Roosevelt Stadium

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This article is about the stadium in Jersey City. For the stadium in Union City, see Roosevelt Stadium (Union City).
Roosevelt Stadium
Main stadium entrance from west, ca. 1940
Map
Full nameJersey City Roosevelt Stadium
LocationDanforth Ave. & New Jersey Route 1 (now New Jersey Route 440)
Jersey City, New Jersey
Coordinates40°42′23″N 74°6′18″W / 40.70639°N 74.10500°W / 40.70639; -74.10500
OwnerJersey City
OperatorJersey City
Capacity24,000
Field sizeLeft – 330 ft.
Left Center – 377 ft.
Center – 411 ft.
Right Center – 377 ft.
Right – 330 ft.
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Broke groundDecember 10, 1935
Built1935–1937
OpenedApril 23, 1937
Renovated1970
Closed1978
Demolished1985
Construction cost$1.5 million
ArchitectChristian H. Ziegler
Tenants
Brooklyn Dodgers (MLB) (1956–1957, 15 games)
Jersey City Giants (IL) (1937–1950)
Jersey City Giants (AA) (1938–1950)
Jersey City Jerseys (IL) (1960–1961)
Jersey Jays (ACFL) (1970)
Jersey City Indians (EL) (1977)
Jersey City A's (EL) (1978)
General map
Baseball game at Roosevelt Stadium circa 1940.

Roosevelt Stadium was a baseball stadium at Droyer's Point in Jersey City, New Jersey. It opened on April 23, 1937 and served as the home of the Jersey City Giants of the International League (1937–1950) and hosted other high-minor league baseball. It also hosted 15 Major League Baseball home games for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1956–1957), plus championship boxing matches, top-name musical acts, an annual championship drum and bugle corps competition known as "The Dream" (1946–1983), important regional high school football games, college football games, minor league football games and even soccer matches. The stadium was demolished in 1985.

History[edit]

Planning and construction[edit]

On June 5, 1929, Jersey City Mayor Frank Hague announced his plans to construct a 50,000-seat municipal stadium in Jersey City to surround a field 500 feet (150 m) long by 400 feet (120 m) wide, that would be dedicated to the memory of the city's war dead. It was expected to cost $500,000 and be built by Spring 1930. Mayor Hague planned for the stadium to have 35,000 permanent seats with ground space for an additional 15,000. It would be a multi-purpose stadium for baseball, football, track and field events, and boxing.[1]

The stadium was envisioned as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project on the grounds of what was the Jersey City Airport at Droyer's Point. The airport was built and first operated by noted aviator Clarence D. Chamberlin in 1928 and then later operated by aviator Eddie August Schneider starting in 1935.[2][3] By 1935, Jersey City was suffering from the effects of the Great Depression and Mayor Hauge was looking to create construction jobs for Hudson County's working class. He applied for federal funds through the Civil Works Administration and the WPA of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal program. Under the terms of the grant program, the money received could not be used to purchase land so the city had to contribute land for the project. According to the Mayor, Droyers Point was the only available city-owned property and better suited for a municipal sports stadium and not a municipal airport which would have eventually been a financial liability to the city. He boasted that the stadium would be a self-sufficient operation and would employ 250 people on a seasonal basis.[4]

Jersey City was awarded $1.5 million in federal WPA funds for the construction of the stadium which provided 2,400 jobs and in recognition of the award, Mayor Hague named the ballpark "Roosevelt Stadium" in honor of the president. On December 10, 1935, Mayor Hague, with nearly 2,000 people in attendance, turned the first shovel of earth to officially break ground on the stadium.[5]

The stadium was designed in the Art Deco style by architect Christian H. Ziegler. Considered the best minor league baseball park of the time, the 24,000 seat stadium was constructed of steel and concrete and featured marble sourced from Pennsylvania and Tennessee. The stadium was bowl-shaped and surrounded by a concrete wall with a terra-cotta façade. Terrazzo flooring was featured on the first floor and concourse, in bathrooms, locker rooms, showers and corridors. The grandstand was 60 feet (18 m) high and consisted of terraced seating of 35 rows and bleachers. Multiple well-placed ramps gave patrons easy access to their seats.[5]

