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"Crowd at Ebbets Field. Oct. 5, 1920." In the first game of the 1920 World Series between the Indians and Dodgers, the final score was Cleveland 3, Brooklyn 1. View full size. 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection.
They'll always be the BROOKLYN Dodgers to me!
It is not a blend, Not a blend, Not A Blend! At no time has Piedmont been blended. Nor will it ever be blended. Piedmont is unfamiliar with the concept of "blending".
So, at last, I hope we are clear? Yes?
That fence existing atop the left-field line wall must have presented "challenges" to left-fielders going after a foul ball fly. I'm sure Zack Wheat
("the most graceful left-handed hitter I ever saw," Casey Stengel), the Hall of Fame left fielder for the "Robins" (as they were known in 1920) had probably mastered putting his gloved hand up above those spiked tops, but visiting players, especially from the American League Indians, may have hesitated when faced with a foul ball in that area.
Denny Gill
Chugiak, Alaska
I agree that the bleachers seem built for the series, and it appears to me there's no way to get to them other than walking along the foul area. Could it be these folks are arriving spectators? The male to female ratio seems right. I bet it got awkward if they needed to get to the restroom.
If you look at the folks walking by the cops, you'll see a woman...and it looks like that may be another woman ahead of her where the group is stepping into the stands from the field.
Also, if you look in the lower left side, to the left of the boy walking in the aisle in the paperboy cap, you'll see a boy in what appears to be a ballcap/fan attire.
http://www.andrewclem.com/Baseball/EbbetsField.html is a wonderful site for former and current ballparks. If you mouse over the different years you can see when the outfield bleachers and upper deck were added - starting in 1926. The original stadium did not have outfield bleachers, so these were obviously added for the World Series.
Did you find someone without hat ?!!!
Great photo which needs to be enlarged more to see details under the "Gem Safety Razor" advertisement.
Dave, is it possible to have it in extra large format?
Notice the advertising is for men's products. Lifebuoy soap was a popular brand in the US into the 1940s. It had a very distinctive smell and, as I recall, not a very pleasant one.
Wikipedia says, "When the Philadelphia Phillies played at the Baker Bowl during the 1920s, an outfield wall advertisement for Lifebuoy stated, 'The Phillies use Lifebuoy'. One night a graffiti artist sneaked in and added to the ad, 'And they still stink'."
I suspect the outfield bleachers were built for the Series. They cover part of the scoreboard - it looks like there's a place below the strike-ball-out count where the inning-by-inning score would usually be displayed. This is partially covered by the bleachers and there's a line score posted on the wall at the front of the bleachers. Also, there's a car ad that's almost completely obscured, and some of the other ads are partially obscured.
Other interesting things to notice: there are vendors on the field selling to spectators at the front of the bleachers. In those days Lifebuoy was a "health" soap, not a deodorant soap. The metal railing looks like it could be dangerous to a fielder who goes after a foul fly ball.
Observations: Few if any women in the stands. The men all have jackets, ties and hats on - no fan attire here - not even a pennant to wave! Spectators are walking to their seats on the field, with uniformed policemen keeping them on the sideline. It looks like all the seats are bleachers - no reserved seating here. And there is still quite a bit of empty seating available, though maybe the game hasn't started yet. If the only way to get to the stands was through the fields, how did they go to the concession stand or the bathroom?
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