseph's junior squad defeated Blythebourne 19 to 5. The Borough Park squad played home games here around 1914.

Dyker Beach Park Ballfields

14th Avenue and 86th Street.

Dyker Beach Park was assembled by the city in eight separate land purchases, between 1895 and 1934. By the mid 1940s, ballfields were in place along with the more famous golf course. The fields are set aside for public use. In 1995, $607,000 was allocated for renewal of the diamonds. The site now contains three natural fields, two of artificial turf, and one of concrete. The Coney Island Sports League, where Milt Laurie coached a young Sandy Koufax during his sandlot career, played games at Dyker Beach Park in the 1940s and 1950s, as did the Home Talk League in the 1930s.



The ballfields at Dyker Beach Park, 2006 and 2009
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Ben Vitale Ballfields

Bay 8th Street and Cropsey Avenue.

These fields are named for Ben Vitale, longtime football coach of New Utrecht High School, which plays its home baseball games here. Previously the lot was known as Bay 8th Street Field, and hosted playoff games between the winners of the various Brooklyn amateur leagues, in the All-Brooklyn Amateur Baseball Association tournament. Concrete bleachers, in an art deco style, date to the era of W.P.A. works of the 1930s. The Kiwanis Baseball League, which has been a fixture of Brooklyn baseball since the 1940s, is still active at the Ben Vitale Fields.



Ben Vitale Ballfields in 2006, 1953 sandlot playoff action,
Cadets vs Guadalupe in the Kiwanis League in 2009
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Bath Playground

Bath Avenue and Bay 37th Street.

Ths park was planned in 1963 to accompany the new Junior High School 281. Construction began in 1968 and the park was opened on September 30, 1970. In 1999, the play area was reconstructed at a cost of $410,000. The baseball/softball field is asphalt surfaced with painted lines, including facility for tennis courts, and is also used as a parking lot when out of season.



Bath Playground, with and without cars
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Scarangella Playground

Stillwell Avenue, Avenues U and V, West 13th Street.

Formerly known as Lafayette High School Playground, this park dates to 1929. It was renamed for policeman John G. Scarangella, who had died in the line of duty, in 1992. The park was renovated in 1997 with $92,286 of city money, focused on resurfacing the play area. The ballfield section, while beautifully green, is in need of repair also.



The small but beautiful fields of Scarangella Playground
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Lafayette Playground

Stillwell and Benson Avenues, Bay 43rd Street.

This asphalt ballfield is immediately across the street from Scarangella Playground, and shares its name with another park in Brooklyn, which hosts a basketball court. Both baseball and softball lines are painted on the surface. This park was opened in 1960, and is jointly maintained by the Parks Department and the Board of Education.



Lafayette Playground, with short center field
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Military Field

Knickerbocker Avenue, Johnson Avenue, Morgan Avenue.

The Military Athletic Club played home games here in 1906, taking on the likes of the Iolas and the Tammany Tigers in Sunday double headers. The New York Times reported that the July 4 celebrations of 1912 were to include a musical recital at the "Brooklyn Baseball Grounds" here.

Ridgewood Exhibition Company Grounds

Maujer Street.

The New York Times and World nines played here on August 11, 1887. The Ridgewood Exhibition Company was the same one that operated Wallace's Ridgewood Grounds, but this location is far away in Williamsburg.

The Grounds, Underhill and St. Mark's Avenues

On May 25, 1894, the Brightons played the Duponts here. Things started well for the Brightons, scoring three runs in the top of the first, but the Duponts hit back, scoring five themselves. The Brightons, not discouraged, crossed the plate six times in the second inning, and seven times in the fourth, eventually taking the contest 25 to 10.

St. John's Recreation Center

Bergen Street, Troy Avenue, Prospect Place, Schenectady Avenue.

This park was built between 1950 and 1956 as part of Robert Moses' vision of year-round active recreation facilities. The three ballfields were opened in 1953, while the indoor center was still in progress. The asphalt ballfields, fields B and C, are badly cracked with weeds growing in the gaps, while field A is an excellent grass field with painted brick bleachers. This is one of the parks which hosts the HealthPlus Citywide Baseball League for children aged 5 to 15.



The fields of St. John's Rec Center
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

St. John's Field

Albany Avenue, St. Mark's Place, Prospect Place.

Also known as St. John's Oval (III). Just a block away, there once stood St. John's Field, where the St. John's alumni team played from at least 1912 through 1944. Vic Ehrhorn starred for the Jacks as a hurler, holding the Brooklyn Shawnees to just three hits on May 21, 1922. Seven years earlier, as a student at St. Augustine's, he had pitched a one hitter at the Parade Ground.

Maria Hernandez Park

Suydam Street and Knickerbocker Avenue.

The city purchased land for this park and built it by 1896, when it was named Bushwick Park. The field remained a showpiece for some time, with games of baseball, including the Junior Eagle League, and croquet a regular feature. A softball field was purpose built in 1930. The park's gradual decline coincided with that of the Bushwick neighborhood, reaching a low point when anti-drug campaigner Maria Hernandez was shot dead in 1989. The park was subsequently renamed in her honor, and was substantially cleaned up in 1993. The field today is rubberized asphalt.

In 1897, in a game at a vacant lot at the same intersection, 13 year old Charles Riesigel was critically injured by a bat that slipped from the hands of 17 year old John Dreitling, who was arrested after the incident.



The ballfield at Maria Hernandez Park
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Lincoln Terrace Park

East New York and Rochester Avenues.

Land for this park was first purchased by the city around 1896, and extensions made around 1916 and 1930. The ballfield, originally intended for softball, was built in 1939 by the W.P.A. and the Parks Department. The field is tucked into the southernmost corner of the busy park, and has several distinct features. Ivy grows on the chain link outfield fence beneath the trees, painted owls decorate the poles of the cage at home plate, and a warning track has been created by locals walking laps around the field for exercise.

The high school teams of EBC/Bushwick and Paul Robeson play at Lincoln Terrace Park. The EBC/Bushwick Panthers went 12-4 in a successful 2006 season, including a 23-2 home win over All City Leadership Academy, scoring 12 in the first and 10 in the second. Wilmer Ramirez was 3 for 3, scoring 3 runs and batting in 3. His position? Third base.



Lincoln Terrace Park's distinctively shaped ballfield
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Brooklyn Boulevard Grounds

Brooklyn Boulevard (now Eastern Parkway).

Also known as the Boulevard Grounds. This field hosted baseball and football games from around 1898 to 1903. Scores here were often high - in a double header on May 30, 1899, some 59 runs were scored by the Seminole and Hercules Athletic Clubs. The Seminoles took the morning game, 15 to 13, but the Hercules nine took revenge in the afternoon by a score of 20 to 11. Just four days later, the Seminoles took on the Arcade Athletic Club and led 11 to 4 at one point before scraping home 13 to 12.

Indian Athletic Club Grounds

New York and Brooklyn Avenues, Brooklyn Boulevard (Eastern Parkway).

Also known as the Brooklyn Avenue Grounds, and the Brooklyn Avenue and Boulevard Grounds. These grounds were in use as early as 1898. Strangely enough, on June 3, 1899, the same day as the 13 to 12 game at the Boulevard Grounds, the Hancock Athletic Club defeated Kings County Juniors 13 to 12, also.

From 1906, this field was used for matches in the Protestant Church League. On June 9, 1906, "Smiling Charlie" Dawe of Christ Church pitched his team to a win over St. Mark's, despite being knocked unconscious by a batted ball in the fifth inning.

The Indian A.C. was a junior team, and keen to play only teams of the right age. An advertisement in 1909 included this warning: No dates will be entertained with clubs who will not give their right average. In 1912, the Indian A.C. squad survived a long series of playoffs to claim the Junior Eagle Championship of Brooklyn.



Indian Athletic Club's champion 1912 squad

Bushwick Houses

Bushwick and Flushing Avenues.

This ballfield serves the Bushwick Houses complex, completed in 1960, and was originally the property of the NYC Housing Authority before being handed to the Parks Department in 1983. There are also pools, basketball, and handball courts here.



The minimalist infield design at Bushwick Houses
Photo taken from Google Maps

Bushwick II Houses

Knickerbocker Avenue, Grove Street and Menahan Streets.

The community ballfield here was created here on a date which remains a mystery to us, although the Bushwick II Urban Renewal Plan began after the blackout of 1977 and the subsequent riots in this neighborhood. The land was acquired by the Parks Department from the Housing Authority in 2001.



Bushwick II Ballfield
Photo taken from Google Maps

Tompkins Houses

Park, Throop, and Myrtle Avenues, and Marcus Garvey Boulevard.

The massive Tompkins Houses project was completed in 1964 and houses over 3000 people. The ballfield is very well kept by the Parks Department, and the houses have lovely gardens throughout, despite a poor reputation. The field is regularly used by local residents for softball, as well as running laps to keep fit.



Tompkins Houses Ballfield
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Herbert Von King Park

Lafayette and Marcy Avenues, southeast corner.

Originally known as Tompkins Park, this park dates to 1871, although it has seen numerous changes through the years. The formal design was submitted by Olmstead and Vaux, and major renovations took place in 1915, 1927, and 1973. The Inner City Sports Bed-Stuy Little League plays games on the ballfield here, which is a small masterpiece of design. The outfield fence is decorated with bunting, American flags, and figures in stylized baseball poses. Aluminum bleachers are available for spectators behind each dugout.

In 2006, after $3,500 in baseball equipment was stolen from the park, the Bed-Stuy Little League was in jeopardy, but leagues from around the city rallied to raise cash for replacements and the season was saved.



The ballfield at Von King Park
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Banneker Playground

Lafayette and Marcy Avenues, northwest corner.

The original park at this site was built by the W.P.A. in 1937 on land owned by the Board of Transportation. In 1957, neighboring P.S. 256 was built and the park became known as P.S. 256 Playground. In 1985, the city bestowed the name Benjamin Banneker Playground, after the renowned 18th century mathematician. A major renovation in 1997 saw safety surfacing added, including a rubberized diamond on the dramatically asymmetrical softball field. When we visited in 2009, the green rubber had been partially painted light blue.



Banneker Playground
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Marcy Houses Playground

Myrtle Avenue between Nostrand and Marcy Avenues.

The Marcy Houses development was completed in 1949 and houses over 4,000 people. The extensive playground at the south edge offers volleyball, basketball, tennis, and handball as well as this artificially surfaced ballfield with a highly unusual shape in the outfield.



The ballfield at Marcy Houses
Photo taken from Google Maps

Thomas Boyland Park

Furman Avenue and Broadway.

This park, named for the late state assembleyman from Brownsville, was built on land transferred from the Housing Department to the Parks Department in 1985. $375,000 was spent on renovation in 1996. Thomas Boyland Park is home to the EBC/ENY Lady Eagles high school softball team, which has had problems getting matches together in recent years. In a schedule packed with forfeits and cancellations, the squad officially won and lost many more games than it actually played from 2007 to 2009. The only two home games played in that stretch were heavy losses, 19-2 against William H. Maxwell, and 26-3 against Brooklyn Studio.



Thomas Boyland Park
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Tiger Playground

Evergreen Avenue and Covert Street.

The playground of Intermediate School 296 - the Tigers - features an asphalt ballfield with rubberized diamond. There is also a running track around the field, cutting the diamond at second base, and a basketball key in left field. The Long Island Bombers squad, a team of blind and visually impaired players, visits I.S. 296 annually to demonstrate beepball, a form of baseball with buzzing bases and a beeping ball, designed for the blind.



The ballfield at Tiger Playground, before and after renovation
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Reinaldo Salgado Playground

Madison and Monroe Streets, Patchen Avenue.

This park was originally laid out in 1944, and known as Patchen Playground. In 1997 it was renamed for Police Officer Reinaldo Salgado, who had died of leukemia not long before. He had been a great supporter of the Police Athletic League of the 81st Precinct, which plays its games here. In 2004, $1.15 million was spent to update the field to artificial grass, with the new design laid out by designers Dennis Flynn and Randee Stewart. Guests at the re-opening on May 19 were given peanuts and Cracker Jack.



Reinaldo Salgado Playground's modern surface
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Green Central Knoll

Central Avenue, Evergreen Avenue, and Noll Street.

For many decades the Rheingold Brewery stood at this site, providing German style lager to America. After changing hands several times in the 1960s and 1970s, the land was taken by the city for nonpayment of taxes. Eventually, in 1997, the park was developed. After a $2,961,000 renovation project, it features a charming man made stream and a very unusual baseball field.



A curiously shaped ballfield - Green Central Knoll
Photo taken from Google Maps

Bushwick Field

Irving and Putnam Avenues.

Although Bushwick Field had been in use as early as 1916, it was not popular with anyone in its early years. The Bushwick High track team, for instance, was happier to risk life and limb practicing on city streets than brave the rut filled turf of their own field. The major highlight of the early era was Lefty Larsen's seven inning no-hit shutout of Boys High on May 22, 1918. The Bushwick High star fanned 14 and only allowed two runners on base, one by an error and one by a base on balls, winning 2 to 0.

In December, 1920, the Brooklyn Eagle reported on moves to renovate the play area surrounding Bushwick High School:

The Bushwick field has ample space for a baseball, socker and football field. Beside this there is also room for two tennis courts, a fine track and a large grandstand. Plans have been made by John C. Green, who has spent a great deal of time in planning it as one of the best in the city.

The new field was dedicated in 1922, after the school's track and field day. The field still lacked a grandstand, however, so the school's baseball team mixed home games between here and Wallace's Ridgewood Grounds, then Farmer's Oval in Queens, before playing at Bushwick Field full time from the mid 1930s. On May 14, 1924, New Utrecht outfielder Eppy Epstein became the first player to hit a home run over the center field fence. New Utrecht won the game 6 to 2, with pitcher Senderawitz striking out 12 and giving up only two hits.

The field was recently remade to a design by architectural firm di Domenico + Partners, and has seen some use even though Bushwick High School ceased to exist after 2006 graduation. Bushwick High had a disappointing final baseball season, but one highlight was a 12 to 0 home win over Bryant in a five inning game. Pitcher Kelvin Morel gave up just one hit, and had three himself.



Bushwick Field
Aerial photo courtesy di Domenico + Partners,
overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Callahan and Kelly Park

East of Sackman Street, between Truxton and Fulton Streets.

This plot of land, left over from a mass of transit construction in the Brownsville area, was turned over to the Parks Department in 1945. Although it still features a subway vent, it also features an artificial ballfield and floodlit handball courts. The park is named for two soldiers killed in the First World War.



Callahan and Kelly Park, seen in summer and in winter
Overhead picture from Google Maps

Tiger Oval

Hamburg (now Wilson) Avenue and Halsey Street.

Tiger Oval was home to the Tiger Field Club in 1907. The Tigers hosted such clubs as the Granadas and the Elbiron Athletic Club.

Roberto Clemente Ballfield

Division Avenue, between Kent and Wythe Avenues.

This $2.6 million ballfield, named for the legendary Puerto Rican ballplayer and one time Dodger prospect, opened in 1998, close to the East River in Williamsburg. Former major leaguer John Candelaria - of Puerto Rican heritage himself - was on hand for the opening. The Roberto Clemente Little League plays here from April each year, as well as in New Jersey. The field features a digital scoreboard donated by Keyspan Energy.



Roberto Clemente Ballfield
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

St. Agatha Oval

50th Street, 9th and 10th Avenues.

Home to the St. Agatha semipro club from about 1917 to 1925. St. Agatha won the championship of Bay Ridge over the Sunset Club in 1917, the deciding game being attended by a reported 17,000 fans. Other baseball here included the Neighborhood League, which featured such teams as Grace Methodist Episcopal and Trinity Young Men's Club. In 1930, St. Agatha Oval became home of the Bay Ridge F.C. soccer team.

Bemis Oval

51st Street and 1st Avenue.

This was one of many fields in the Bay Ridge area used by the Home Talk League in the 1930s. The Francis All Stars, a team formed at a cafe called Francis' Coffee Pot, played home games here at that time, also. In February, 1932, junior players in the area got off to an extremely early start for the season at Bemis Oval. On February 18, the Senators defeated the Cyclones, 3 to 2, playing errorless ball despite the cold conditions. On February 22, the it was the Red Wings' turn to make no errors, but the Senators still won, 4 to 2. Great versatility was shown by Senators players King, who played first base and pitched, and Fox, who switched between catcher and shortstop.

McKeon's Oval

52nd Street and 2nd Avenue.

This ground was home to the Cherry Pickers and McKeon's Blue Sox in the 1910s. On June 20, 1915, the Adirondack Council of the Royal Arcanum visisted the Blue Sox and came away with a dramatic 4-3 win, scoring the winning run in the top of the eighth inning. Severinson, pitching for Adirondack, scattered six hits and struck out eleven, besting Grover, who struck out 16 but allowed ten hits. Kerrigan made three hits for the Blue Sox.

Brooklyn Park

59th and 60th Streets between 2nd Avenue and New York Bay.