The ballpark's opening was scheduled for April 22, 1937, with the opening of the 1937 International League season. Mayor Hague declared a half-holiday for the city's schools and employees. New York Giants owner Horace Stoneham was expected at the opener along with Senator Harry Moore.[6] Rain washed out the planned events and the opening was moved back to April 23 with Mayor Hague throwing out the first pitch and Sen. Moore and owner Horace Stoneham on hand for the ballpark's dedication.[7] The Jersey City Giants took on the Rochester Red Wings who would go on to beat the Giants 4–3 in front of a over capacity crowd of 31,234, a then minor league record.[4][5]

Events[edit]

Baseball[edit]

Roosevelt Stadium was constructed to serve as the home field of the Jersey City Giants, the Triple-A International League (IL) farm team of the New York Giants, from 1937 to 1950. The Giants won the International League title in 1939 and 1947, but no Jersey City team ever went on to win a pennant in postseason play. Hague routinely hawked opening day tickets for "Little Giants" games, selling 40,000 seats in a stadium that held only 24,000. When asked about the discrepancy, he was reported to have said "Hell of a crowd in the men's rooms."

On April 18, 1946, Roosevelt Stadium hosted the historic Jersey City Giants' season opener against the Montreal Royals, the Triple-A IL farm team of the Brooklyn Dodgers, marking the professional debut of the Royals' Jackie Robinson and the breaking of professional baseball's color barrier. A sold-out over capacity crowd of 51,872 witnessed Robinson's debut. In five trips to the plate he got four hits, including a three-run homer, scored four runs and drove in three; he also stole two bases in the Royals' 14–1 victory over the Giants.[8][9][10] Robinson recalled his debut in his autobiography, My Own Story, saying "Although I was wearing the colors of the enemy, the Jersey City fans gave me a fine ovation. And my teammates were shouting, 'Come on, Jackie, start it off. This guy can't pitch. Get a-hold of one!'"[11]

Between 1949 to 1950, future Hall of Famer Monte Irvin played several games with the Jersey City Giants in between being called up to the New York Giants. With Jersey City, he batted .373 in 1949 and .510 with ten home runs in eighteen games in 1950. In an interview with the Jersey Journal, Irvin reflected on his time playing at Roosevelt Stadium and said "What a wonderful stadium," "It was the class of the International League and better than many [Major League] stadiums. I had a lot of thrills there."[8]

Following the 1950 season, the New York Giants decided to move the club to Ottawa due to recent drops in attendance. Like their former neighbors and rivals, the Newark Bears, they found that rather than attending local minor league affiliate games, fans in New Jersey were increasingly watching Giants, Dodgers and Yankees games on television from the comfort of their own homes.[12]

High level baseball would return to Roosevelt Stadium with the Jersey City Jerseys of the IL in 1960 and 1961. The Jerseys had moved from Havana, Cuba where they were known as the Havana Sugar Kings and had just won the 1959 International League title. The Sugar Kings move was forced by Fidel Castro nationalizing all U.S.-owned enterprises in Cuba and Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick feeling political pressure at home to protect baseball's interests.[13]

The stadium would see the last high level baseball competition with the Jersey City Indians of the Double-A Eastern League (EL) in 1977 and, following a change in minor-league affiliation, the Jersey City A's of the EL in 1978 led by future Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson.

