The Polo Grounds Went Through Four Incarnations (and a Weird Shape) to Become a Legend

The Manhattan stadium seemed ill-suited for baseball, yet it was home to some of baseball’s best and worst   moments.

by Rich Watson

Its shape resembled a giant bathtub. The foul lines were so short they were more appropriate for a high school baseball game, and its center field could’ve been reached if one used a trebuchet in place of a bat. Not only did one of the winningest baseball teams play there, though, a number of the game’s most memorable events occurred at this place.

New York City’s Polo Grounds was unique among ballparks. Within it, the Giants dominated for years before the cross-town Yankees became a powerhouse. After the Giants left, the Mets moved in and established a new standard for futility.

And no one actually played polo there.

Mike Donlin’s Second Career As An Actor, With Vaudevillian Wife Mabel Hite

This World Series champion turned to acting during his playing career and wrote a hit play with his wife.

by Rich Watson

In 1905, Mike Donlin was on top of the world. The outfielder and first baseman was third in the National League in hitting with a .356 average and his team, the New York Giants, beat the Philadelphia Athletics in five games for their first championship. 

“Turkey Mike” (he was said to have strutted like one) was known for drinking, partying, and dressing flamboyantly—for the turn-of-the-century era, anyway. One story about him claims he arrived at the ballpark wearing a medallion on his lapel, bearing a newspaper photo of himself. When security didn’t recognize him, he pointed to the medallion and proclaimed “I am Mike Donlin.”

The following season he broke his ankle while sliding into second base. He missed most of the 1906 season and the following one. During this time, though, he got a taste for what would become a second career when he met and married stage actress Mabel Hite.

The Twisted Path to Marriage for Leo Durocher & Laraine Day

It took two weddings and two divorces before they legally tied the knot.

by Rich Watson 

Baseball manager Leo Durocher met Hollywood actress Laraine Day in 1942. They were married to other spouses at the time, yet they fell in love. 

He divorced in 1943. By 1946, once she obtained a divorce from her husband, bandleader and airport manager Ray Hendricks, she was ready to wed Durocher.

They would have to jump through a number of hoops first.