Also known as Congress Park. The former Kent homestead became Brooklyn Park, a private seaside resort, around 1896. A legal dispute soon followed, after proprietor William Wolfe was refused a permit to run a carousel at the site. Amateur baseball nines from South Brooklyn and Bay Ridge played matches on the Brooklyn Park Grounds around 1899. On May 27, 1899, St. Luke's Boys Club played Brooklyn High School No. 2, and established a remarkable pattern during the first four innings of a seven inning game:

                              1  2  3  4  5  6  7   R. H. E.
St. Luke's Boys Club..........1  2  3  4  7  0 10--27 22  5
Brooklyn High School No. 2....0  0  0  0  3  0  0-- 3  9  7

Highlawn Oval (I)

78th Street near 10th Avenue.

The Highlawn Athletic Club played at this ground from around 1907, advertising for opponents aged 14 to 16 years. On July 4, 1908, the Vernon A.C. was the Highlawn club's holiday opponent.

Highlawn Oval (II)

Bay Ridge and 13th Avenues.

In August, 1911, the Monitor Athletic Club hosted the Postal Field Club of the Bronx at this ground.

Underwood Oval

52nd Street and 20th Avenue.

Home to the Underwood Typewriter Company nine around 1907, hosting such opponents as the Priestley Cravenettes. On July 15, 1907, the Underwoods took on their obvious rival, the Remington Typewriter Company. The Underwoods won 13-8 in a "lively batting contest," highlighted by a seven run outburst in the fifth inning.

Mohonk Oval

56th Street and 8th Avenue.

Also known as St. Alphonsus Grounds. The Mohonk Athletic Club played here around 1907, against the likes of Spalding A.C., Tinker A.C., and St. Joseph's Juniors, drawing crowds of up to 1,000 fans. On On April 30, 1907, the Mohonks defeated the Tinkers in ten innings. The winning run scored on a squeeze bunt by Clair, with Coakley coming home to score.

The St. Alphonsus Catholic Club played here from around 1900. In 1904, the team was dragged into a court case after being arrested for charging money for programs on a Sunday, but after Assistant District Attorney Smith said to Magistrate Tighe, "I don't think there is much to it," the charges were dismissed. In a wild match on May 27, 1906, the Montauk Field Club took the honours over St. Alphonsus, 16 to 14. The teams scored 15 runs between them in the fourth inning. Despite all that scoring, Jack McCree of St. Alphonsus hit the only home run.

The Alpines of Bay Ridge also called this field home.

Sunset Oval

Between 40th and 42nd Street, and 9th and 10th Avenues.

Also known as the Sunset Ground. The Sunsets played here in the early 1900s. On September 3, 1906, the Sunsets displayed their prowess in defeating the Bradfords 16 to 3, and followed up with a 10-0 win over a picked nine. This field also hosted matches in the Commercial League in the mid 1910s.

Sunset Park Oval

41st Street and 7th Avenue.

Sunset Park, the second highest point in Brooklyn, is the highlight of the neighborhood of the same name, offering perhaps the best view in New York. Land for the park was acquired through the 1890s. Prior to a major Robert Moses renovation in 1936, part of the park was designated Sunset Park Oval and hosted team sports, including baseball.



Evening soccer at Sunset Park, 2005 - picture courtesy Stacy Cowley


From 1895 till 1905 the park even housed a six hole golf course, which was eventually dismantled as the area was too heavily used for this to be safe. On April 15, 1932, Fred Martin of the Park Aces held the Fortway Cubs to just two hits in a 3-1 victory at Sunset Park Oval. The Sunset Park Oval label is still applied today, to the dog play area at 6th Avenue and 44th Street. There is still a ballfield, too - in asphalt next to the basketball courts.



2009 - Sunset Park infield practice, and the view from overhead
Photo taken from Google Maps

Puritan Ground

6th Avenue and 47th Street.

The Puritans, playing other South Brooklyn and Bay Ridge teams in the 1910s, featured two star pitchers, Jack Donnelly and Charley Smith, along with a highly talented shortstop in Bill Taylor. Various members of the local Hartley family also played for the Puritans, most notably track star Jim and football player Joe. Their sister, Lilly, was also an excellent pitcher.

Hilltop Field

46th Street and 7th Avenue.

Not to be confused with Hilltop Park in Manhattan. The Hilltop Club and the Glenwoods called this field home in the 1910s. The Glenwoods had a feared slugger in Lou Alters, who "could hit the ball a mile."

Marquette Oval (I)

4th Avenue between 7th and 8th Streets.

The Marquette Athletic Club, connected with the local Church of Thomas Aquinas, held track and field contests at this field from 1899 through 1902, and fielded a baseball team from 1900, facing such teams as Browne's School of Business and the Borough Park Field Club. In 1901, lights were installed at the field and night track meets held. In August, 1902, the Marquettes advertised for opponents for Labor Day, boasting of a 27-5 record to that point in the season.



In 1899, the Schoenek Medal was presented by Assemblyman
Charles Schoenek to J. Madden for scoring the most points
in the Marquette A.C. track meets on July 4 and Labor Day.

Marquette Oval (II)

2nd Avenue between 10th and 11th Streets.

Also known as Marquette Field. The Marquette Club, now partly consisting of players from the old Hudson Club of Red Hook, played here from 1903. The Royal Giants were occasional opponents, along with all the local semipro squads. Marquette pitcher Dick Rudolph went on to play in the National League, winning a World Series with Boston in 1914, and outfielder Al Burch wound up on the Superbas.

Marquette Oval also hosted the local Commercial League, the semipro Gowanus Club, Manual Training High School, and soccer games including the first American Amateur Football Association Cup final in May 1912, won 2 to 1 by Brooklyn Celtic over Newark F.C. Soccer and baseball sometimes clashed at the field - when Manual Training High hosted Townsend Harris on April 18, 1908, play was halted in the middle of the eighth inning, with the score tied at 7 apiece, because two soccer teams arrived and began installing goalposts for their game. On July 13, 1913, the Gowanus team blanked Manhattan, 6-0. Pitcher Weiss twirled a gem in allowing just two singles, both hit by the Manhattan hurler, Jordan.

In early 1913, when the outlaw United States League was setting itself up, Brooklyn franchise owner Leo Groom commissioned a design from Charles Warner for a grandstand and bleachers for Marquette Oval to seat 9,000 fans. Before the season began, however, he traded the franchise to James A. Timony, who moved the team to Hawthorne Field.

Baseball at Marquette Oval lasted through the 1917 Commercial League season, while soccer continued until 1925. Today, the lot is home to a giant Lowe's Hardware store.



Manual Training High School baseball at Marquette in 1907,
and Soccer at Marquette Oval - Ireland 3, USA 1 in 1912

Arcadia Oval (I)

6th Street and 2nd Avenue.

The alphabetically delightful matchup of Acme and Ambrose Athletic Association took place here in 1907. That same year, this field was the regular home of the 44th Precinct Police team. Their signature victory was on July 29, an 11-3 win over the men of the 2nd Precinct from Manhattan, who were "utterly helpless before the curves of Battam." Other stars were center fielder Matthews, a former Prospect Park batting champion, and Sullivan, whose fielding at shortstop was "sensational."

Arcadia Oval (III)

34th Street and 2nd Avenue.

The peripatetic Arcadia squad wound up here around 1910. In an epic match on May 22, 1911, St. Agnes led the Arcadias 6 to 4 after seven innings, but gave up 6 runs in the eighth, only to score 4 themselves in the ninth to tie the game. After two more scoreless innings, the game ended in a tie "that kept the rooters of both teams cheering throughout."

St. John's Oval (II)

28th Street, 2nd and 3rd Avenues.

Also known as Bradford Oval. The St. John's team moved here in 1906, and changed name to the Bradford Athletic Club during that season. On June 17, 1906, the Bradfords played the Oaks in a match to benefit the widow of Charles Zimmerman. Zimmerman had been killed in a baseball game at the Parade Ground in 1905. In 1912, the Brooklyn Eagle reported that the Oval was to be taken over for manufacturing purposes.

Marlboro Oval (I)

58th Street, 10th and 11th Avenues.

The Annex Athletic Club, which had run track meets for some years, played baseball here in 1906, although the club was more famous for promoting boxing matches at the Atlantic Park Casino. The Marlboro Field Club nine also played here around that time. From 1914, the old Marlboro Oval was home to the Unicorns, a champion junior nine of the Bay Ridge circuit.

Marlboro Oval (II)

Gravesend (now McDonald) Avenue, Avenue N, Avenue O.

The Marlboro Field Club moved its baseball games here some time prior to 1911. Here they played such "excellent attractions" as the U.S. Marines. The Brooklyn Rapid Transit League also played some games here, with the excellent pitching of Von Essen seeing Greenwood to a 6-1 win over Eastern on May 25, 1915.

Fort Hamilton Parade Ground

99th Street and Fort Hamilton Parkway.

Fort Hamilton dates back to 1831, but we date baseball here to the 1850s. Baseball, football, and possibly polo were played on the fort's parade ground.

On April 16, 1859, the Neosho Club of New Utrecht played on their ground at Fort Hamilton- we presume this was the parade ground- and defeated the visiting Wyandank Club of Flatbush 49 to 11. Of particular interest in this game was a very early recorded example of a triple play. Two Wyandank players were not quick enough to recognize that the new rules of 1859 required them to return to their bases after the striker was caught out on the fly, and both were put out as a result of quick work by the Neosho fielders.

In 1903, Fort Hamilton entered a team in the New York Harbor Army Athletic League. In the late 1930s and early 1940s, weekly night games were played, usually featuring the base's nine against local amateur or college squads. On June 5, 1938, Stumpy Stewart's RBI double with two out in the ninth gave the army nine a dramatic 4 to 3 victory over Brooklyn College. The Kingsmen turned the tables in 1939 with a 13 to 9 win, however. The parade ground disappeared under the new Verrazzano Bridge approach around 1959.



Fort Hamilton Parade Ground in 1955
Photo courtesy Harbor Defense Museum

Doubleday Field

Marshall Drive and Grimes Road, Fort Hamilton Army Base.

Doubleday Field was named for Abner Doubleday, the soldier who famously did not invent baseball, but was at one time the commanding officer of Fort Hamilton. The field was laid out around 1960 as a replacement for the lost parade ground, and hosted football and softball as well as baseball. Army teams were not the only ones to call Doubleday Field home. In 1998, the New York Times reported that ten baseball and soccer leagues were using Doubleday Field. The field was replaced by new housing in 2006.



Doubleday Field, taking a lead from first base in a 68th Precinct junior game
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps, action photo courtesy Paul Fox

Fort Hamilton Sports and Activity Field

Within Pershing Loop, Fort Hamilton Army Base.

The Hamilton Connection of June 12, 2008 reported that ground had been broken on a new field to replace Doubleday Field. It will accommodate adult and little league baseball diamonds, and a further area for football or soccer. The new field will be immediately next to the Ben Vitale Fields of Dyker Beach Park, although separated by a chain link and razor wire fence.



Fort Hamilton Sports and Activity Field, in progress, 2009

Homewood Field

17th and 18th Avenues, 69th and 71st Streets.

Also known as Kingsboro Oval. A space was especially cleared in the new development of Homewood in 1899, so that games could be played on "Saturday afternoons and Sundays as well as in the early evenings of pleasant days." Homewood Field was home to the Kingsboro B.B.C. for a time in the early 1900s, and also hosted matches of the Drug and Chemical League in the mid 1910s, featuring such clashes as Thompson-Norris against E. Fougera Company.

Ambrose Park

32nd and 37th Streets, 3rd Avenue.

Also known as St. John's Oval (I) and the National Cycledrome. Ambrose Park, a large venue enclosed in a tall wooden fence with a single storey grandstand, was constructed in 1894. The grandstand, seating 20,000, stretched from 33rd to 36th Street. Most famously, it housed Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and Congress of Rough Riders for some years - the Wild West Show had paid $10,000 to build the park in the first place.

Ambrose Park also prominently feautured Forepaugh and Sells' Circus, boxing, football, cycling, baseball, and a major celebration, for British residents, of Queen Victoria's golden jubilee. In 1898, a banked wooden track was built, and the stands made ready for the booming base of cycling fans. Despite this investment, the cycling fad passed, and the Ambrose Park stands were torn down in late 1901. Baseball, however, continued at the site until the Bush Terminal building was erected in 1906. A Village Voice column in 2006 suggested moving the Mets to the old Ambrose Park site. Unsurprisingly, nothing came of this idea.



An early baseball game was recorded between Kismet Temple of Brooklyn and Mecca Temple of New York in September, 1896. In early 1897, Charlie Byrne investigated the possibility of moving the Dodgers to Ambrose Park, but nothing came of it. In 1899, the Chinese Giants and the Young Ladies Base Ball Club played a game at Ambrose Park, in front of "a surging crowd of fully forty-five people." In 1902 the park hosted the City Department Baseball League, won by the Bureau of Buildings. The Bradfords and Bush Terminals also played home games here around 1903.

On September 26, 1897, the Bay Ridge Athletic Club played the Merritts at Ambrose Park. The Merritts took a 10 to 4 lead into the sixth inning, when the Bay Ridge hitters figured out the curves of pitcher Wall, banging out 13 hits and scoring 11 runs in the inning. A late Merritt rally was to no avail, as Bay Ridge held on for a 15-13 win.



William Cody's Wild West Show at Ambrose Park in 1894


The St. John's Catholic Club played here in 1905, occasionally featuring three games in a day. The junior squad would play a preliminary before the seniors played two. On May 21, 1905, the Osceola Club of Manhattan visited the St. John's Club with high hopes, but came away the loser by a score of 10-0. Not only did pitcher Egan allow just three hits, but in the eighth inning a seemingly sure run for Osceola was cut down at the plate by a superb direct throw from Davitt in right field. Just a week later, 23 arrests were made when the St. John's team tried to play the Washington Field Club as Police Commissioner McAdoo ordered a crackdown on Sunday baseball.



The St. John's C.C. team circa 1905

Olympic Club Grounds (I)

Division Avenue and Rutledge Street.

In the space of four days in September, 1859, the Brooklyn Eagle referred to Olympic Grounds both at this location in the Eastern District and the one below in South Brooklyn. The Eastern District location had seen the Olympics thrashed by Somerville, NJ's Independent Club, 59 to 31, on October 14, 1858.

Olympic Club Grounds (II)

Smith Street between Union and President Streets.

On June 9, 1859, the Olympics lost an epic match to the Hiawatha Club here, 32 to 31.

Columbia Club Grounds

Division Avenue, South 9th Street.

The Columbia Club, comprising "thirty members, principally merchants and clerks," was organized in July, 1855. They practiced at these grounds on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 5 till 7 o'clock.

Canarsie Park

Seaview and Skidmore Avenues, East 93rd Street.

Canarsie Park, also known as Seaview Park, dates to 1895, with various land purchases increasing its size through to the 1950s. The ballfields overlap heavily, but it would still be possible to play as many as nine games of baseball or softball, and three of cricket, all at the same time. Teams of the 69th Precinct leagues play at Canarsie Park, as do Saint Edmund's and Canarsie High School baseball teams. Canarsie High did produce a major leaguer- Dan Morogiello, who pitched for the World Series winning 1983 Orioles, although a far more famous alumnus is Kiss drummer Peter Criss.



The many fields of Canarsie Park
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Fireman's Oval

Rockaway Avenue (now Rockaway Parkway) and Flatlands Avenue.

This field was home to two sporting clubs of Canarsie: the Elks Athletic Club and the Oval Athletic Club. Visitors came from all over the borough and farther away, including such well named opponents as William Duddy's Pleasure Club. The Canarsie Council team of the Royal Arcanum League also played here, in 1911. In a superb game on July 7, 1912, the Elks defeated the Young Bushwicks, 5 to 4 in eleven innings. Dovan, the pitcher for the Bushwicks, picked six men off at first base.



Elk Athletic Club baseball squad, 1912

McGuire Fields

Bergen Avenue, Avenue V, Avenue X.

McGuire Park is a huge 77 acre reserve with all kinds of recreational and wildlife areas. The ballfields were originally the vision of former major leager John Malone in the 1970s, and were renovated in 2002 at a cost of $5.7 million. There are now fully enclosed dugouts, electronic scoreboards, and portable pitching mounds to enable players of all ages to play on appropriate diamonds. John Malone Sports Center, on the same complex, is decorated with bas relief baseball figures.



McGuire Fields in Bergen Beach
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Star Club Grounds

Old cricket ground near Division Avenue.

The newly organized Star Club began practice at this ground on Saturday afternoons in September, 1855, before moving to Red Hook.

Hawthorne Field (I)

Rutland Road and Albany Avenue.

Also known as Hawthorne Oval (I) and, after Hawthorne Field (II) opened next door, as Old Hawthorne Field, this ballfield was ready for play in July, 1905, boasting an infield that was "one of the best in Greater New York." The Brooklyn Eagle referred to the park in 1906 as "Flatbush's favorite ball field." The Hawthorne Athletic Club, often held to be Champions of Flatbush, hosted such teams as the Elite B.B.C., St. Mark's Lyceum, and the New York and New Jersey Telephone Company. Add Hoyt, star outfielder for the Hawthornes, was the father of future pitching phenomenon Waite Hoyt.