Brooklyn Dodgers manager Walter Alston with Philadelphia Phillies manager Mayo Smith before a 1957 game at Roosevelt Stadium

Major League Baseball[edit]

From 1956 to 1957, the stadium hosted 15 "home" games by the Brooklyn Dodgers during their last two seasons in Brooklyn – seven in 1956 and eight in 1957.[14] The games were played partly as a negotiating tactic with the Borough of Brooklyn, in pursuit of a new stadium to replace Ebbets Field.[15] While it had just 24,000 seats as opposed to Ebbets Field's 31,497, Roosevelt Stadium had 10,000 parking spaces compared to Ebbets Field's 700. The Dodgers' negotiation came to naught, and the team moved to Los Angeles in 1958.[16]

During their time at Roosevelt Stadium, the Dodgers played in several memorable games. On July 25, 1956, Carl Furillo hit the Dodgers' first home run at the stadium off of Brooks Lawrence. The game ended with a walk-off home run by Duke Snider to give the Dodgers the 2–1 over the Cincinnati Redlegs.[17]

On August 15, 1956, the Dodgers hosted their rival, the New York Giants, at the stadium. The Giants had built a large following in Jersey City after being the home of their Triple-A affiliate, the Jersey City Giants, for 13 years. Jackie Robinson went 0–4 and was booed by the sold-out pro Giants crowd of 26,385. The most memorable moment of the game occurred in fourth inning when future Hall of Famer Willie Mays hit the only home run ever hit completely out of Roosevelt Stadium off of Don Newcombe. That home run gave the Giants the 1–0 victory over the Dodgers.[8][18]

On June 5, 1957, future Hall of Famer Don Drysdale pitched the first of his 49 Major League shutouts at the stadium defeating the Chicago Cubs 4–0.[14][19]

The stadium

Boxing[edit]

Boxing matches were also a big draw at the stadium. In 1940, former heavyweight champion Max Baer beat "Two Ton Tony" Galento at Roosevelt Stadium. A year later in 1941, Jersey Joe Walcott defeated the reigning heavyweight champion, Ezzard Charles. On September 21, 1948, European champion Marcel Cerdan of France defeated Tony Zale for the world middleweight championship title in one of the Tournament of Champions bouts held at the stadium. On August 9, 1950, Sugar Ray Robinson defeated the former 3-time New Jersey State Champion Charley Fusari to defend his welterweight title.[4]

Football[edit]

Football game at Roosevelt Stadium

Although, initially constructed as a home field for the Jersey City Giants, the stadium later saw its most common use for high school football, as Jersey City's William L. Dickinson, James J. Ferris, Abraham Lincoln, Henry Snyder high schools and the city's major parochial schools, Hudson Catholic and St. Peter's Prep, all used the stadium, particularly on Thanksgiving Day, when Dickinson and St. Peter's would play before soldout crowds.[5] On September 28, 1974, it was the site of the game that set the New Jersey state record for consecutive losses by a high school football team at 42, when Dickinson High School lost to Hudson Catholic, 22–0. The Hawks offense was led by quarterback Steven Neri and halfback Tony Cavallo and Dickinson was held to -2 yards rushing and 18 passing by a Hudson defense led by Steve Cuccinelli, Ray Parente and Bruce Bock. Neri, Bock, Parente and Cuccinelli have all been inducted into the Hudson Catholic Football program's Wall of Fame.[20]

From 1938 to 1950, the stadium hosted the Jersey City Giants of the American Football Association (AA), a farm team of the New York Football Giants. Tim Mara purchased the team and moved them to Jersey City in 1938 making the Jersey City Giants the first minor league team in professional football. The Jersey City Giants would go on to win the league title a record three times (1938, 1940, 1946).[5]

The stadium hosted college football with Jersey City State College (now New Jersey City University) playing their home games on Friday nights at the stadium from 1966 to 1976 prior to the opening of the Thomas M. Gerrity Sports Complex on the adjacent tidelands.[4][21]

In 1970, the stadium hosted the Jersey Jays of the Atlantic Coast Football League (ACFL), a farm team of the Cleveland Browns.

