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Lot #1374
NY Giants

Used for the last Giants game at the Polo Grounds

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Estimate: $0+
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Description

Used for the last Giants game at the Polo Grounds

The three game-used bases from the last game the New York Giants ever played at the Polo Grounds, on September 29, 1957. Each base measures approximately 15 x 15, has two fabric straps on the bottom, and is labeled “153-28-9336, Giants.” Bases exhibit expected soiling and wear from use. Accompanied by a letter of provenance from a previous owner, in part: “On the say the New York Giants played their last game at the Polo Grounds in New York, one of the groundskeepers took the bases and gave them to his very good friend, Anthony Napoleon. Mr. Napoleon played briefly for the Jersey City Giants, a farm team in the International League.” Like Fenway, Wrigley, or the crosstown Ebbets Field, the Polo Grounds in Upper Manhattan was one of baseball’s legendary ballparks—a stadium embodying baseball’s ‘golden age’ and home to some of the sport’s most memorable moments, such as Willie Mays’s catch in the 1954 World Series. After ticket sales began to decline the park grew increasingly dilapidated, and on August 19, 1957, the Giants announced they would be moving to San Francisco. In their last game at the Polo Grounds, the Giants lost 9-1 to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Especially notable are the Hall of Fame players who touched these bases during the game—Roberto Clemente reached base four times, scoring on three occasions; Mays tallied two hits, never advancing from first. Of incredible historical significance, this museum-worthy set of bases is a true baseball treasure. RR Auction COA.

Auction Info

  • Auction Title: Rare Manuscript, Document & Autograph
  • Dates: #423 - Ended February 12, 2014