The Brooklyn Union Gas League of 1910 played matches here, also. The strong Flatbush Gas Company nine played in most of the games at this venue.

On June 27, 1906, Kolb pitched Hawthorne to a 12-1 victory over the highly rated Etna Field Club, allowing no hits over the nine innings and striking out 12. The sole run scored after a wild throw past first base. On April 12, 1910, teams representing Rooms 413 and 417 at Commercial High School played here. Room 413 won, oddly enough, by a score of 17 to 13. The game featured 21 strikeouts and 23 walks.

Hawthorne Field (II)

Hawthorne Street and Brooklyn Avenue.

Also known as Hawthorne Oval (II), and Hawthorne Athletic Field. Opened in 1908, this Hawthorne Field was the long time baseball, lacrosse, and football home to Boys High School, sometime home to Erasmus Hall High and Manual Training, sometime football home to Long Island University and Brooklyn College, host of various commercial baseball leagues, and also home to track meets, several Brooklyn soccer teams, and of course the Hawthorne Athletic Club nine. In August 1908, a cinder running track was laid down, and in 1909, the open stands were replaced with a new covered grandstand. On Saturdays, admission was open for anyone that season, but attendance on Sundays was available only to members of the Hawthorne Athletic Club and their guests - a ruse acceptable under the blue laws of the day.



Thomas K. Timony and James A. Timony,
the early magnates of Hawthorne Field


Hawthorne Field was the creation of veteran Flatbush contractor Thomas K. Timony, who retained a hand in the management of the field and was "very popular with the many clubs and schools which made this field their headquarters." When he died, in September, 1912, control passed to his son, James A. Timony. In early 1913, the younger Timony acquired the Brooklyn franchise of the outlaw United States Baseball League from Leo Groom. He planned to expand the grandstand and build new bleachers to play home games at Hawthorne Field, but the league did not last long enough for that to happen. Timony then made a serious attempt to acquire a Brooklyn Federal League franchise to play here. In 1913 he was told to wait a year for an eastern expansion, but in 1914 he was beaten to the punch by the Ward Brothers. James A. Timony, an attorney by profession, would not remain in the baseball magnate line for much longer - in 1916 he met Mae West, and spent the rest of his career as her business manager, and as a show business producer and lawyer.



The title contending Commercial High and Boys High squads of 1910


On May 28, 1910, 3,000 fans attended the game between Commercial and Boys High Schools for the P.S.A.L. Championship of Brooklyn. Commercial took the title with a 4-0 win, pitcher Pete Green allowing just three hits. In the summer of 1913, a game between Erasmus Hall and Stuyvesant was abandoned during the eighth inning when the last available ball was hit over the fence. Stuyvesant was awarded the game, since they were leading 9 to 5 at the time.



Erasmus Hall track trials at Hawthorne Field in 1910,
Boys High cheerleaders in 1925


Baseball at Hawthorne Field lasted into the early 1930s, but the field remained active until June, 1952, when the last games of professional soccer were played. In 1953 and 1954, the George S. Wingate High School was built at the site, and a reduced playing field became known over time as Wingate Park, now its official name. The Parks Department still issues baseball permits for Wingate Park, and it is clear from the wear pattern on the turf that the game is played here to this day. Soccer and track also have their seasons, along with evening concerts in summer. A series of renovations in 1996 and 1997 saw $938,000 spent, partly on improvements to the track and drainage of the turf. Wingate High, like many others in Brooklyn, has been phased out and replaced by smaller schools using the same campus. Wingate Park should not be confused with Wingate Field in Midwood.



Modern Wingate Park
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Martense Oval

Unknown - Borough Park or Flatbush.

In a rare loss for a squad used to having its own way, the Martense A.A. went down to the Murrays, 12 to 4, at this field in 1909. In 1910, the Martense nine announced that it would cease playing home games, due to a lack of attendance. The Martense field that season was Hawthorne Field, so it is possible this is one and the same, or perhaps the Penn Hill Ground. The club would remain a travel team, and was described in the Eagle in 1912 as "one of the fastest semipro teams in the area."

Prospect Heights Campus Field

Classon Avenue between President and Union Streets.

This field near the Brooklyn Museum was home to Cardinals softball through the end of the 2006 season. The team failed to play its last four games that season, after an 18-11 win over neighboring Clara Barton, then forfeited all games in 2007 before the program was closed. The campus field remained intact, though, and while and the Cardinals of Prospect Heights are gone forever, the Panthers of Clara Barton remain active and make use of the somewhat overgrown space. After a disastrous start to 2009, the Panthers recovered to a 7-10 record, highlighted by a 25-5 home win over Sheepshead Bay.



Prospect Heights Campus Field
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Paerdegat Park

Farragut Road between E 40th Street and Albany Avenue.

Dating to 1941, Paerdegat Park was renovated with $1 million from Councillor Lloyd Henry in 1999. As part of this renovation, the ballfields were constructed along with facilities for handball and basketball, as well as spray showers and chess tables.

When we visited in 2009, the local kids were trying a new batting practice variation for a 95 degree day. The hitter would smack the ball to the other end of the field, then argue with the pitcher about who should fetch it until someone else became annoyed enough to get it themselves.



Paerdegat Park's well equipped fields
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Nostrand Playground

Foster Avenue between New York and Nostrand Avenues.

This park was opened in 1953, and saw major renovations in 1999 and 2009. The ballfield, however, remains as the standard asphalt and rubber type. Nostrand Playground sits imediately south of Flatbush Gardens, formerly known as the Vanderveer Estates - one of the most notorious housing projects in the city. As well as the ballfield, the park features several basketball courts.



Nostrand Playground
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Brooklyn Athletic Association Grounds

DeKalb Avenue, Willoughby Avenue, Classon Avenue, Graham Street (now Taaffe Place).

Previously the Williamsburgh Athletic Club Grounds- the club changed name in 1885. In the late 1880s, also referred to (somewhat inaccurately) as the Brooklyn Athletic Club Grounds (II). The grounds were home to track events, but also lacrosse, football, and baseball, including a team fielded by the Brooklyn Athletic Association. The lot was long and thin, ideally suited for a running track, with a grand stand and free stand at one end, along with a bowling alley and gymnasium.




1888 Sanborn map of the Brooklyn A.A. Grounds


In 1888, the grounds hosted a match between the Retail Grocers' Association of the Western District and the Retail Merchants' Association of the Eastern District. On May 30, 1889, the Brooklyn Ls (Elevated Railroad team) played a double header with the Brooklyn Athletic nine. The visitors took the first game, 16 to 6, but were edged out in the next, 7 to 6 in ten innings. But the most notable contest was on September 15, 1886 between the Fat Men and the Lean Men of the Association. The Lean Men took the contest, 19 to 14, and the Fat Men were presented with a loser's banner of cardboard decorated with black ink.

In 1887, when the growing Crescent Athletic Club was first looking for a new home, the Brooklyn A.A. offerered to merge, with the combined club using these grounds. The Crescents refused, heading eventually to Bay Ridge. The Brooklyn Athletic Association disbanded in late 1889, and the field was developed for housing. The various buildings were auctioned off for ridiculous prices on December 28 - the bowling alley went for $200, while the grandstand fetched just $50.



George Brainerd's photograph of a race at the grounds, in the early 1880s
Photograph courtesy Brooklyn Public Library—Brooklyn Collection


St. Patrick's Oval

Nostrand and Willoughby Avenues.

Home to the St. Patrick's Catholic Club nine around 1910. When the All Manhattans visited on May 21, 1911, St. Patrick's "thoroughly outclassed the visitors, and won as they pleased" in a 13-3 game. Appropriately named pitcher Christman had 11 strikeouts, and gathered 3 hits batting cleanup.

Marine Barracks Grounds

Navy Yard, Flushing Avenue.

Beginning in 1883, on a space normally used for their parades, a Marine nine would take on all comers, mostly other military teams, and usually win. On July 19, 1886, the Marines defeated the powerful Glendale nine, 18 to 4. These baseball matches were said by the Brooklyn Eagle to have brightened the neighborhood considerably.



Games against outside nines continued for some years, and the yard remained open for all-military matches, too, as well as local junior games. When the nine from the Battleship Iowa defeated that of the Pennsylvania in 1906, thus taking the championship of the Atlantic Fleet, all three balconies of the barracks, and the whole of the field, were ringed with spectators.



Sailors play ball at the yard in 1906

Navy Yard Athletic Field

Navy Yard, Cob Dock.

In 1909, a new field was built on Cob Dock, with a baseball diamond, a gridiron for football, and a 220 yard cinder running track. The track was later converted to a quarter mile. The new field replaced a feature known as the Junk Pile, and was opened with a football game between the sailors of the Receiving Ship Hancock and the Flagship Connecticut. Hancock won, 14 to 0. The Tribune commented: The new field will be a formidable rival in attractiveness to the big lawn in front of the marine barracks in Flushing avenue.



The beginning of the end for both ballfields at the Navy Yard was noted in 1949, when C. Tod Colvin, a former third baseman for the Cincinnati Reds, wrote to the Eagle:

My pressure went up a couple of dozen points when recently, on my way to business, I noted one of the playing diamonds in the Navy Yard section being used as a dumping ground. Now I note the second field is getting the same treatment, piled six feet high with dirt, thus ruining two fine fields that were once enjoyed for a number of seasons by the youth of that and surrounding sections.

Now, even the Navy Yard itself is gone.



Sailors play ball on the athletic field in 1914

Arctic Park

North side of Johnson Avenue at Gardner Avenue.

Also known at various times as Skelly's Grounds, Maujer Oval, and Polar Bear Oval. Home of the Monroes and Acmes in the 1880s, the Skellys and Maujers in the 1900s, the Empire City team from 1911 to 1921, the Arctic Polar Bears team from 1922 to 1933, and the Glendale Tigers in the 1930s and 1940s. All of these were amateur or semipro squads. There were no locker rooms, so teams had to change their clothes at a nearby saloon. In 1912, the Empire City team, realizing they had little chance against the powerful Lincoln Giants negro team, tried to get their opponents drunk and overfull by offering lunch at the saloon before the game. The Giants ate and drank well, and won the game easily.



The Empire City team at Arctic Park

Paramount Park

Metropolitan and Morgan Avenues.

Home to the Paramounts of Williamsburg, Max Rosner's first attempt to build a semipro squad. After the Paramounts defeated Passaic, 7 to 2, on June 4, 1905, seven men were arrested for violation of Sunday blue laws.

Lindower Park

Mill and Strickland Avenues.

This land has been owned by the city since 1959, and was named Lindower Park in 1965, to honor Alex Lindower, a community activist in the Mill Basin area. The park's two ballfields are available for public use, and are also home to the Hornets of Midwood High School, who made the PSAL playoffs in 2004 with a 13-3 record. Park benches are set up outside the field, taking the place of bleachers.



Lindower Park
Overhead picture taken from Google Maps

Loughlin Oval

Kingsland Avenue and Jackson Street.

Also known as the Williamsburgh Athletic Association Grounds. The Williamsburgh A.A. organized in 1889 and competed at these grounds from 1891. The Loughlin Lyceum semipro baseball team played here from the early 1900s. The Loughlins were a tough squad for over three decades, matching up well with highly regarded nines such as the Maujers and Knights. Top negro clubs such as the Cuban Giants were regular visitors, also. The Loughlins were good enough to be invited to Washington Park to play the Superbas in a pre-season exhibition in 1910.

At Loughlin Oval in 1910, 6,000 fans saw Henry Batterman & Co. of Brooklyn defeat O'Neill-Adams of New York, 10 to 4, to win the Department Stores League pennant. In 1912, "one of the biggest attractions ever booked" at Loughlin Oval saw the New York Bloomer Girls take on the Boston Bloomer Girls in a championship baseball match.



H. Batterman Company's champion squad of 1910

Grace Playground

Belmont and Pitkin Avenues, Vermont and New Jersey Streets.

Grace Playground, a joint venture of the Education and Parks Departments, was put together in a series of purchases between 1936 and 1989. In 1994, $1.3 million was spent on renovation, dramatically increasing the size and sporting facilties here, including the addition of the beautiful turf ballfield. The William H. Maxwell High School softball team plays home games at Grace Playground. A disappointing 2-14 season in 2009 was highlighted by a 34-2 home win over George Westinghouse, with Sasha Seerattan and Katasha Watson each scoring five runs. The game lasted only three innings.



Grace Playground's distinctively shaped field
Overhead picture taken from Google Maps

Sutter Ballfields

Barbey Street, Sutter, Schenck, and Belmont Avenues.

The Sutter Ballfields are a small oasis in one of the most dangerous areas in Brooklyn. Clearly designed with a great deal of care, the park includes such details as concrete baseballs on the decorative pillars outside the fence, and a series of stylized baseball figures identical to those at Von King Park. Alas, the facility seems to be sadly underused. None of the usual trappings of a resident little league can be seen, and Parks Department records show a consistent pattern of failing inspections due to unacceptable levels of litter, graffiti, and even broken glass.



Sutter Ballfields
Overhead picture taken from Google Maps

Betsy Head Playground

Strauss Street and Dumont Avenue.

Also known as Brownsville Playground (I). Ground was broken on Brownsville's Betsy Head Playground in 1914, and the facility was completed in 1915 with $250,000 from the local community and $190,000 from the estate of philanthropist Betsy Head. The playground saw action immediately as a venue for the Brooklyn Eagle's Junior Eagle League, and has remained a busy field ever since. When Willie Randolph was appointed Mets manager in 2004, much was made of his local credentials, having learned to play the game on the Betsy Head fields.



Betsy Head Playground in 2009 - Assassins vs Liberty Knights at softball cricket


Although the original playground had a single field surrounded by bleachers, today the Betsy Head Playground is home to two overlapping regulation sized baseball fields. They serve as public and little league fields, and have filled in for occasional high school matches in the last decade, most recently as a home field for Erasmus Hall Campus. On April 28, 2009, visiting Tilden High defeated Erasmus Hall 13 to 12, in a bizarre game which featured 34 strikeouts and 16 walks, but only 10 hits. The field is also a venue for the New York Softball Cricket League.



Betsy Head Playground's original 1914 plans,
and the field as seen from overhead in 2006
Overhead picture taken from Google Maps

Brownsville Recreation Center and Playground

Hegeman and Christopher Avenues, Linden Boulevard.

Also known as Brownsville Playground (II) and Brownsville Boys' Club. The Brownsville Boys' Club started at this site in 1953, in a one room clubhouse. A major fundraising effort over the next two years saw the outdoor area developed for sports, and the lot was gifted to the city in 1954. and opened as a public park in 1955. A series of subsequent renovations culminated in July, 2008, with the opening of a new Imagination Playground designed by David Rockwell. A fresh artificial grass surface was installed on the ballfield at the same time.



Brownsville Playground, before and after
Overhead picture taken from Google Maps

Floyd Patterson Field

Christopher and Riverdale Avenues.

Previously known as Nanny Goat Park. That asphalt covered lot was a gathering place for the youth of Brownsville for decades, through good times and bad, and all sorts of ethnic communities moving in and out. Activities included baseball, stickball, handball, basketball, and everything else kids do on weekends and after school.



Floyd Patterson Field in 2009


Modern Floyd Patterson Field, named for the two time heavyweight boxing champion, neatly fits in two ballfields and a cricket pitch, and hosts soccer and football, too. The area was acquired by the city in the early 1970s, and redeveloped and renamed in 1981. In 1997, an $885,000 reconstruction was done. Several high schools play occasional home games at Floyd Patterson Field.



Stickball at Nanny Goat Park in 1953, Floyd Patterson Field from overhead
Action shot courtesy Brooklyn Public Library—Brooklyn Collection
Overhead picture taken from Google Maps

McCarren Park

Bedford Avenue and Lorimer Street.

Home to all kinds of amateur baseball and softball, this large public park has been a fixture in Brooklyn since 1905. It was named in 1909 after Patrick Henry McCarren. Originally more oriented towards baseball, by 1914 the park featured 12 regulation diamonds. Now it has just three, but also features a running track, soccer pitch, tennis courts, and a swimming pool. The pool was defunct and hosted summer concerts for many years, but is now being renovated to once again serve for swimming. In the 1920s the McCarren Nine represented the park in amateur games.

On May 9, 1951, Bishop Loughlin Memorial High unveiled a new pitcher, Billy Johnson, for the game against Holy Trinity at McCarren Park. In his first Catholic High School Association start, Johnson no-hit Trinity with his "baffling curve ball and dandy change of pace" as his team rapped out 20 hits to win 16 to 1.