During the 1973 NFL season, the New York Football Giants practiced at the stadium while they were playing their home games in New Haven, Connecticut at the Yale Bowl. During this time, their future home, Giants Stadium, was under construction at the Meadowlands Sports Complex.[5]

Soccer[edit]

Soccer game at Roosevelt Stadium in 1960

On June 20, 1971, the stadium hosted a North American Soccer League (NASL) and international soccer double-header. The New York Cosmos played the Dallas Tornado in the opener where the Cosmos rallied to beat the Tornado 3–1. Bologna took on West Ham United in the second match with Bologna winning 2–1 in front of 9,000 fans.[22] The first game of the doubleheader was set for Yankee Stadium in the Bronx but the contract that the Cosmos had with the Yankees allowed for a "weather clause" in which the baseball team could cancel if bad weather conditions posed a potential threat to the field.[23]

A week later on June 27, 1971, Santos FC, led by the legendary Pelé, played Bologna in an exhibition match in front of raucous crowd of 21,414 fans. When Pelé stepped on to the field, hundreds of fans stormed the field to get close to him for pictures and autographs. The Jersey City Police Department's mounted police gained control of the crowd but not before kickoff was delayed for thirty-five minutes. The match ended in a 1–1 draw.[24][25]

On May 25, 1973, Santos FC and Pelé returned to Roosevelt Stadium to take on Lazio in front of passionate sold-out crowd of 26,145 fans. Pelé was swarmed by fans on his way into the stadium looking for autographs and pictures. The game was repeatedly stopped by fans, who threw beer cans, bottles and even chairs onto the field. In the ninth minute, Pelé scored on a free kick through a wall of seven players. With two minutes left in the match, Lazio was setup to take a penalty kick, but fans stormed the field and the referees called the game with Lazio never taking the shot and Santos FC winning 3–0.[26]

Ice skating[edit]

In the early 1970s, a 200 feet (61 m) long by 100 feet (30 m) wide outdoor ice skating rink was erected by the city in the winter months and became a popular attraction.[27]

Drum & Bugle Corps perform at Roosevelt Stadium, 1972.

Concerts[edit]

The Grateful Dead played six concerts at Roosevelt Stadium: July 18, 1972; September 19, 1972; July 31, 1973; August 1, 1973; August 6, 1974; and August 4, 1976.[28]

Closing and demolition[edit]

In 1970, the city made attempts to keep the stadium viable with several renovations such as re-sodding the playing field and overhauling the drainage, roofing and steam heating systems. However, further renovations of the structure were impeded by asbestos and overall decay. In 1978, a 30 feet (9.1 m) light tower fell off the roof of the grandstand which weakened the stadium's exterior walls and other light towers forcing the city to close the stadium permanently.[4]

In November 1982, the Jersey City City Council voted to demolish the stadium.[29][5] It was finally demolished in 1985,[30] and a gated community named Society Hill opened on the site in 1996 and a later phase known as Droyer's Point opened in 2004.[31]

In 1983, Cochrane Stadium in the Caven Point section of Jersey City was built as a municipal stadium replacement for the City and the local schools.[32]

