Polo Grounds - Center Field

Center Field

In Game 1 of the 1954 World Series, Giants outfielder Willie Mays made a sensational catch of a fly ball hit by the Cleveland Indians' Vic Wertz into deep center field, a catch which, in the words of NBC television sports announcer Jack Brickhouse, "must have looked like an optical illusion to a lot of people", and which turned the tide of that Series in the Giants' favor.

On October 2, 1936, in Game 2 of the 1936 World Series, Yankees centerfielder Joe Dimaggio had made a similar, though far less crucial, catch (his team being ahead 18-4) for the final out of the game. The Giants' Hank Leiber had hit a long fly ball to deep center field that DiMaggio caught in the runway, perhaps 430-440 from the plate, and his momentum carried him partway up the clubhouse steps. He then stopped and turned around, as the crowd stood and acknowledged the departure of Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was in attendance that day.

Babe Ruth hit many of his early signature blasts at the Polo Grounds, reaching the center field seats on several occasions. His longest blast at the grounds, over the right-center upper deck in 1921, was estimated at over 550 feet. Had Ruth played regularly in the remodeled Polo Grounds, he would have been capable of hitting the clubhouse if conditions were right. Neither he nor anyone else ever did, but a few came close.

After the 1923 remodeling, only four players ever hit a home run into the center field stands:

• Luke Easter in a Negro League game in 1948
• Joe Adcock in 1953 (April 29)
• Hank Aaron and Lou Brock on consecutive days (June 17 and 18) in 1962.

Brock, a member of the Chicago Cubs at the time, is the surprising name on that list (accomplishing the feat on his 23rd birthday), as he was noted mostly for hits and stolen bases (especially after being traded to the Cardinals in 1964), but he displayed power-hitting capability from time to time, and one season hit 20 home runs, with a personal high of 21 in 1967.