High school matches remain a regular event. Automotive High School and Harry Van Arsdale Campus call McCarren Park home now. On May 15, 2009, Harry Van Arsdale Campus and Cobble Hill School played an epic double header at McCarren Park. Van Arsdale took the opener, 6 to 5, but Cobble Hill rallied for an 11 to 12 win in the second game. Cobble Hill's catcher, Anthony Rodriguez, batted in 7 runs for the day.



McCarren Park and its baseball diamonds
Overhead picture taken from Google Maps

McLaughlin Park

Jay and Tillary Streets.

This downtown park, first acquired in 1894, is far better known for basketball nowadays, being something of a a Brooklyn equivalent to Rucker Park in Harlem. But once there was a McLaughlin Park baseball team, which played the McCarrens among others. In October, 2006, a $3 million city funded renovation began, including a new multi-purpose synthetic field for softball, baseball, and soccer. Brooklyn Friends School softball moved in when the field was completed.



McLaughlin Park before and after renovation
Overhead picture taken from Google Maps

Commodore John Barry Park

Navy Street and Park Avenue.

Home to two public baseball diamonds, this is the oldest park in Brooklyn. It was first acquired by the Village of Brooklyn in 1836, and known as City Park for 115 years. In 1887, the Brooklyn Eagle was unimpressed with the place:

The City Park is an unfortunate spot. It is not known to have ever contributed to the enjoyment of a single human being, while for most persons a visit to it is extremely depressing. But whatever disposition may finally be made of it, great care should be taken in providing its substitute lest the latter turn out to be scarcely more satisfactory.

In 1951 the park was renamed for John Barry, who helped to found the nearby Brooklyn Navy Yard. Little league baseball and Pop Warner football are common sights at the park nowadays. We do not know when baseball began here, although there was a City Park League in the 1940s, making it probable that fields were installed suring the W.P.A. era of the late 1930s. On April 1, 2009, the Boys and Girls High softball team beat George Westinghouse 26 to 0 at Commodore Barry Park. Lateefah Salters hit a home run, stole four bases, and scored five runs, but the star performer was pitcher Adjua Adan David, who pitched a no hitter, giving up only four walks.



The worn diamonds of Commodore John Barry Park - 1940, 2006, 2009
1940 photograph courtesy Brooklyn Public Library—Brooklyn Collection
Overhead picture taken from Google Maps

Bishop Loughlin Playground

Lafayette Avenue between Clermont Street and Vanderbilt Avenue.

More formally known as Eastment-Miles Track and Athletic Field. Bishop Loughlin High School moved to this location in 1933. Despite the spacious playground, the school's softball and baseball teams play at Prospect Park and the Parade Ground. Of course, the two large handball walls in the outfield might have something to do with this. The lot is most famous as host of the weekly Brooklyn Flea, a massive open air flea market which draws people from across the city.



Bishop Loughlin High School's playground
Overhead picture taken from Google Maps

Corner of DeKalb and Clermont avenues

The Ridgewood Club defeated the Alert Club 17 to 15 at these grounds, on July 18, 1859.

Sternberg Park

Lorimer and Boerum Streets.

Controversially created in place of crowded tenements in 1924, this was originally called Williamsburg Park, then Lindsay Park, and finally renamed Sternberg Park in 1990. A $3.8 million renovation was completed in October, 2006, providing a new artificial baseball surface, as well as basketball, handball, and other facilities. Mr. Met was on hand for the unveiling ceremony. The playing surface slopes gently but significantly from the northeast to the southwest, making the two diamonds play very differently. The Kids Against Drugs Little League plays matches here.



Sternberg Park, before and after renovation
Overhead picture taken from Google Maps

O.L.P.H. Field

3rd Avenue and 64th Street, beneath the Belt Parkway and Gowanus Expressway.

In 2006, the City Council approved a measure to designate the section of Third Avenue here as Al Christman Way. Al Christman helped to start the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Baseball and Soccer League, and worked for years to turn the vacant lot here into a ballfield for the local children. The lot is now more formally known as Father Tom Joyce Athletic Complex.



Views of O.L.P.H. Field
Overhead picture taken from Google Maps

Mystic Club Grounds

3rd Avenue and 63rd Street.

The Mystic Club hosted the Baltics here on September 21, 1863.

A Catholic Church Little League Field

Between 3rd and 4th Avenues on Shore Road.

In 1974, the Catholic Church sold off this Bay Ridge little league park to a developer, who failed, amid great protest, to complete a proposed 17 storey residential development. After the bank foreclosed, a new low rise development called Watersview was completed in 1982.

Christopher Hoban Ballfield

5th and 6th Avenues, 66th and 67th Streets.

Christoper Hoban Ballfield is actually two fields, standing in the western half of Leif Ericson Park. The park dates to 1925 and has a long history of renovations. The Christopher Hoban fields are named for an alumnus of nearby Xaverian High School who was killed in the line of his police duty in 1988. The fields were built between 2001 and 2003 at a cost of $695,000.



Christopher Hoban Ballfield(s)
Overhead picture taken from Google Maps

The Dust Bowl

65th and 66th Streets, west of 8th Avenue.

Also known as Leif Ericson Field. For many years, this legendary field survived without a single blade of grass, proudly bearing a Parks Department sign proclaiming its Dust Bowl name and giving rich testament to the term "sandlot baseball." In July, 2009, however, the Dust Bowl sign was ceremonially buried by assorted dignitaries and little leaguers, and the field was closed for a $2.8 million renovation. It will be reopened in 2010 with an artifical grass surface and vastly improved facilities. The field will retain both diamonds and also have markings for soccer. Care is being taken to preserve the colony of monk parrots which live in nests on the Dust Bowl's light towers.



The Dust Bowl, before and during renovation
Overhead picture taken from Google Maps
Sandlot picture photographed from renovation signage

Parkville Youth Sports Complex

65th and 66th Streets, east of 8th Avenue.

Since 1963, the Parkville Youth Organization has offered baseball, softball, and other sports to children in a wide range of age groups. The Parkville fields are arranged in three sizes, with the two smaller ones lacking much of the unnecessary outfield space seen on many little league fields. The main diamond is of regulation size, and is named the John C. Gallo Field. The Parkville leagues feature such teams as the Dodgers, the Tornadoes, the Vikings, and the Red Lightning.



The baseball fields at Parkville Complex
Overhead picture taken from Google Maps

A very rocky diamond filled with hummocks

86th Street near the corner of 3rd Avenue.

On May 5, 1894, the Young Lady Champions of the World met the Fort Hamilton Club at this address, and were defeated by a "score of no one knows how many to one." About 700 people attended the affair. Some of the fans later joined the game as members of the Young Lady team tired of the farce and repaired to the beer wagon. Pitcher Maud Nelson and Emily Foster at third base were by far the pick of the Young Lady Champions, while the Fort Hamiltons were said to be a "loose limbed lot of fellows" and showed little mercy during the match.

Sheepshead Bay Race Course

Ocean Avenue and Vorhees Lane.

In 1880, the Coney Island Jockey Club opened this new track, then bounded largely by pristine forests within sight of Manhattan Beach and Sheepshead Bay. Other sports events were held here, too, though: aviation shows, and even baseball games, including a hard fought 6-5 comeback win for Knickerbocker F.C. over Bedford Y.M.C.A. on June 5, 1910. Just 13 days later, a race meeting was interrupted by a severe storm, and lightning struck the judges' stand. In 1915 the track was sold and converted for auto racing.



The 1889 Futurity race at Sheepshead Bay, 1915 plans for the speedway

Sheepshead Bay Oval

Ocean and Emmons Avenues.

The Sheepshead Bay Field Club called this park home from 1905. Their matches were said to cause great excitement amongst the local racing community - the Sheepshead Bay track was just a few blocks away - and racing people would often participate in or umpire the matches. Games here continued for some time - in 1927, the Sheepshead Bay nine trounced Brooklyn A.C., 12-0, with Dooly allowing just three hits.

Sheepshead Bay Ground

Avenue Z and Ocean Boulevard.

The Royal Arcanum League played games here from around 1910. The ground was sometimes referred to simply by its address. On June 12, 1911, Dauntless lived up to their name in thrashing De Witt Clinton, 18 to 7. In a much closer game two days before, Bedford Presbyterian won out over Corona Methodist Episcopal, 4 to 2.

Gravesend Race Track

Gravesend (now McDonald) Avenue, Ocean Parkway, Kings Highway, Avenue U.

The Gravesend Race Track, home to the Preakness from 1894 through 1908, was a local icon of horse racing until a state gambling ban forced its closure in 1910. When the ban was repealed in 1913, other tracks reopened, but not Gravesend. It did, however, briefly see baseball as a fill-in venue for the Royal Arcanum League in 1915. On August 2, Gilbert defeated Palm 18 to 10, with Johnson and Kessler each scoring four runs.



The 1904 Brooklyn Handicap at Gravesend

Reilly's Oval

Gravesend (now McDonald) Avenue and Kings Highway.

On July 21, 1909, the Young Men's Catholic Club of Brooklyn announced their new home grounds, known as Reilly's Oval, and decalred their intention to take on the fastest semi-professional nines in the area. On August 1, the Y.M.C.C. was scheduled to host the All-Manhattans, but the visitors cancelled at the last minute, "giving as the reason that their club would not allow the baseball players to use the uniforms." When the Y.M.C.C. discovered that the All-Manhattans had in fact played a game in New York that day, they contacted the Eagle immediately to warn other clubs. Fortunately, the Parkville nine stepped in to play, and the Catholic Club won an entertaining game, 9 to 5.

East 37th Street and O'Brien Boulevard

On April 21, 1907, the Clermont Field Club defeated the Clermont Stars in a dramatic junior contest. Each team scored four runs in the first inning, but after the Stars put up one run in the top of the second, the Field Club batted in five to take the lead. A late flurry by the Stars was to no avail, as the Field Club won 15 to 12. Fielding let the Stars down, with Muire's four errors at second base being the main contribution to a team total of 15.

Tuck's Oval

Avenue I and East 37th Street.

Also known as Midwood Field (I), Midwood Oval, Midwout Oval, and Oliver A.C. Grounds. In 1906 this was home to the Oliver Athletic Club, and in later years to the Midwout junior club, a good baseball team and a near unbeatable football combination. In May, 1906, the always controversial Oxford nine visited the Olivers, and went away unhappy after a truly bizarre match. The Brooklyn Eagle reported:

The Oxfords are waxing warm over the treatment they received at the hands of Umpire Owens on the Oliver A.C. Grounds, Avenue I and East Thirty-seventh street, Sunday. According to the Oxfords, Owens' decisions were on the Spanish garlic order, in favor of the home team. The feature was a triple play by Dooley, Welch, and Burns. The score: 

       Oxford               |         Oliver A.C.
  Name        r.1b.po. a. e.|   Name        r.1b.po. a. e.
Whitley, cf...2  2  0  0  0 | Tully, ss.....2  1  0  3  0
Dooley, 2b....4  2  7  3  0 | Iles, lf......4  0  2  0  0
Oram, c.......4  3  8  9  0 | Peterson, 2b..1  0  6  2  0
Welch, 1b.....3  5  8  3  0 | Fredin, cf....5  0  3  0  0
Burns, 3b.....2  2  5  2  1 | Burns, 1b.....4  0 14  0  0
Harkins, ss...2  0  0  4  0 | Sweeney, rf...1  0  0  0  0
Franks, p.....2  3  0  2  2 | Ruthig, 3b....1  1  2  2  4
Conroy, lf....1  1  1  1  0 | Bowie, c......3  2  3  1  1
Fields, rf....0  2  0  0  1 | Case, p.......0  2  0  0  0
             -- -- -- -- -- |              -- -- -- -- --
Total........20 20 29 24  4 | Total........21  6 30  8  5

                 Score by Innings:
                      1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10
------------------------------------------------------
Oxford................6  3  0  0  0  0  4  0  4  3--20
Oliver................1  0  6  2  2  0  1  0  5  4--21
------------------------------------------------------

Struck out--By Franks, 3; by Case, 3.
Bases on balls--Off Franks, 31, off Case, 7.
Sacrifice hits--Welch, Oram, Conroy, Dooley.
Time of game--2 hours and 45 minutes.
Umpire--Mr. Owens.

So the Olivers scored 21 runs on 6 hits and 31 walks. The Oxfords may have had a point.

Trinity Field

Avenue K, Avenue J, Coney Island Avenue.

Home to the Trinity Club, which competed in the Amateur Athletic Association League in 1908. Other teams playing here included the Rivals and the visiting Bronx Cayuga Club. The Brooklyn Eagle also organized Junior Eagle Athletic meets here.

St. Brendan's Oval

Avenue L, Avenue M, and Coney Island Avenue.

Also known as Oxford Oval. Oxford F.C. played home games here from 1905. Other than a 5-2 defeat of Maujer-X, we can find few records of their results, but perhaps that is just as well. A letter to the Brooklyn Eagle in 1909 read thus: Dear Sir- In your issue of Sunday, September 26, on the sporting page, there appeared the score and account of a game between the Waverly A.C. and the Oxford F.C. The score, as sent by them to you, is entirely erroneous, as is the claim of the Oxfords to be champions of the district. We have played the Oxford F.C. five games, and have defeated them decisively in every game but the last.

Also known as Greenfield Park, after the local neighborhood, when home to the Critchley soccer team in 1906, and Greenfield Oval/Ground, when home to the Le Roy A.C. nine in 1909 and the Apas A.C. baseball team in 1910. St. Brendan's Lyceum, formerly of Buhre Oval, played here from around 1915. Star twirler Golden pitched a one hitter against Montford Lyceum in August, 1915.



Oxford F.C. baseball team, 1905

Dolgon Playground

Avenue V between Haring and Brown Streets.

The Sheepshead Bay Houses were built in 1948, along with this playground. It had fallen into a state of severe disrepair by 1996, when a $405,000 renovation was begun. This added many charming features to the area, including trees which have now grown to substantially beautify the asphalt ballfield. The park is named for Herman Dolgon, whose efforts saw a great deal of housing built in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood.



The rough but tree lined field of Dolgon Playground
Picture taken from Google Maps

Bill Brown Memorial Playground

Bedford Avenue, E 24th Street, Avenues X and Y.

In a similar vein is the Bill Brown Memorial Playground, dating to 1932. A complete reconstruction in 1986 saw $785,000 spent here. Bill Brown was a local resident who gave his life in World War I. Students of the local Dag Hammarskjold and Joseph F. Lamb schools play ball here.



Bill Brown Memorial Playground
Picture taken from Google Maps

Royal Arcanum League Grounds

Coney Island Avenue and Neck Road.

This was the official park of the Royal Arcanum League in 1915, although games took place at many fields in Brooklyn and Queens. On June 30, Fraternity defeated De Long 7-1, with O'Connor giving up only two hits to the "heavy hitting of De Long" and striking out 18. The Suburban Cubs also called this field home around 1914.

Homecrest Oval

Avenue U and East 23rd Street.

One of several fields which saw games of the Royal Arcanum League in 1915. In other baseball here, the Homecrests of 1912 and 1915 racked up long winning streaks, beating top amateur teams and semipros alike. On May 24, 1915, McIntosh allowed the Ozone B.B.C. just two hits, while Herbold gave Homecrest three. But four Ozone errors let Homecrest A.C. escape with a 4-0 win.

Amersfort Park

Avenues I and J, 38th and 39th Streets.

This small park has no baseball facilities to speak of, but on July 4, 1918, the celebrations here included "a burlesque baseball game between teams comprising of men and women." Joseph's team defeated Heffernan's team, 14 to 11.



Amersfort Park
Picture taken from Google Maps

Avenue S and West 4th Street.

Another venue which saw games of the Royal Arcanum League in 1915. On June 30, Fulton defeated Morning Star, 11 to 5.

Mapleton Oval (I)

13th Avenue and 56th Street.

Mapleton Oval was home to the Mapleton Park Club around 1913-1915. Star players included Duffy, Euler, and Doc Jackson. The club advertised that it would meet "all first class amateur uniformed teams."

Mapleton Oval (II)

62nd Street and 20th Avenue.

This venue hosted Royal Arcanum League games from 1915, and was referred to from 1916 till at least 1920 as Mapleton Oval, or just Mapleton Park. The Mapleton Park nine took on such teams as the Knickerbocker Club and Brooklyn White Sox here. On July 5, 1916, De Witt Clinton scraped past Fraternity, 7-6, en route to an undefeated season and the Royal Arcanum championship.



De Witt Clinton's 1916 championship squad

Cherry Oval

79th Street and 23rd Avenue.

Also known as Cherry Lots. This venue saw games of the Royal Arcanum League from 1915 and 1916, including an overwhelming 21-3 win by Fern over Brooklyn on August 28, 1915. The Harmon Athletic Club and the Benson A.C. played here around 1915, also. Featured pitchers included Bill and Arkie Lindemann, brothers of the famous Ernie. On August 6, 1916, the Bensonhurst Yacht Club Married Men defeated the Single Men 13 to 12, after pitcher Lorenzo walked in the winning run with two out in the bottom of the ninth. 600 fans watched in the sweltering heat.

Parkville Oval (I)

41st and 39th Streets, 16th Avenue.