In media[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Jersey City Plans Stadium to Seat 50,000 As $500,000 Memorial to Her Soldier Dead". The New York Times. 1929-06-06. p. 21.
  2. ^ "Jersey City to Get WPA Stadium Fund. Mayor Hague Reports Application for $800,000 Approved for Arena at Airport". The New York Times. September 26, 1935. Retrieved 2007-08-21. Mayor Frank Hague of Jersey City announced yesterday he had been informed that the Works Progress Administration had approved the city's application for an $800,000 grant to build a municipal sports stadium.
  3. ^ "Two In Plane Escape In Newark Bay Crash. Schneider, Ex-Transcontinental Record-Holder, And Student Pilot Rescued By Police". The New York Times. May 16, 1935. Retrieved 2007-08-21. Two aviators escaped with only minor bruises and a thorough wetting last night when their three-seat, open-cockpit biplane developed motor trouble soon after taking off from the Jersey City Airport and fell into Newark Bay 200 feet off Droyer's Point, Jersey City. The men were rescued by police, who went to their aid in a collapsible rowboat kept at the field. ... The plane [had] taken off at 7 pm [piloted] by Edward Schneider, 23 years old, of 209 Sip Avenue, Jersey City, former holder of the junior transcontinental plane record and manager of the airport since January 1, 1935.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Roosevelt Stadium". New Jersey City University. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g "PART OF AN ERA WILL FALL WITH ROOSEVELT STADIUM". The New York Times. July 1, 1984. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  6. ^ Kingsley Childs (1937-04-22). "International League to Begin Fifty-Fourth Season Today; JERSEY CITY READY FOR GALA OPENING". The New York Times.
  7. ^ Daly, Arthur J. (1937-04-23). "JERSEY CITY EAGER TO SEE NEW CLUB; Opener, Put Back Because of Rain, Is Expected to Draw 30,000 Fans Today". The New York Times. p. 26.
  8. ^ a b c "Roosevelt Stadium key in baseball history - Robinson broke color barrier, Irvin starred in Jersey City". milb.com. February 2, 2009. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  9. ^ "Jackie Robinson, Jersey City, and His First Game in Organized Baseball". Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  10. ^ "Robinson stepped to the plate in Jersey City and into the history books 75 years ago". The Jersey Journal. April 16, 2021. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  11. ^ "Remembering Jackie Robinson's 1946 season". milb.com. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  12. ^ "April 26, 1951: Ottawa Giants bring Triple-A baseball back to Canada's capital". Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). April 26, 1951. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  13. ^ "Jersey City to get Havana, Castro 'speaks'". Free Lance-Star. (Fredericksburg, Virginia). Associated Press. July 9, 1960. p. 6. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  14. ^ a b "Ballparks: 1862 - Present". MLB.com. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  15. ^ "Doby Hits 500 Foot Homer for Griffith Stadium Record". The Milwaukee Journal. May 26, 1949. Retrieved 2011-07-24.
  16. ^ Stout, Glenn; Johnson, Richard A. (2004). The Dodgers: 120 years of Dodgers baseball. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 206. ISBN 0-618-21355-4. The Dodgers: 120 years of Dodgers baseball.
  17. ^ "July 25, 1956: Dodgers win on Snider walkoff home run in Jersey City". Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). July 25, 1956. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  18. ^ "August 15, 1956: Giants' Antonelli outduels Dodgers' Newcombe in Jersey City". Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). August 15, 1956. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  19. ^ "Chicago Cubs vs Brooklyn Dodgers Box Score: June 5, 1957". baseball-reference.com. June 5, 1957. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  20. ^ "Dickinson Loss Streak Extended to 42 Games". The New York Times. September 29, 1974. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  21. ^ "The Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex". njcugothicknights.com. June 23, 2015. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  22. ^ "Bologna Triumphs Over WestHam,2–1; Cosmos 3–1 Victors". The New York Times. June 21, 1971. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  23. ^ The Ukrainian Weekly, June 5, 1971
  24. ^ "Pele Leads Santos of Brazil Against Bologna of Italy in Jersey City Today". The New York Times. June 27, 1971. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  25. ^ "Pele Draws Cheers, Boos in Tie Game Before 21,414 Fans". The New York Times. June 28, 1971. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  26. ^ "PELE AND SANTOS WIN; FANS ERUPT". The New York Times. March 26, 1973. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  27. ^ "The Stadium's a Burden To a Hard‐Pressed City". The New York Times. February 20, 1972. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  28. ^ "The SetList Program - Grateful Dead Setlists, Listener Experiences, and Statistics".
  29. ^ Malinconico, Joseph (1982-11-28). "ROOSEVELT STADIUM: GLORY FADING FAST". New York Times.
  30. ^ "Roosevelt Stadium: The Forgotten Ballpark". Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  31. ^ "Society Hill at Jersey City". New Jersey City University. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  32. ^ "SPORTS PEOPLE; Empty Seats in Jersey". The New York Times. August 26, 1983. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  33. ^ "42 FILM TOUR". exploregeorgia.org. Retrieved March 1, 2024.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Roosevelt Stadium.

40°42′23″N 74°6′18″W / 40.70639°N 74.10500°W / 40.70639; -74.10500

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