The Polo Grounds in upper Manhattan was the longtime home of the New York Giants baseball club and, at various times, the Mets, Yankees, and NFL Giants.
Its unusual horseshoe ‘bathtub’ shape created a cavernous center field and short foul lines – the stage for Willie Mays’ legendary over-the-shoulder catch in the 1954 World Series.
Stats at a Glance
- Primary team: New York Giants (MLB)
- Location: Manhattan, New York
- Final version closed: 1963 (demolished 1964)
- Shape: Horseshoe ‘bathtub’ with deep center field
- Historic moment: Willie Mays’ ‘The Catch’ (1954)
The Bathtub Shape
The Polo Grounds had foul lines so short they invited cheap home runs, while center field stretched nearly 500 feet – making Mays’ 1954 catch all the more astonishing. Few ballparks had such distinctive, lopsided dimensions.
A Crowded History
Over its life the Polo Grounds hosted baseball’s Giants, Yankees, and Mets, plus the NFL’s Giants. After the baseball Giants left for San Francisco, it served the expansion Mets before demolition in 1964.
Explore more: best baseball stadiums, types of sporting stadiums.
The Polo Grounds FAQs
What was the Polo Grounds known for?
Its bathtub shape and Willie Mays’ famous catch in the 1954 World Series.
Who played at the Polo Grounds?
Primarily the New York Giants, plus the Yankees, Mets, and NFL Giants at various times.
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Photo: David Shapinsky from Washington, D.C., United States / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.