Sometimes referred to as the Forty-First Street Grounds. This was home to the Cortelyou Athletic Club in the early 1900s, and one of the Royal Arcanum League's grounds from around 1912. On June 24, 1913, the powerful De Long team thumped the Brooklyns here, 16 to 1. Soccer matches featuring Clan Chisholm were also played here. The Parkville Athletic Association semipro team was the home sqad here for some years, of course, taking on such teams as the Alpine Colored Giants and the Lincoln Giants. In a tense pitching duel to open the 1923 season, "Tut" Jackson and Garry Pape of Parkville outpointed Kahn and Lamb of Westinghouse, 2 to 0.

Homecrest Playground

Shore Parkway and E 24th Street.

This playground was constructed in 1942 with a baseball field, which lasted until a 1993 renovation. While the basketball and handball courts were improved by the revamp, sadly the ballfield was replaced with a general play area.

Brooklyn Athletic Field

Avenue L and East 17th Street.

Also known as General Wingate Athletic Field, Wingate Field, P.S.A.L. Field, and now Midwood Field (II). In August, 1909, the Brooklyn Eagle was fulsome in its praise of one year old Brooklyn Athletic Field, created by the Education Department for the use of local juniors:

In this Brooklyn field, which contains 160,000 square feet, are accommodatios for all sorts of outdoor games. There are five tennis courts; an oval, upon which two games of baseball can be played simultaneously; a straightaway cinder path, on which a dash of 220 yards can be run; a 440-yard track, with but one turn, and a quarter-mile track around the oval. There are only three other tracks in Greater New York which have a straightaway course of 220 yards.

On the grounds are several buildings, one of which is a locker room, with 186 lockers, and a shower bath adjoining it. Another building is a sort of barn used as a storage house. But these buildings are only temporary. When funds are procured a cement grandstand, with adequate locker rooms and shower baths and other appurtenances, is to be erected. Plans are being prepared, and mistakes which are found in other grandstands on other fields will be eliminated. The Manhattan Beach branch of the Long Island Railroad runs alongside of the field, and the company is going to deed the city a part of its land for the erection of the grandstand, so that it wil encroach very little on the space devoted to the track.



Vacation Playground Field Day in 1913 - 2,000 kids at Brooklyn Athletic Field


For the most part, Brooklyn Athletic Field saw track, soccer, and later football games, and still does, being present day home to Midwood High School's football and track teams. On June 9, 1923, Frank Hussey of Stuyvesant High incredibly tied the world record for the 100 yard dash of 9.6 seconds, winning by 10 yards while 5,000 spectators looked on.



Midwood Field in 2009


Baseball games here were hampered somewhat by the narrow field dimensions, but continued all the same. On April 9, 1921, Jerry Robinson of Brooklyn Prep pitched his team to a 6-3 win over Manual, striking out 8 and taking advantage of the short left field to swat a 3 run homer. On May 7, 1931, Eddie Jasper of Montauk Junior High pitched a perfect game in defeating Seth Low Junior High, 3 to 0. This was Jasper's second perfect game in three weeks.

The grandstand, modeled after the one used in Athens at the 1906 Olympic Games, was built in 1911 at a cost of $65,300. A roof was fitted some time after 1913. The grandstand remains, as the oldest part of any ballfield in Brooklyn, and the railroad alongside is now the Q train.



Midwood Field in 2006
Photo taken from Google Maps

Columbia Grounds

Park Avenue and Spencer Street.

This Columbia Club, distinct from the earlier mentioned one, was a junior team organized in June, 1858.

Bensonhurst Park

Bay 28th Street and Cropsey Avenue.

This public park, which first saw use in 1895, has a stunning waterfront view of Staten Island and the Verazzano Bridge. As well as baseball and softball fields, there is facility for tennis and basketball. Bensonhurst Park is one of the many fields hosting games of the Prospect Park Baseball Association.



Softball at Bensonhurst Park
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Seth Low Park

Avenue P, West 12th Street, Bay Parkway, Stillwell Avenue.

Named for the former NYC mayor and Columbia president, Seth Low Park has been a Bensonhurst institution since 1924. Between 1988 and 2000, almost $900,000 was spent on improvements here including a new parkhouse. Stickball at Seth Low, with the official Spaldeen, was a constant for many years, along with softball, which persists today on the asphalt field. In a September, 2008 matchup, the Longshots took both games of a doubleheader against the Ballers, 6 to 4 and 6 to 3.



The Seth Low Park softball field
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Jewish Community House Field

Bay Parkway and 79th Street.

The Jewish Community House was a massive complex, taking up an entire block, opened in 1927. Most famously in the sports realm, the J.C.H. Basketball League was highlhy competitive and long lived. For many years, regular summer camps were held here. Organizers promoted the fact that kids who only wanted to play baseball would be exposed to arts and music as well, and that kids who didn't even know what a baseball was would learn to play. Non-camp baseball was played here from time to time, also. On May 21, 1932, the Majestics A.S.C. baseball team beat the Majors, 6 to 3, with Mandel and Rothfeld hitting home runs, but lost to Le Rois the next day, 13 to 12. The Majestics punchball team did take a doubleheader from Le Rois, though, 6-2 and 5-2.

Neptune Ground

5th Avenue and Pacific Street.

Also home to the Dreadnaught Club, appropriately continuing the aquatic theme at Pacific Street. In May, 1859, Neptune lost 25 to 23 against the Vernon Club, with Vernon catcher Bergen scoring 7 runs without making an out.

Nassau Grounds

Cumberland and Willoughby Streets.

The Nassau Club should not be confused with its namesake from Princeton. In September, 1859, Nassau defeated again unlucky Neptune at these grounds, 18 to 17, in a "well contested" match.

Jefferson Field (I)

Weirfield Street and Knickerbocker Avenue.

Also known as Jefferson Oval. This field was home to the Jefferson Field Club, a junior nine aged 9-11, around 1907. The club played Sunday matches against such rivals as the Borough Field Club, Lexington, and Arvern Athletic Club, drawing crowds of 1,500 or more.

Jefferson Field (II)

Pennsylvania and Livonia Avenues.

This incarnation of Jefferson Field opened on May 14, 1926. Thomas Jefferson High's first home game resulted in a forfeit, 9-0 over Bushwick High, when Bushwick complained of fans on the field and refused to play on after three innings. 5,000 were in attendance. The Thomas Jefferson High football team also played home games at this field. In 1948, Henry Wallace of the American Labor Party addressed a rally of 10,000 here, as part of a day long, sixteen stop tour of Brooklyn.

Jefferson Field (II) was built over by Public School 13 in 1969, but still exists, in part, as an asphalt playground with a diamond and basketball courts marked out. Jefferson High moved to a new sports field near Spring Creek - see Jefferson Field (III), on the Take The Field page.



Thomas Jefferson High football players at their new field in 1926

Linden Park

Linden Boulevard, Vermont Street, Stanley and Van Siclen Avenues.

Also known as Linden Playground and J.H.S. 166 Playground. This park was opened in 1955, and acquired the Linden Park name in 1997. While its football field and running track are made of high tech surfaces, the baseball field is pure ashpalt, cracked and aged, with basketball hoops and backboards in the outfield. High school track meets, part of the Spring Series, are held here each year. Erasmus Hall also hosts invitational track meets at Linden Park.



Linden Playground
Overhead picture taken from Google Maps

Jefferson and Saratoga Avenues

This vacant lot saw many uses over time. In 1904, it was taken over by an evangelical group, and the Union Gospel Tent was erected. But in May, 1906, it also saw baseball. In a strong hitting exhibition, Antlers A.C. defeated Kingston A.C. 13 to 7.

Saratoga Park

Halsey and Macon Streets, Broadway, Saratoga Avenue.

Also known as Saratoga Field. This lot was used for circuses and assorted sports from the early 1890s. On Independence Day, 1896, the Howard Athletic Club celebrated the holiday by thumping Arctic A.C. 24 to 8, then survived a late 7 run rally to defeat the Pastime Field Club 9 to 8. Boys High also rented the field for baseball and football from 1906. In 1907, they shared with Erasmus Hall High School.



Skating at Saratoga Park in January, 1912


Barnum and Bailey's Circus spent many of its Brooklyn seasons at Saratoga Park, beginning in 1891, until a move to the old Washington Park grounds around 1905. 15,000 attended the first Barnum show at the park, on April 27, 1891, and were treated to a performance "more interesting this year than it has been for some years past."

The Howards moved to Wallace's Grounds in 1912 when the plot was sold to real estate interests and a theater built. The lot now contains a high rise housing project. Modern Saratoga Park, one block to the west, has too many trees to hold a ballfield.


Erasmus Hall baseball at Saratoga Field in 1907, and
Boys High 11, DeWitt Clinton 0 at football in 1906

Halsey Street Ground

Halsey Street and Sumner Avenue.

The Glendale Club, which spent most of its history in Queens, played games here in 1887, defeating the Stuyvesants 14 to 8 on August 19.


Suydam Oval

Betweeen DeKalb and Willoughby Avenues, above Cypress Avenue.

Home to the Suydam Lorials, a lower level semipro squad of the late 1920s and early 1930s, and Brooklyn Tech High School around the same time. The field was very small and fully enclosed. The field lasted longer than that, however. Ken "Trolley Car" Schlapp, captain of the present day Gotham Base Ball Club of New York, remembers:

After baseball was played there (and probably during), that area was where Trolley Cars were stored at night and those not in use, etc. In fact anyone that is my age or older that was from Ridgewood still calls that park "The Car Barns". Once the Trolleys were no longer used in NY, baseball fields, a track and bleachers were used for Grover Cleveland High School's teams as well as city track meets. In the late 70s, a young boy learned to play baseball (and handball and football and basketball) on these badly worn broken-glass filled fields. He later returned to this field as the captain and star of an awful Grover Cleveland Track team in the mid 80s. In the early 90s, the field was completely redone to put in Astroturf and once again become the home field of the Grover Cleveland High School baseball team. The nephew of the young boy mentioned earlier became a star shortstop (all-city honorable mention in 1999) for Grover Cleveland. Yes, of course, the young boy was the one and only Trolley Car of the New York Gothams, and the shortstop was Sparky's brother Genius (another former member of the Gothams).



The Car Barns, as used by Grover Cleveland High
Overhead picture taken from Google Maps

Manhattan Field Club Grounds

Weirfield Street and Irving Avenue.

The Manhattan Field Club was a junior team, average age 15, formed in 1902 for Sunday play with William Ennis as captain. Regular opponents included the Brighton Field Club from Wallace's Grounds, just nearby. On June 20, 1909, the Original Phoenix A.C. of Flatbush defeated the Manhattans 17 to 3, pulling off one of the rarest plays in baseball: a triple steal.

Commercial Field

Albany Avenue, Lincoln Road (now East New York Avenue), Lefferts Avenue, Kingston Avenue.

Commercial Field was home to Commerical High School soccer, football, and baseball from around 1906. Other schools, such as Boys High, also called Commercial Field home from time to time, as did local teams in the American Soccer League in the 1930s, and the short lived Brooklyn Horsemen of the American Football League in 1926.

Commercial wrapped up the 1908 P.S.A.L. baseball title with a 4 to 2 victory over Stuyvesant on June 13, 1908. In October they rubbed salt into the wound with a 17 to 0 football victory. On June 26, 1916, four days after pitching a nine inning no-hit game, Erasmus Hall's Waite Hoyt appeared in relief against Manual High, earning the win with 6 2/3 hitless innings, extending his no-hit streak to 15 2/3 innings. In May 1937, Marty Cogan of Samuel J. Tilden High defeated Alexander Hamilton High 14 to 1, striking out 12 and pitching a no-hitter.



Brooklyn Eagle photo spread of a track meet at Commercial Field, May 1909


The lot was acquired by the Parks Department in 1940, and the field survives in part today as a multi-sport facility called Hamilton-Metz Field, with baseball markings intact and a regular supply of Police Athletic League junior ballclubs. In 2006 a $1,570,000 restoration was completed, with the field relaid in artificial turf. Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe and Council Member Yvette Clarke played ball with the kids at the official re-opening. Neighborhood residents often refer to the field by yet another name, Lefferts Park.



Football at Commercial Field in 1929, Hamilton-Metz Field in 2009


Commercial Field is one of the rare venues in Brooklyn with a long and continuing hstory of cricket. In 1929, a visiting Bermudan cricket team played several matches at Commercial Field, defeating All New York and All Brooklyn elevens, and returned for more tours during the 1930s. A turf cricket pitch still existed in 2006, and the game is played today on the artificial surface, too.



Hamilton-Metz Field before and after renovation
Photos taken from Google Maps

Dover Oval

Albany Avenue and Midwood Street.

The Dovers called this field home in 1909, hosting such clubs as the Nationals and the Pioneer Field Club.

Young Prospect Diamond

Prospect Place near New York Avenue.

On April 10, 1894, the Young Franklins took on the Young Prospects here and won the day, 6 to 2 in five innings. Pitcher Charles Cangly was the star performer for the Franklins.

Brower Park

Park Place, Kingston and Brooklyn Avenues.

April 10, 1894, was a busy day for base ball in Crown Heights. Not far away from the Young Prospect Diamond, the Young Kingstons and the Deans played a match here, although it only lasted two innings. The Kingstons took away the honors by a score of 10 to 4. In May, the Young Emburys defeated the Young Ben Hurs, 8 to 4, in a game that lasted the full nine innings. Nowadays there are too many trees at Brower Park for a practical game of baseball.



Modern day Brower Park
Picture taken from Google Maps

Gregorian Field

Brooklyn Avenue and Crown Street.

On May 30, 1912, the Gregorians, representing St. Gregory's Church, opened this field against the St. Matthew's Catholic Club team in front of 1,000 fans. The home nine scored four runs in the first inning, and held on for a 5 to 4 win. Gregorian pitcher Peterson struck out thirteen, while left fielder Kiernan made three hits for the visitors. The second leg of a doubleheader failed to take place, as the Fairmonts did not appear. The Gregorians, aided by a strategy of recruiting excellent reserves to back up the starting nine, went on to win 45 of their 50 matches for the 1912 season.

Morse Oval

Foot of 52nd Street.

Also known as King's Star Oval. Most famously, this was the home of the Morse Dry Dock soccer team, which reached the later stages of two national cup tournaments and won the Southern New York State Association Cup in 1919. But the Morse Base Ball Club also played here in the 1910s, under the charge of Dodger Bill Dahlen. They took on such opponents as the Cuban Giants. The Nassau B.B.C. played here around 1912, as did Caffrey's All Stars.



Bill Dahlen, Morse B.B.C.

Saint A's Field

53rd Street, east of 21st Avenue.

Home to the St. Athanasius little league teams- the Angels, and host to other matches within the 78th Precinct and Prospect Park associations, this kid-sized field has been in place since the 1940s. The right and left field lines measure little more than 170 feet.



Saint A's Field from overhead, and lit for a night game, August 2006: Bulldogs 19, Bonnies 1
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Gravesend Park

18th Avenue and 56th Street.

Although this park, dating to 1917, is some way north of Gravesend, it acquired the name for nearby Gravesend Avenue, now McDonald Avenue. The fields here were in a desperate state for many years, but over $3 million in renovation funds saw the whole park overhauled. The ballfields, reopened in May, 2008, are now pristine. Bocce and handball are also popular here.



Gravesend Park, before and after renovation
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Dauntless Oval

Nostrand Avenue and Avenue J.

Presumably named for its proximity to the Dauntless Council, this field was one of several used for the 1912 Royal Arcanum League schedule. The grand season opener here pitted De Long and Long Island, who were honored by Grand Regent Roswell H. Starrett throwing out the first ball.

Flatbush Field (I)

Avenue F (now Farragut Road), East 37th Street.

Also known as Flatbush Oval (I). Home to the Flatbush Athletic Club from 1910. The Brooklyn Eagle reported that "an excellent diamond has been laid out and two stands erected." In 1913, the Flatbush A.C. gave up on other sports and became the Flatbush Base Ball Club. That 1913 club won 32 of 43 games, with star pitcher Neyenhouse starting 28 games and winning 25. So impressed was the new Flatbush B.B.C. with its season, that the players held a minstrel show at the Cortleyou Club to celebrate. Royal Arcanum League games and other local matches were also played here.



The Flatbush B.B.C. of 1913

Flatbush Oval (II)

Avenue H, Flatbush Avenue, Nostrand Avenue.

Also known as Flatbush Field (II), this field was home to Erasmus Hall's high school games on and off between 1921 and 1927, and well as Brooklyn Tech, the Flatbush Caseys and the Cooper Union football team. The field was also used for soccer into the 1940s. In April, 1923, a new Flatbush semipro team was formed to play at Flatbush Oval, and after District Attorney Charles Dodd threw out the first pitch, the club won its debut game 7 to 1 over Ridgewood A.C.

