Swoboda4
05-30-2009, 05:56 PM
Below is a 1953 letter from non-baseball fan Robert Moses to Horace Stoneham. This letter was the initial slavo in the successfull attempt to remove the Giants from the Polo Grounds for the express purpose of continuing the series of housing projects already in place north of the playing field.
The casual observer believed the Giants left because the Dodgers did-and they needed a companion in California. Not so. Moses forced them out. And didn't even offer them the Shea site.
One wonders if the Dodgers received a similar letter later because the prevailing thought is they were offered the shea site. In any event,the writing was on the wall.
November 6, 1953
Mr. Horace C. Stoneham
President
National Exhibition Co.
100 West 42 Street
New York 36, N.Y.
Dear Mr. Stoneham:
The newspapers have carried numerous stories in the past year to the effect that various baseball clubs were considered transferring their franchises to other cities. While I have not read any announcement to that effect about the New York Giants, it seemed quite obvious from the attendance figures that the maintenance of a separate stadium must be a terrific drain on the ball club.
You are familiar with the housing project which the City built just north of the Polo Grounds. The site, occupied by the Polo Grounds itself and the parking field adjacent thereto, being one of the last large open spaces in Manhattan, would make an excellent site for additional housing.
I have no direct knowledge about the matter, but it would seem to me that the owners of the New York Yankees would welcome the idea of having another club in a different league use their park as has been done successfully in other places. To an outsider, it would appear that it would certainly save money for both clubs.
I don't know how many years your lease has to go on the Coogan property or what other stumbling blocks there might be in the way of this proposal. I should like very much to know whether you have considered such a consolidation and whether you consider it feasible and desirable. Is there any possibility of such a consolidation becoming effective by the next baseball season?
Cordially, Robert Moses, Co-Ordinator.
Nice guy that un-elected official Robert Moses.
The casual observer believed the Giants left because the Dodgers did-and they needed a companion in California. Not so. Moses forced them out. And didn't even offer them the Shea site.
One wonders if the Dodgers received a similar letter later because the prevailing thought is they were offered the shea site. In any event,the writing was on the wall.
November 6, 1953
Mr. Horace C. Stoneham
President
National Exhibition Co.
100 West 42 Street
New York 36, N.Y.
Dear Mr. Stoneham:
The newspapers have carried numerous stories in the past year to the effect that various baseball clubs were considered transferring their franchises to other cities. While I have not read any announcement to that effect about the New York Giants, it seemed quite obvious from the attendance figures that the maintenance of a separate stadium must be a terrific drain on the ball club.
You are familiar with the housing project which the City built just north of the Polo Grounds. The site, occupied by the Polo Grounds itself and the parking field adjacent thereto, being one of the last large open spaces in Manhattan, would make an excellent site for additional housing.
I have no direct knowledge about the matter, but it would seem to me that the owners of the New York Yankees would welcome the idea of having another club in a different league use their park as has been done successfully in other places. To an outsider, it would appear that it would certainly save money for both clubs.
I don't know how many years your lease has to go on the Coogan property or what other stumbling blocks there might be in the way of this proposal. I should like very much to know whether you have considered such a consolidation and whether you consider it feasible and desirable. Is there any possibility of such a consolidation becoming effective by the next baseball season?
Cordially, Robert Moses, Co-Ordinator.
Nice guy that un-elected official Robert Moses.