On May 23, 1923, Erasmus Hall and Manual Training High Schools met for the P.S.A.L. championship of Brooklyn at Flatbush Oval. After five innings, Manual led 6 to 2, but Erasmus rallied in the sixth and seventh to lead 7 to 6. In the ninth inning, Manual got a runner to third, who was caught off base in a rundown, but overeager students on the field interfered with play. The third baseman threw wildly and the ball was lost in the crowd. As the runner came home, he was first called out, then sent back to third instead. Both decisions incensed the Manual team, and the runner refused to return. When the umpire awarded the game and the championship to Erasmus Hall, a wild all in brawl started. More than 5,000 spectators - boys and girls from both schools - joined in the fight. The New York Times reported that "many reprimands were handed out for conduct not entirely becoming young ladies."



Erasmus Hall's football team of 1922 and Brooklyn
Tech's baseball team of 1924 played at Flatbush Oval (II)

Flatbush Oval (III)

Fillmore Avenue and East 53rd Street.

Also known as Fillmore Oval, Greys Field, and Flatbush Greys Oval. The semipro Flatbush Greys, managed by former Dodger Artie Dede, played here from 1936 and won most games against local semipro and amateur squads. In 1940, Dede moved on, and some of the players reformed as the Flatbush Club. In 1939, the Greys won 14 games on end, including an epic tussle with Wakefield, 4 to 3 in 13 innings. Pitcher Woody English drove in the winning run. Not to be outdone, on August 25, 1940, Tom Cummings pitched all 14 innings of a win over Morristown. Other visitors included the Hilldale Colored Stars, Visitation B.B.C., and the Brooklyn Barons.



1937 Greys scorecard

Colonial Oval (I)

Flatbush Avenue, Avenues I and J.

In 1907 the Aztec Athletic Club called Colonial Oval home, opening their season against the Unity Field Club. The Colonial A.C., a strong semipro team, was the main tenant.

Linden Field

Tilden and Snyder Avenues, East 32nd Street.

Also known as Linden Oval and Lawrence Park/Oval. This field was home to various nines in different years. Tenants included the Linden Field Club in 1905 and 1906, the Lenox Athletic Club from 1905 to 1907, and the Linden Athletic Association in 1909. In 1912, new stands were built for the Holy Cross Lyceum squad, a powerful semipro outfit.

Kings Field

Newkirk and Foster Avenues, East 31st and 32nd Streets.

After years of broken windows caused by foul balls from baseball games on this lot, the owners of the local waterworks built a proper field in 1932 as a service to the community, promising a "modern backstop." This field was home to the amateur Flatbush Robins, whose regular opponents included the Rams, Icons, and Grazianos. On July 14, 1947, Johnny Holmlund of the Grazianos pitched a two hitter in shutting out the Robins for a 2-0 win. Confusingly, in the early 1940s this park was referred to in soccer circles as Flatbush Oval, making it Flatbush Oval (IV). The lot is now part of a housing project.



The new ballfield under construction

Brooklyn Prep Field

Nostrand Avenue, Crown Street, Rogers Avenue, Montgomery Street.

Also known as Penn Hill Ground, Brooklyn College Field (I), Kingston Oval, and St. Francis Field. This ground stood on Penn Hill, a name derived from the neighboring penitentiary. Brooklyn Prep was a Jesuit school in Crown Heights from 1907 to 1972, and shared this diamond with Brooklyn College from 1913 until about 1925. The Kingston A.C. played here through 1909, before moving to the Parade Ground, and St. Francis A.C. played here until moving to Hawthorne Field. The Flatbush Club also called this field home for a time.



The 1908 St. Francis squad split two games with Oakland
on Penn Hill, winning 16-5 and losing 13-0


The field was surrounded by a high wire fence and known to students as the Rock Pile or the Dust Bowl. Right fielders had to play deep because the field sloped downwards after first base.

The early 1900s clashes between Flatbush rivals St. Francis and Oakland here were legendary, and often ended in fights between the two teams and their fans. On one occasion, the nines remained in a scoreless standoff until Oakland finally broke the tie, winning 1-0 in fifteen innings.



Brooklyn Prep pitching champs Dollard and McEvoy


On April 28, 1930, Johnny Dollard, a Brooklyn Prep pitcher who had lost both feet in a railway accident in 1923, allowed just three hits in a 27 to 0 home win over Columbia Grammar en route to the Catholic Schools city championship. Brooklyn Prep's best baseball player was pitcher Al McEvoy, who pitched two no-hitters in three starts in 1946. He later made it to the minor league Newark Bears, one step short of the New York American League team, but sadly blew out his arm and never saw the majors. Long serving Penn State football coach Joe Paterno was also a sports star at Brooklyn Prep, and Gil Hodges, Jr. was a catcher in the 1960s.



Brooklyn Prep's champion 1930 squad, action at Brooklyn Prep Field in 1949
Photo courtesy Brooklyn Prep Alumni

Ebbets Field Parking Lot

Bedford Avenue between Sullivan Place and Montgomery Street.

In July, 1952, the Brooklyn Dodgers received a letter from the Talmudical Academy, asking for a softball back. A player from their team had smacked a home run from the parking lot clear over Bedford Avenue and into Ebbets Field, a 350 foot shot. No one could find the ball, so a new one was provided.

Brooklyn College Field (II)

Ocean Avenue, Avenue H, Bedford Avenue, on Brooklyn College campus.

Originally known as Flatbush Field (III), then Brooklyn College Field, and later Roosevelt Field, this field was home to the Brooklyn College team, also known as the Kingsmen, from about 1940. The field is part of the Brooklyn College campus, one of the most beautiful in the country. Architect Randolph Evans drew up plans for a new Brooklyn College in 1932, and work began in on the site 1935 after the plot was purchased for $1.6 million.



Brooklyn College Field in 1940 and 2009
1940 photograph courtesy Brooklyn Public Library—Brooklyn Collection
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps


Brooklyn College fielded some awful nines in the Metropolitan Conference in the 1950s- in 1958 the team received 14 walks from NYU pitcher John Sasciano, but still lost 13 to 5. In 1959, St. John's visited and handed the Kingsmen a 26 to 4 thrashing. The field was also used as a venue for major high school baseball and football events, such as P.S.A.L. finals, right up until the 1980s. Nowadays best known for its colony of monk parrots, the site was relaid as an artificial turf multi-purpose field, once more called Brooklyn College Field, but sadly, it is now half covered by buildings. Brooklyn College no longer fields a baseball team.



P.S.A.L. Championship action: baseball in 1946, football in 1950
and Monk parrots at Brooklyn College's athletic field
Parrot photo courtesy Steve Baldwin of BrooklynParrots.com

62nd Precinct Ballfields

Avenue X, south of West 8th and West 11th Streets.

In July 1967, 13 boys from Coney Island protested a city land auction, trying to prevent the sale of their ballfields. Along with Herman Epstein of the 62nd Precinct Youth Council, they explained that the city had leased them the field for $15 a year, and that they had improved the area immensely since 1960, creating two diamonds and installing dugouts so 13 local teams could play. The Real Estate Department could find no record of the lease, but Commissioner Carl Madonick intervened and removed the property from auction anyway. The diamonds survive today as the Ty Cobb Fields. These are home to the Ty Cobb Big Apple League, offering co-ed baseball for ages 5 to 16.



Ty Cobb Fields in 2006 and looking overgrown in 2009
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Steeplechase Field

Coney Island Boardwalk, between West 16th and West 17th Streets.

This field, immediately south of Keyspan Park and sharing a common pavilion style, was built at the same time and made ready for Spring of 2001. Playing areas are laid out for junior soccer, field hockey, and of course baseball and softball. The juniors of the NATs - Neighborhood All-Star Teams - are at home here each summer. Every year on Father's Day a picnic is held here by the NYC Dads organization, too. Admission can be a little tricky - not everyone who uses the field is aware that this is a public park and not the private property of the Cyclones. Steeplechase Field is part of an area scheduled to be rezoned and replaced by Steeplechase Plaza, a proposed amusement and entertainment area. If we had to bet, though, we'd bet against this happening in our lifetimes.



Charming Steeplechase Field
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Grace Field

Between West Street and Village Road East, south of Gravesend Neck Road.

This park in Great Neck dates back to the early 20th century, when polo player W.R. Grace set up a field on his estate. Grace's Field saw many polo matches in its day, but now the remaining portion serves as a field for junior baseball, and has subtly adoped the formal name Our Lady Of Grace Field after the local little league, part of the Grace Gravesend Associations, which also includes the Gil Hodges Little League.



Grace Field at sunset, 2009


On August 5, 2008, the team from Wyckoff, NJ defeated the Brooklyn Bonnies 11 to 10 in eight innings at Grace Field to win the Gil Hodges World Series for players 11 and under.



Charming Grace Field
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps, action shot courtesy Attila Piros

West Playground

Avenue Z and West Street

This park dates to 1951, when the land was donated to the Park Department by the Trump Construction Company, which was building a series of large apartment buildings to the south. The ballfield is asphalt with painted lines. The park underwent major renovations in 1986 at a cost of $609,000, and more minor work in 1996.



West Playground
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Gil Hodges Field

Between Shell Road and the MTA Depot, north of Shore Parkway.

On May 4, 1963, Brooklyn Dodger legend Gil Hodges threw out the first pitch here, and 350 young players of the South Highway Little League had a new place to play. Gil Hodges Field has been in continuous use ever since, nowadays hosting many little league tournaments as well as high school and college softball. The South Highway Little League was later renamed for Gil Hodges, and merged with the Grace Gravesend Associations in 1992. The southern field, with lights, is by far the better maintained of the two. The stands at Gil Hodges Field can seat 1250 spectators.



Gil Hodges Field, 78th Precinct Bulldogs in action
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps, action shot courtesy Attila Piros

Kings Bay Field

Coyle Street and Avenue Z.

Although it features an excellent diamond, Kings Bay Field is far better known as a football venue - high school teams such as Xaverian play here, as well as Kings Bay youth teams and the Brooklyn Mariners semipro team. The Mariners have graced Kings Bay since 1957, and were national semipro champions in 1991. The outside wall of the football field is prominently painted with an eagle, a flag, and the phrase "God Bless America."



Kings Bay Field hosts football and baseball
Picture taken from Google Maps

Kings Bay Sports Center

Voorhies Avenue between Coyle and Bragg Streets.

Confusingly, some little league websites refer to this location as Kings Bay Fields. The Kings Bay Youth Organization has hosted baseball at these well tended fields since the late 1950s. Along with the nearly perfect turf, the backstops and chain link fences are painted in Fenway Park green, which lends an authentic old time baseball atmosphere.



Kings Bay Sports Center, the Little League's answer to Fenway Park


Regular Little League here encompasses ages 5 to 16, and KBYO also runs the Challenger Division for children aged 4 to 18 with disabilities. KBYO claims that their "two beautifully manicured fields are the best in Brooklyn." Who are we to argue?



Kings Bay Sports Center - best in Brooklyn?
Picture taken from Google Maps

Verrazano Narrows Recreation Complex

South of Shore Parkway and Bay 44th Street.

This is part of Calvert Vaux Park, previously known as Dreier Offerman Park. This public park features three fields- two for softball or junior ball, and one regulation baseball field. The baseball field was one of the final homes- along with Keyspan Park and Staten Island's Richmond County Park- of St. Francis College of the Northeast Conference, before the school dropped its baseball and softball programs in 2006. The Terriers won their last game at the Narrows Complex, 5 to 3 over Wagner on May 7. This was a rare highlight in a 6-39 season. The Gowanus Heights Softball League also plays games at the complex.

Calvert Vaux Park was closed in 2009 for renovations, which will see new artificial turf soccer fields laid. The baseball and softball fields will remain intact.



Narrows Complex ballfields at Calvert Vaux Park
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Six Diamonds

West 22nd Street and Bay 52nd Street.

Use of this area for baseball dates to 1942, and it stands not far south of the Narrows Complex. Land was added to the park in 1964, and in 1995 a renewal project saw the removal of 80 abandoned cars from this area and neighboring Calvert Vaux Park. In 1985 the name was changed from Coney Island Creek Boat Basin and Recreation Area to Four Diamonds, but in 1999 two extra fields were added and the park became Six Diamonds. Several local schools play home games at Six Diamonds, as do various amateur baseball and softball leagues. The MSBL (Men's Senior Baseball League) Brooklyn Dodgers played at Six Diamonds in 2005 and won the Central Division.



Six Diamonds (count them), the 2005 MSBL Brooklyn Dodgers
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps, Dodgers photo courtesy "Doc" Calamaria

Kaiser Park

Neptune Avenue and West 28th Street.

Also known as Kaiser Field, Kaiser Playground, and Neptune Playground. The city acquired this land between 1934 and 1937, creating a park named Coney Island Lots. In 1951, it was renamed Leon Kaiser Park in honor of a long serving local teacher. This waterfront park, right across Coney Island Creek from Six Diamonds, boasted four fields, renovated in 1994. Unfortunately that was reduced to two when the park was renovated again around 2008, although the revived football field and track are spectacular.



Views of Kaiser Park in 2009


Both MSBL and NYCMBL (New York City Metro Baseball League) teams currently call Kaiser Park home, as did some teams of the Coney Island League in the 1940s and 50s. William E. Grady High School also plays some home games there, notably a bizarre 22-16 loss to Sheepshead Bay in April, 2006. Kaiser Park features facilities for handball, basketball, and tennis as well as baseball. It is also one of only three parks in Brooklyn where barbecues are allowed.



Kaiser Park, now missing two ballfields after renovation
Pictures taken from Google Maps

Mark Twain Field

Neptune Avenue and West 24th Street.

The Mark Twain Intermediate School on Neptune Avenue used to have its own turf ballfield, despite being situated right next to Kaiser Park. The lot is the one at the far right of the Kaiser Park photographs, above. Mark Twain Field was used by the Coney Island League in the 1940s and 1950s. In September, 1949, the former players of the Coney Island Redwings team played the Coney Island League All Stars in a benefit match at Mark Twain Field for the family of Teddy Cantor, who had died suddenly a few weeks earlier. Cantor had been a Redwings player before joining the Army, where he had pitched in a military game against Johnny Vander Meer and lost a beauty, 1-0. Today, the Mark Twain ballfield is an asphalt one, with spray painted batter's box.


1954 - Coney Island All Stars beat the Parade Ground All Stars, 4 to 1, and 2009 - an asphalt lot

Coney Island Field (I)

Neptune Avenue between West 12th Street and the subway tracks.

Also known as Coney Island Oval and B.M.T. Oval. In 1928 and 1929, the B.M.T. All Stars baseball team played here. The field was enclosed before the 1929 season, in time for the visit of the New York Bloomer Girls squad. Other opponents included the Bedford Circles, the Woodhaven Aldines, and the Wayne Field Club. On July 23, 1928, B.M.T. pitcher Tomasula carried a no-hit bid into the eighth inning against the Ashton Blue Sox, before fading. He did, however, pick up the win, 5 to 4.

In 1930 the ballfield was converted into the Coney Island Velodrome, and saw cycling, midget auto racing, boxing, and wrestling for another 20 years. Nowadays, hidden between the houses on the site, the Neptune Playground - not to be confused with an old name for Kaiser Park - is considerably smaller, and houses volleyball and basketball courts.



Neptune Playground, hidden at Coney Island
Picture taken from Google Maps

Grady Field

Shore Parkway and Brighton 3rd Street.

William H. Grady High School has played baseball on this tree lined lot since the 1950s. Recent Falcons teams have fared very poorly, going 0-16 in 2006. This awful season featured 21-0 and 24-0 defeats at Grady Field. In 2007, the field was completely rebuilt by William A. Gross Construction Associates, who did much of the work at the Parade Ground.



Grady Field before and after
Overhead pictures taken from Google Maps

Pratt's Lots

DeKalb Avenue, Myrtle Avenue, Grand Avenue, Schenck Street.

This large group of partially developed blocks formed a far more informal sort of Parade Ground for the children of the Seventh Ward in the 1890s. Former big league outfielder and pitcher Jimmy Bannon coached the local kids here.



Jimmy Bannon, local ball coach

Pratt Field (I)

Grand and Myrtle Avenues.

This field was laid out in 1899, at a cost of around $3,000, a gift of Frederick B. Pratt. The field was opened with a day of athletic contests, in which the class of 1900 soundly defeated the other classes. On April 28, 1900, Pratt squeaked past Browne's Business School, 3 to 2. Being intended for athletics, the field was not adequate for a high standard of baseball, and Pratt's squads played mainly on the road or at Wallace's Ridgewood Grounds. As the Eagle put it in 1907: Only Pratt is without a suitable location, although Pratt Field will suffice for practice.

When the new Pratt Field was ready in 1913, this one was given to the city for use as a playground, complete with baseball diamond and even a three hole golf course. On July 26, 1916, O'Donnell of the Alpine Juniors pitched a no-hit shutout at Pratt Playground to defeat the National Juniors 9-0. The playground has since been built over, some time after 1932.

Pratt Institute teams were known variously over the years as the Engineers, the Cannoneers, and the Big Gold.



Pratt Institute's 1907 high school baseball squad

Pratt Field (II)

Willoughby and Myrtle Avenues, Emerson Place, Steuben Street.

The new Pratt Field, next to the previous one, was opened in the spring of 1913. Work began in 1912, when the block adjoining the "old baseball cage" was purchased and its buildings demolished. Surveying work on the field was performed by Pratt architectural students. The field was surrounded by a 40 foot wire fence, and had an enclosed batting cage. The distance from home plate to center field was only 280 feet. The Brooklyn Eagle said in 1935: The Pratt nine has always been handicapped on its home diamond, where an ordinary infield pop fly goes for a homer over the outfield fence.



Students crowd the field for Pratt baseball, even on a wet day
Courtesy of Pratt Institute Archives


The Pratt Institute played baseball here as part of the Knickerbocker Conference against the likes of Hunter and NY Maritime. The local Central City nine also called Pratt Field home, hosting regular Saturday double headers in the 1920s. On April 25, 1931, Frank Boemeran pitched a no-hitter, allowing just one walk and helping himself with a home run, as Pratt demolished Hamilton College 15 to 0. On April 15, 1950, Pratt's Hank Quell also hurled a no-hitter, defeating Jersey State Teachers 2 to 0. Also deserving a mention is the appropriately named Cannon, who twirled two one-hitters at Pratt Field in the space of eight days, in May, 1927.

Part of this site remains in use for sporting purposes today, as artificially surfaced volleyball, basketball, and handball courts.



Pratt Field (II), then and now
Action photo courtesy of Pratt Institute Archives,
overhead photo taken from Google Maps

Pratt Field (III)

DeKalb and Classon Avenues, on Pratt Institute campus.

The Pratt Institute field moved here in late 1957. The mid to late 1960s saw an era when the Prattler, the student newspaper, regularly complained that the baseball team needed more players and was often playing with no one on the bench. Pratt's two major highlights at the field in this era were an epic 8-7 upset of arch rival Long Island University in 1967, and a no-hitter by John Mertens against Brooklyn College around 1968. Alumnus Richard Lebenson remembers the ground:

It had a 400 foot center field fence and a pretty short right field "porch" with a sloped small hill leading up to a high fence in right. Home plate was by the DeKalb avenue side (the left field foul line being parallel to Classon avenue).

This part of the campus is now mostly a parking lot, and Pratt no longer fields a baseball team.



Action and practice at Pratt Field (III) in the 1960s
Courtesy of Pratt Institute Archives

St. Andrew's Playground

Herkimer Street, Atlantic and Kingston Avenues.

In 1945, the city purchased the former Brooklyn Orphan Asylum to build this playground. The baseball field here features lights for evening games, and handball and basketball courts are also available. The Marcy Avenue Campus co-ed softball team played some home games at this field before the program was dropped in 2008.



St. Andrew's Playground, with two overlapping ballfields
Picture taken from Google Maps

LIU Field

Willoughby Street and Ashland Place.

After playing for many years at such venues as Erasmus Field and Ebbets Field, in 1960 the Long Island University Blackbirds moved onto a diamond at their Brooklyn, or Zeckendorf, Campus. The team still plays on this field. The field has quirky dimensions and surface because it is shared by the softball and soccer squads. On September 23, 1961, pitchers Tom Catalano and Bob Campesi hurled the Blackbirds to a 6 to 1 no-hit win over Adelphi.



LIU Field from above, high school soccer in 2008
Overhead picture taken from Google Maps

City Line Park

Conduit Avenue between Atlantic Avenue and Linden Boulevard.

City Line Park, former home of the Ridgewood Pumping Station, was assembled in pieces over a period of years, until the Parks Department owned all the land in 1949. The pumping station was not demolished until the 1960s.

The main field here, at Atlantic Avenue, has been home to East New York Vocational and Tech School since around 1955. In 2006, East N.Y. Transit Tech (same school, new name) scored 67 runs in the first three games of the season, and went 16-0 to win the Brooklyn division of the P.S.A.L. East New York Transit Tech's team is variously known as the Conductors, the Subway Cars, and the Express. The field is also home to the Pedrin Zorrilla Baseball League, a semipro league of Hispanic players, many of them former minor leaguers looking for another shot at the big time. The league has operated in East New York since 1957, and currently features such squads as the Falcons, Reds, A's, and Cubs. The Bearcats of Baruch College also play games here.

There are also several other fields, one asphalt and the rest grass, further east along City Line Park.



The lovely asymmetry of the main field, and
the smaller fields of City Line Park
Overhead pictures taken from Google Maps

Blake-Euclid Field

Blake and Euclid Avenues.

Also known as Cypress Hills Houses Park, Cypress Hills Playground and Euclid Field. This park dates to 1935, when it extended as far south as Linden Boulevard and was variously referred to as Euclid Field or Blake-Euclid Field. The Cypress Hills Houses were built during 1954 and 1955, and replaced the southern portion of the park. The remaining portion was closed for a time, and reopened as Cypress Hill Houses Park in 1958. The fields here are home to such teams as the Black Sox of the Mayfield Softball League. Previously, the larger park was home to a regular amateur league featuring such teams as the Pirates, Ravens, and Nomads. The W.P.A. era concrete bleachers at the northwest corner of the park still survive.



Cypress Hill Playground


Blake and Euclid Field was also home to East New York Vocational High School from 1941 through 1954. On May 28, 1947, left hander Pete Wasiluk, of Automotive High School, pitched a no-hitter here to defeat East New York 4 to 0. On that same day, two other high school no-hitters were pitched in Brooklyn, both at the Parade Ground. On May 25, 1954, East New York's Mike Kuilan, who had pitched a one-hitter four weeks earlier, tossed a perfect game, defeating Westinghouse 1 to 0 and striking out 13. This was Kuilan's fifth 1-0 win in his high school career.



The green fields at Cypress Hill Houses, the second place 1951 Nomads at Blake Euclid Field
Picture taken from Google Maps

Linton Park

Blake and Miller Avenues.

Also known as Linton Oval. While today's Linton Park has no room for baseball, it was once home to the Linton Park Athletic Club, whose 1907 visitors incuded the Flatbush Club and the Spartans of East New York. The Penn Glens also played matches here in 1909, against the Monroes and Lincolns, among others.



Modern day Linton Park
Picture taken from Google Maps

Bay Ridge Oval (I)

75th Street and 5th Avenue.

This was home to the Bay Ridge Field Club around 1905. In a dramatic contest on August 7, 1905, the Bay Ridge F.C. defeated All Bay Ridge, a team made up of players from other squads in the area. All Bay Ridge rallied from an early 6-1 deficit, scored five in the fifth, and took a two run lead in the top of the ninth. But Frey of Bay Ridge F.C. doubled in two runs in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game and send it to extra innings. In the eleventh, All Bay Ridge scored once, but Frey hit another two run double to win the game, 12 to 11.

Bay Ridge Oval (II)

68th Street and 5th Avenue.

Also known as Minor's Bay Ridge Park. Home to the Bay Ridge Athletic Club team from 1905. Opponents were many and varied: St. Michael's Field Club, the Baltimore Colored Giants, and Wall's All Professionals were some of the visitors in 1905 alone. In 1914, when the stands were rebuilt to seat 4,000, such opponents as the Manhattan Bloomer Girls played the locals. Advertising for that match focused on the Manhattan pitcher, Mamie O'Rourke, who had impressed major league players in practice games and struck out Giants manager John McGraw.

Bay Ridge Baseball Park

49th and 51st Streets and 2nd Avenue.

Also known as Bay Ridge Oval (III). The Bay Ridge Club played here under the management of Edward Dougherty in 1906. In June, Dougherty and Nat Strong, then manager of the Manhattan Beach team, were arrested for violating Sunday baseball laws by placing contribution boxes at the exits of the ground after the crowd started to leave. Magistrate Tighe dismissed the charges. Other attractions included matches between such clubs as the Superba and South Brooklyn Field Clubs.

Bay Ridge Oval (IV)

81st Street and 5th Avenue.

This had been the home of the Bay Ridge Field Club baseball team some time prior to 1908, when it was secured for the use of the St. Michael's Lyceum football squad. On May 13, 1912, a large crowd ventured to this Bay Ridge Oval to cheer on the Standard Oil Company teams of New York and New Jersey in the deciding match of the best-of-three series. The New York squad won out, 11 to 4. New York pitcher Freely struck out 14, while first baseman Lindberg rapped out four hits and scored three runs.

Bay Ridge Oval (V)

84th Street and 4th Avenue.

This venue hosted games of the Royal Arcanum League in 1916, featuring such matchups as Fraternity vs. Bedford. In 1920, the Arbor Vitae Masonic Lodge team played home matches here also.

Graham Field

86th Street and 15th Avenue.

Also known at times as Bay Ridge Stadium, Bay Ridge Oval (VI), Bay Ridge Oval Speedway, Doyle's Field, Benridge Stadium, and MacArthur Stadium. Graham Field, capacity 3,000, was home to the Bay Ridge Baseball Club, or Ridgemen, from 1925. The field was opened with a 2 to 1 win for Bay Ridge over the Philadelphia Pros, with the home team turning a triple play with bases loaded in the second inning.

New Utrecht High School played home games of baseball and football here in the mid 1920s and again in 1936 and 1937. The baseball nine won more than they lost, and on April 9, 1926, fought out an 8-8 tie with St. Francis Prep as darkness called a halt after eight innings and almost four hours of play. Elementary school games were also, popular, with an "overflowing mob" cramming Graham Field to see P.S. 112 defeat P.S. 128, 7 to 2, on May 19, 1926. Later in the 1920s, as Doyle's Field, the ground was home to the Coney Island Democrats nine. In 1936, Bay Ridge Stadium saw matches of the NYC Baseball Federation tournament, featuring such teams as Koppers Coke and Old Dutch Coffee.

In later years, star visitors to Bay Ridge Stadium included Roy Campanella and Satchel Paige. Professional boxing, top level soccer, and motor racing - advertising guaranteed spills - were also seen here regularly for many years. To support these events, a lighting system was installed in the 1930s, but it worked very poorly for baseball.


Bay Ridge Oval (VII)

43rd and 44th Streets, 2nd Avenue.

This field saw constant use as a high level soccer venue from 1932 to 1948, initially as home to the Greenock West of Scotland Football Club, but was also host to matches of the Home Talk Baseball League from 1932, and home to the Bay Ridge nine that same year. In an exciting back and forth match in August, 1932, the Bay Ridge Club scored four runs in the sixth inning to turn a 5-2 deficit into a 6-5 win over the West Side Club. All five of West Side's runs had been scored in the fourth inning.

Bay Ridge Oval Field

77th Street and Colonial Road.

On June 26, 1914, an organized nine of alumni of Public School 102 played the incumbent P.S. 102 squad at the Bay Ridge Oval Field.

Varuna Park

58th Street and 1st Avenue.

Varuna Park was a regular venue for both American and Association football during the 1890s. There was also base ball, however. On June 29, 1890, The Varuna and Oriole teams met, with over three hundred spectators on hand. The Orioles led 4-1 after the first inning, but Varuna pitcher J. Worth had them in his pocket after that, and the Varunas piled on five runs in the sixth, and four runs in the ninth on the way to a 16-4 victory.

On the Fall sports side of things, "the most desperately contested foot ball contest ever seen on the Varuna Park gridiron" took place on November 21, 1897 between St. Peter's and Willets Point. The two elevens struggled through a scoreless match until the very end, when Benjamin "was forced through the Willets Point center and carried over the line for a touch down." There was not even time left to kick the goal after the score.

Daubert's Field

Ocean Boulevard, Kings Kighway, East 2nd Street.

The Parkway Driving Club opened this ground for harness racing in October, 1892. In 1914, Brooklyn Dodger captain Jake Daubert (acting as a front man for Charlie Ebbets) formed a semipro team called the Oakland Club, and the old Parkway Driving Club grounds were renamed Daubert's Field, with the intention of being a Sunday venue for the team. On April 19, 2,000 fans showed up to see the Oaklands take on the Dodgers, but police prevented any play. Daubert and Oakland captain Deedy had already been summoned to appear in court for organizing a game the previous Sunday, when the Brooklyn Yannigans (Dodger rookies) had shut out the Oaklands.

The property was sold to the Garden Land Company in 1921, and 200 houses replaced the old track and oval at a cost of $5 million.



Jake Daubert, Dodger captain and part time semipro magnate,
the Parkway Driving Club clubhouse in 1907

Kreyer's Base Ball Park

Kings Highway and Coney Island Avenue.

Kreyer's Hotel was best known for its bowling alleys, but the grounds also hosted football and base ball matches. On May 26, 1895, the Berkeley Base Ball Club met the Bohanna Club on the diamond in a seven inning game. The Berkeleys won, 11 to 6, with the play of E. McCormack in center field a highlight, taking three difficult catches and throwing out a runner at the plate.

On Thanksgiving Day, 1896, the South Brooklyn wheelmen played a football match at Kreyer's Grounds. Because many of the cyclists were novices to the game, a set of rules was furnished:

In 1926, the Brooklyn Standard Union reported that Kreyer's Hotel had long since succumbed to Prohibition, been demolished, and replaced with up to date shops.

St. Michael's Field (I)

47th Street and 2nd Avenue.

Home to the team of St. Michael's Field Club from 1904. This was not an enclosed ballpark, although the Rev. John Rippere appeared in Magistrate Tighe's court in July, 1904, with a large photograph of the stands claiming this as proof of an enclosed space, which would have made a Sunday game against the law. Magistrate Tighe, as he often did, dismissed the charges against the St. Michael's players. In April, 1905, the brand new Brooklyn Royal Giants played one of their first games at St. Michael's, and lost 7 to 4. At this time, the club featured two star pitchers, Frank Scullen and Joe Lake. Scullen eventually turned to the priesthood, while Lake was soon pitching in the American League. In a six year career he played for New York, St. Louis, and Detroit.

Shore Road Field

74th and 79th Streets, Shore Road, Shore Parkway.

This group of three ballfields within 58 acre Shore Road Park is home to Xaverian High School's baseball team, as well as St. Ephrems Baseball and Softball League, and games of the Brooklyn Meadows Softball League. Xaverian's most famous baseball player is longtime Giants and Reds shortstop Rich Aurilia, of the class of 1989. In 2003 a local stir was caused by Xaverian fencing off the main field, largely because of the incorrect perception that it would no longer be available for public use.



Shore Road Field- three fields in one
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps, lower view courtesy Fahmida Y. Rashid

Frank Schnurr Field

83rd Street and Shore Road.

Home to the youngest players of the 68th Precinct Little League. Frank Schnurr Field, named for a long time local coach, is the site for annual opening day festivities. All the 68th Precinct players parade through Bay Ridge before converging on the field. Local politicians are always sure to put in an appearance, too. This park was once part of the Crescent Athletic Club Grounds. The dugouts are covered by blue tarpaulin, and a green sign beckons spectators to a refreshment tent beyond left field.



Frank Schnurr Field
Overhead picture taken from Google Maps

Andrew Lehman Ballfields

94th Street, 4th Avenue, Shore Road, Shore Parkway.

Further south along shore road are the Andrew Lehman Ballfields, with four diamonds hosting games of the junior Prospect Park Baseball Association, and other leagues. The individual fields have variously been dubbed with their own names, at times: Cubs Field (aka Shore Road Oval), home of the powerful Bay Ridge Cubs amateur squad of the 1930s and 1940s, was within this park at the 100th Street end, while Hopeless Field (of the Hopeless Club) was at 95th Street, and, unsurprisingly, the 97th Street Oval was the one at 97th Street. The Home Talk League, organized by the Brooklyn Eagle, played games here in the 1930s.



The view looking over the northern end of the Lehman Fields


The Lehman Ballfields reside in as beautiful a setting as any fields we have visited. There are tall shady trees, a stone field house, the Verazzano Bridge stretching out over the Narrows, and a winding path up to street level which affords fantastic views of the whole scene.



Andrew Lehman Field from overhead, and showing junior action
Overhead photo taken from Google Maps
Action shot courtesy Paul Fox

Vernon Oval

77th and 79th Streets, 1st and 2nd Avenues (now Colonial Road and Ridge Boulevard).

Also known as Legion Field. In 1916 the name New Vernon Oval briefly came into use, possibly for a new grandstand. The powerful Vernon amateur club called this park home from around 1914, although baseball was played at this location as early as the Monitor-Oriental clash of 1911, and football goes back to at least 1909, when the ground was referred to as Colonial Oval (II). The Vernons would play other amateur teams, semipros, and also teams like Municipal Field Club, a picked nine of the best players from clubs all around Brooklyn. In 1916, they opened the season here by shutting out the wonderfully named Original Empire Club, 6 to 0.

Around 1920, American Legion games were played here. One fine example was the Buffalo Colored Stars against the Gilbert J. Doyle Post. Also, St. Francis College played home matches here in 1922.

Good Intent Club Grounds

Benson Avenue, near the Bath House, New Utrecht.

The Good Intents hosted the Wawayanda Club of Gravesend on October 20, 1859, and took the victory, 29 to 18. Five days later they did even better, defeating Meitowak of Flatbush by a score of 38 to 20.

Central Presbyterian Field

Kings Kighway and East 37th Street.

Also known as Hubbard Field. The Hubbard Base Ball Club, a semipro outfit, played here in the 1910s, occasionally holding the "champions of Flatbush" moniker. On June 20, 1915, the Hubbards played an epic game against the sailors of the U.S.S. Arkansas, who scored 3 times in the eighth inning to erase a 3-0 lead, and eventually won 4-3 in the eleventh.

Although most games in the Sunday School Athletic League were played at the Parade Ground, Central Presbyterian was fortunate to have its own ballfield. The 1916 team reached the S.S.A.L. final, but lost a best of three playoff to Flatbush Christian, two games to one.

Vanderveer Park

Glenwood Road and East 39th Street.

The Royal Arcanum League played games here in the 1910s, as did the Sunday Schools Athletic League. On July 27, 1913, a much anticipated Arcanum pitching duel between Hill of Gilbert and Hanley of Dauntless went somewhat awry, as Gilbert took the game 13 to 9. Winning pitcher Hill struck out 14 and gave up only five hits, although his fielders make seven errors. Hanley struck out 15, but gave up 16 hits.

The Vanderveer Park Grounds were home to a long standing, bitter rivalry between the teams of the two nearest congregations, the Vanderveer Park Methodist Episcopal Church and the Fenimore Street Methodist Episcopal Church. When both teams reached the championship game of the S.S.A.L. in July 1917, a great match was in prospect. Alas, the season ended in anti-climax, as two of the Fenimores were unable two play - one, catcher Robert Pearson, had been called away to war - and Vanderveer Park took the title by a 9-0 forfeit score.


Wawayanda Club Grounds

Coney Island.

Described in the Eagle as "large and splendid", these grounds saw the Wawayanda Club host the likes of the Good Intents and the Minawax Club of Flatbush in 1859 and 1860.

Utica Oval

Douglass Street and Utica Avenue.

Also known as St. Mark's Oval, for 1907 and possibly other years around then, when the St. Mark's Methodist Episcopal team arranged to have these grounds for matches in the Protestant Church League. This field, with a capacity of 5,000 or more, was home to the amateur Utica nine from 1904 to 1910, after which the club moved to Saratoga Park. Soccer matches were also played here. On April 30, 1906, the Uticas took the visiting New Brunswick team to 10 innings in a thrilling back and forth contest before 2,100 fans, finally losing 11-10.

Oaklins Oval

Kingston Avenue and Carroll Street.

Home to the Oaklins junior team around 1910, and the St. Gregory's Club in 1912. On September 10, 1911, a match was set here between the Oaklins and the Elroy Field Club, for the junior championship of Williamsburg. This does seem odd, given the field's location in the heart of Crown Heights. In any case, although we know the Elroys and Oaklins split their previous matches, we cannot find the result of the championship game.



Elroy F.C., 1911

Suburban Oval

16th Avenue, Gravesend (now McDonald) Avenue, Avenue D (now Ditmas Avenue).

Also known as Parkville Field and Parkville Oval (II), for Parkville F.C., and Newkirk Oval for Newkirk A.C., both of which played here in the early 1900s. Home to various high school games, as well as the Suburban Athletic Association, a local semipro squad, yet another for which Ernie Lindemann pitched at one time. New grandstands were completed at Suburban Oval in time for the team to play Brighton and the New York Fire Department in a double header in April, 1911. In May, 1914, Bay Ridge High defeated Eastern District 23 to 4, in "one of the worst baseball games seen on a local scholastic diamond in years." Regular visitors included the Ironsides of New Jersey, whose "never say die spirit" - shown in an eleven inning win over Suburban in 1914 - won the local crowd over. Football and soccer matches were also played here.



Football at Suburban Oval- Manual High
beats Stuyvesant 13 to 0 in 1914

Ulmer Park

The end of 25th Avenue at the waterfront.

Thos massive resort and amusement park was opened in 1893. Sadly, the resort closed in 1899, but the park remained for some time after. A baseball diamond, with stands to hod 2,500 people, was built in 1904. For many years, cricket was also played at Ulmer Park, with the Bensonhurst Club's teams at home, although track and field meets were the most common sporting event. The park was owned by the Ulmer Brewery, which also at one time owned Dexter Park. In 1896, the Charles Ebbets Club had a day of athletic contests featuring "prominent citizens" and members of the Brooklyn and Baltimore National League teams. The Felix and Barry Base Ball Club, a semipro squad spun off from a vaudeville duo, was managed by George Felix and played here from the first game in May, 1904 when they faced the X-Laurels. In the mid 1920s, New Utrecht High played home games at Ulmer Park, as did the new Lafayette High School in the early 1940s. On June 1, 1927, Madison High beat New Utrecht 1 to 0, the only run being a steal of home by Madison's Hoffman.



Ulmer Park resort in 1894,
Mary Saunders races to victory in the
1931 Caledonian Games at Ulmer Park

Buhre Oval

East 9th Street, Avenue Q, Ocean Parkway

Home of another beautifully named amateur squad, St. Brendan's Lyceum Club, from 1910. On August 7, 1910, St. Brendan's put on a show against the Manhattan Reserves, with "batting and base running too much for the Manhattan nine" in a 10-2 win. On April 3, 1911, the St. Brendan's nine found a multitude of ways to get on base - 11 hits, 6 walks, and 4 hit by pitch - in defeating the Brighton Field Club, 10 to 3.



The 1910 St. Brendan's Lyceum squad

Hopkins Farm

Warwick and Elton Streets, Pitkin Avenue, New Lots Road (now New Lots Avenue).

As early as 1891, the large Hopkins Farm property stood out in East New York as properties all around it were being sold off and broken up for development. In 1902, the East New York Field Club was formed, challenging out of town nines to play on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and holidays on "one of the best diamonds in Greater New York, located on what is known as Hopkins Farm." The club remained for three seasons before moving to Taft's Oval when the farm was sold. The property fetched $250,000 from developer Solomon Rubin in December 1904, having cost William Hopkins $4,000 sixty years before.

Taft's Oval

Rockaway Avenue, Linden Boulevard, New Lots Road.

The full name of this park was Taft's Oval Picnic and Baseball Grounds, and around 1909 it was also known as Forester's Oval. It was home to many recreational games of baseball, as well as more organized ball - the Dry Goods League of 1910, for instance. In one game, Saks pitcher Samuels stole home in the eleventh inning to salvage a tie with Namm & Co. The East New York Field Club, Canarsie Field Club, and New Eckfords all played home games here in the early 1900s. Various local soccer teams played at Taft's Oval between about 1910 and 1920.

On May 30, 1926, a cigarette was left in the bleachers after a baseball game at Taft's Oval, and smouldered for several hours before the bleachers caught fire and burned down. Tragically, two houses at the back of the stand also caught fire, and eight people were killed in the blaze.

By 1940, proprietor Jules J. Taft had retired, and the family had closed the oval and sold off all the land by the end of 1941.

New Lots Oval

Church and Rockaway Avenues.

Also known as New Lots Field, Crown Oval, East New York Oval and East New York Field. The New Lots Athletic Club played here from at least 1908 to 1919 against such opponents as the Ridgewood Lyceum, the Pen Glens, the Empires, and the Camdens. In 1909, the team won fifteen straight games. On August 15, 1911, De Long defeated De Witt Clinton 9 to 3, reeling off a tenth consecutive win to open the Royal Arcanum League season. On September 22, 1912, Fulton "batted the ball all over the lot" in a 20-4 win over Gilbert, with every Fulton scoring at least twice. On June 27, 1920, East New York right fielder Loesch made "the longest hit ever seen on East New York Oval" in a 3 to 1 win over Plainfield.

The Commercial and Real Estate League also played matches here in 1916, and boxing tournaments were a regular feature.



Fulton's big hitting 1912 Royal Arcanum team

Rugby Park

Church Avenue and East 57th Street.

Also known as Dun Oval and Orient Oval. Around 1909 this was home to the Orient A.C. nine, and later in the 1910s this was home to the Rugby Athletic Club. In 1909, Sellers of Orient pitched a one hitter in defeating the Ætnas 12 to 0. On April 23, 1911, Rugby Park saw a dramatic 7-6 finish: With two down and Mueller on second base, Avery Payne drove out a neat single over second base and won a close verdict for the Rugby A.C. against the Hustler F.C. The game was very interesting throughout, many sensational plays being made, which brought the five hundred onlookers to their feet.

The Commercial and Real Estate League played matches here in 1916, with R.G Dun & Company calling this field home, finishing third in the league with a 7-5 record.

R.E.B. Field

Ocean Parkway and Avenue S.

The Real Estate Brokers of the Commercial and Real Estate League played matches here in 1915 and 1916. The Brokers won the league by a single game in 1916. On September 24, 1916, the league's all star game at R.E.B Field saw the Real Estate Stars rally for a 2-2 tie in the rain against the Commercial Stars.



Breukelen Playground

Flatlands, Williams, Cozine and Louisiana Avenues.

Also known as Five Diamonds, Breukelen Playground is home to the Latin Souls Baseball Organization, offering games for ages 5 to 16 since 1973. The fields are also available for public use, and are home to EBC/ENY High School's baseball team, the Eagles. The fields are distingushed by silhouettes of famous stadia, past and present. The diamonds were upgraded between 2001 and 2003 at a cost of just over $1 million.



The five diamonds of Breukelen Playground
Overhead picture taken from Google Maps

Starrett City Field

Vandalia Avenue, Van Siclen Avenue, Bethel Loop.

Also known as Spring Creek Towers Field. The Starrett City development dates to 1974, and while it officially changed name to Spring Creek Towers in 2002, the old name has largely remained in use. The area generally has a good reputation for safety, but one notable incident occurred on the ballfield on June 7, 2009. Eleven year old Devonte West of the Spring Creek Mets was walking to his coach to ask a question, when he thought he was hit on the head by a stray baseball. It was in fact a stray bullet, which was removed from his skull at Brookdale Hospital, and he miraculously walked away four days later, vowing to return to the playing field.



Starrett City Field
Picture taken from Google Maps

Spring Creek Youth Federation Fields

Seaview and Louisiana Avenues.

Also known as the Robert S. Esposito Ballfields. The Spring Creek Youth Federation has run junior baseball on fields S1 and S2 since 1980, with competitions for children from age 10 to age 16. The Federation also fields five travel teams: the Black Sox, Warriors, Royals, Blazers, and Tigers.



S.C.Y.F. Fields - S1 and S2
Overhead picture taken from Google Maps

Miller's Bay View Grounds

Stanley and Atkins Avenues.

Also known as Miller Oval and Bayview Park. This ground was active around 1909-10, seeing such matchups as Ionia A.C. against Linwood, Ionia against the Warwicks, and the Nationals against Asacog. On May 9, 1909, 500 fans saw the Spaldings rap out 12 hits and steal 5 bases to coast to victory over the Resolutes, 9 to 3. Every Spalding player got a hit, and only pitcher Spencer failed to tally a run.

McDonald Park

McDonald Avenue between Avenues S and T.

That is a softball field on the right, although McDonald Park is far better known for its tennis courts. The hard work and inspiration of Liz Shweky of the New York Junior Tennis League saw $800,000 in Parks Department money spent on a complete overhaul of the courts, in 1999. Unfortunately, no such funding has yet appeared for the ballfield.



McDonald Playground, tennis and softball
Picture taken from Google Maps

Sunset Diamond

40th Street and 3rd Avenue.

Also known as Dewey Junior High School Field and Gonzalo Plasencia Playground. Originally built for the neighboring school, small sized Sunset Diamond dates to the 1930s and takes up most of Dewey Park, in the shadow of the Gowanus Expressway. Such organizations as St. Michael's Angels and the Sunset Athletic Club host junior baseball and softball here. In 1931, 16 year old Michael Canone died of heart failure while running from first to second base on this field.



Sunset Diamond in Dewey Park
Overhead picture taken from Google Maps,
action shot courtesy Attila Piros

Vincent DiMattina Playground

Hicks Street and Rapelye Street.

Another little league field tucked in beside a freeway, this time the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. Young players from the Prospect Park Baseball Association deal with the noise here, probably hoping to graduate to a quieter locale in future years. The city acquired the land for this park between 1941 and 1947, and named it for lawyer and community activist Vincent DiMattina in 1967. $783,000 was spent on renovations in 2001.



DiMattina Playground's ballfield
Overhead picture taken from Google Maps

Lincoln Oval

Avenue N and East 57th Street.

The Lincoln Club, a junior nine, played home matches here around 1907. Although the Lincolns handily dispatched such opponents as Bay Park, Outcast, and Montauk, things were different when the St. Joseph's Juniors visited. The Josephs made two trips to Lincoln Oval in 1907 and walked off with 16-4 and 20-9 wins over the home team.

In later years, regular Sunday games were played at Lincoln Oval, and gate money collected. In 1916, promoter Rod McMahon was sentenced to thirty days in jail for contempt of court. A sack containing the proceeds of the July 13 match at Lincoln Oval had been taken from him as part of a legal judgment, and he recovered same with the use of a baseball bat.

Amity Little League Stadium

Avenue V, Brigham Street, Knapp Street.

This superbly manicured group of three fields, supported by a large amount of advertising space, hosts summer leagues for teams from all over Brooklyn. Champions here progress through the Cal Ripken-Babe Ruth Baseball system. The regular Amity league includes teams in Peanut, Minor, and Major divisions.



Amity's pristine fields and charming surrounds


78th Precinct Youth Sports gives an annual award in memory of Billy "Pasta" Zitelli, whose home runs helped the 78th Precinct Bulldogs win the 1996 Amity 10 Year Old League. Known as the Babe Ruth of Brooklyn Little League for his amazing power, Billy would live just another four years before he was taken by leukemia.



Amity Stadium
Picture taken from Google Maps

Our Lady's Field

Between Windsor Place and 16th Street, east of Prospect Park West.

Surely the cutest ballpark in Brooklyn, this tiny field is devoted to the most junior players in the Prospect Park Baseball Association and Holy Name Fathers Guild Sports. This is a beautiful demonstration of the 150 year old Brooklyn tradition of playing ball in any space available.



Our Lady's Field
Overhead picture taken from Windows Live Local

Floyd Bennett Field

The far southeast end of Flatbush Avenue.

Floyd Bennett Field is in a category all its own. Over several decades, this site graduated from a single dirt runway to a major airport, before it was squeezed out of the aviation scene in the 1960s and passed to the National Park Service in 1971. Its place in aviation history is secure - perhaps most notoriously as the place where "Wrong Way" Corrigan took off to cross the Atlantic when his permit allowed for a flight to California.

Today, the wide spaces and large buildings allow for all sorts of sporting activities. The minor league Brooklyn Aces hockey team, the New York Sharks women's football team, Poly Tech baseball, and the NYPD's Finest baseball team all call Floyd Bennett Field home. On the right day you can find Australian football, cricket, softball, or almost any sport here. The Finest team has rehabilitated the ballfield here in recent years and turned it into one of the best kept in Brooklyn.



Gigantic Floyd Bennett Field, and a closeup of the baseball field
Overhead pictures taken from Google Maps,
ground level picture courtesy NY Finest Baseball Club

North Star Grounds

5th Avenue between Warren and Bergen Streets.

In September 1858, the newly formed Ivanhoe Club announced that it would play at these grounds, already home to the North Star and Powhatan Clubs, and later the Mohawk and Unknown Clubs. This location is the present home of Calexico, the preferred Mexican restaurant of the staff of BrooklynBallParks.com, as well as The Chocolate Room, the preferred dessert restaurant.

Rice's Oval

Location unknown.

Not to be confused with Rice Oval at Iona College in Westchester. On June 5, 1910, the nine from Johns-Manville Company crushed that of the United Fruit Company, 20 to 2, in only six innings of play. Shortstop Muller made 4 hits and scored 4 runs. This ground was also used in the Royal Arcanum League in 1914.

Any Available Field

All over Brooklyn.

In 1943 and 1946, Life photographers captured two perfect scenes of Brooklyn baseball. You can see it for yourself, all summer long. Just go out and look. Baseball is all around you, from little league to pro ball, from a block party street match to a tense high school playoff. Remember the words of Henry Chadwick:

Nowhere has the now National game of Base Ball, taken firmer hold than in Brooklyn, and nowhere are there better players.



Hicks Street, 1943
Picture by Alfred Eisenstaedt




Vacant lot, 1946
Picture by Ed Clarke

Paul Luchter deserves many thanks for his knowledge, search skills, and wonderful efforts in tracking down some of these parks and providing extra information for this page. George Miller's constant advice, and particularly his help with the location of the Manor House Grounds also earn our gratitude. Craig Waff's tireless research into 19th century "protoball" has been a huge source of new information, also.


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and David Dyte (tiptops@brooklynballparks.com).
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