View source for Ebbets Field

{{For|the former military airfield in Arkansas|Eberts Field}}
{{short description|Former stadium in Brooklyn, New York}}
{{Infobox venue
| stadium_name           = Ebbets Field
| image                  = Ebbets1913OpeningDay.jpg
| nickname               = 
| location               = 55 Sullivan Place<br>[[Brooklyn, New York]]
| coordinates            = {{Coord|40|39|54|N|73|57|29|W|region:US-NY_type:landmark_scale:2000|display=it}}
| pushpin_map            = New York City#New York
| broke_ground           = March 4, 1912<ref name=NYTdirt/>
| opened                 = April 9, 1913
| closed                 = January 1958
| demolished             = February 23, 1960
| owner                  = [[Brooklyn Dodgers]] (1913–1956)<br>[[Marvin Kratter]] (1956–1957)
| operator               = [[Brooklyn Dodgers]]
| surface                = Natural Grass
| construction_cost      = US$750,000<ref name="WSJ">{{cite journal|journal=Wall Street Journal |date=April 19, 2012 |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304299304577345920613196782 |title=Soon on Display in Brooklyn: 'Holy Grails' of Baseball |first=Sophia |last=Hollander |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160330012822/http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304299304577345920613196782 |archive-date=March 30, 2016 |access-date=April 12, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=Baseball Almanac |url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/stadium/stadiume.shtml |title=Ebbets Field |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011222004356/http://baseball-almanac.com/stadium/stadiume.shtml |archive-date=December 22, 2001 |url-status=live |access-date=April 12, 2016 }}</ref><br>(${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|750000|1913}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}})
| architect              = Clarence Randall Van Buskirk
| general_contractor     = Castle Brothers, Inc.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ballparktour.com/Ebbets_Field.html |title=Ebbets Field |work=BallparkTour.com |access-date=2018-10-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110906063000/http://www.ballparktour.com/Ebbets_Field.html |archive-date=2011-09-06 }}</ref>
| former_names           = 
| tenants                = [[Brooklyn Dodgers]] ([[Major League Baseball|MLB]]) (1913–1957)<br>[[New York Brickley Giants]] ([[National Football League|NFL]]) (1921)<br>[[Brooklyn Lions]] ([[National Football League|NFL]]) (1926)<br>[[Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL)|Brooklyn Dodgers / Tigers]] ([[National Football League|NFL]]) (1930–1944)<br>[[Brooklyn Tigers (AFL)|Brooklyn Tigers]] ([[AFL II|AFL]]) (1936)<br>[[LIU_Sharks_football#Long_Island_University_Blackbirds|LIU Football]] (NCAA) (1939-1940)<br>[[Brooklyn Dodgers (AAFC)|Brooklyn Dodgers]] ([[All-America Football Conference|AAFC]]) (1946–1948) [[Brooklyn Eagles]] ([[Negro league baseball|NLB]]) (1935)
| seating_capacity       = 18,000 (1913)<ref name="Green">{{cite book|last=Lowry|first=Phil|title=Green Cathedrals: The Ultimate Celebrations of All 273 Major League and Negro League Ballparks Past and Present|year=2006|publisher=Addison Wesley Publishing Company|location=New York City|isbn=0-201-62229-7|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/greencathedralsu0000lowr_u1c9}}</ref><br>30,000 (1914–1923)<ref name="Green" /><br>26,000 (1924–1925)<ref name="Green" /><br>28,000 (1926–1931)<ref name="Green" /><br>32,000 (1932–1936)<ref name="Green" /><br>35,000 (1937–1945)<ref name="Green" /><br>34,219 (1946–1949)<ref name="Green" /><br>32,111 (1949–1954)<ref name="Green" /><br>31,902 (1955–1957)<ref name="Green" />
| dimensions             = Left field: 348 ft<br>Left-center: 351 ft<br>Center field: 399 ft<br>Right-center: 344 ft<br>Right field: 297 ft
}}

'''Ebbets Field''' was a [[Major League Baseball]] stadium in the [[Flatbush, Brooklyn|Flatbush]] section of [[Brooklyn]], [[New York City|New York]]. It is mainly known for having been the home of the [[History of the Brooklyn Dodgers|Brooklyn Dodgers]] baseball team of the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] (1913–1957). It was also home to five professional [[American football|football]] teams, including three [[National Football League|NFL]] teams (1921–1948). Ebbets Field was demolished in 1960 and replaced by the Ebbets Field Apartments, the site's current occupant.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Past and Present: Ebbets Field Apartments, Crown Heights|url=https://www.brownstoner.com/history/past-and-present-ebbets-field-crown-heights/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-05-02|website=www.brownstoner.com|date=3 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180429163347/https://www.brownstoner.com/history/past-and-present-ebbets-field-crown-heights/ |archive-date=2018-04-29 }}</ref>

==History==

===Construction===
[[File:Ray Caldwell pitching in the first game at Ebbets Field, April 5, 1913 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Ray Caldwell pitching in the first exhibition game at Ebbets Field, April 5, 1913. The dirt walkway visible between the mound and the plate disappeared after the 1910s.<ref name="Lowry"/>]] 

After locating the prospective new site to build a permanent stadium to replace the old wooden [[Washington Park (baseball)|Washington Park]], Dodgers' owner [[Charles Ebbets]] acquired the property over several years, starting in 1908, by buying lots until he owned the entire block. Ebbets Field was bounded by [[Bedford Avenue (Brooklyn)|Bedford Avenue]] to the east, Sullivan Place to the South, Cedar Street (renamed McKeever Place in 1932<ref>{{cite news|last1=Roberts|first1=Sam|title=Honorific Streets, Now Cataloged|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/26/nyregion/honorific-streets-now-cataloged.html|access-date=26 September 2016|newspaper=New York Times|date=February 26, 2014|page=A23}}</ref>) to the west, and Montgomery Street to the north. 

The land included the site of a garbage dump called [[Pigtown, Brooklyn|Pigtown]], so named because of the pigs that once ate their fill there and the stench that filled the air. At the groundbreaking, the site was described as containing several old houses, shanties, goats, and tomato cans, and although the streets bordering the field were mapped, two of them had not been built yet.

Construction began on March 4, 1912.<ref name="NYTdirt">{{cite news|title=Dirt Flies in New Brooklyn Ball Park – President Ebbets Turns the First Spadeful and Borough President Speers Makes Speech|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1912/03/05/100523394.html?pageNumber=8|access-date=25 September 2016|newspaper=New York Times|date=March 5, 1912|page=4}}</ref> The cornerstone, a piece of Connecticut granite that held newspapers, pictures of baseball players, cards, telegrams, and almanacs, was laid on July 6, 1912. At the laying ceremony, Ebbets said that the ballpark was going to be ready for play on September 1, and that Brooklyn was going to win the National League pennant in 1913.<ref>{{cite news|title=Cornerstone Laid at Ebbets Field – New Baseball Park for the Brooklyns, in Flatbush, to be Ready on Sept. 1|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1912/07/07/100373345.html?pageNumber=27|access-date=26 September 2016|newspaper=New York Times|date=July 6, 1912|page=S1}}</ref>

Neither of Ebbets' predictions was correct: on August 29, 1912, as the deadline drew near and it was obvious that due to an ironworker's strike the ballpark was not even close to being finished, it was announced that Ebbets had sold a 50% interest in the team to brothers [[Stephen McKeever|Stephen W.]] and [[Ed McKeever (baseball owner)|Edward J. McKeever]], who had built their fortune in contracting and were able to speed along the construction.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ebbets Takes In Partners – McKeever Brothers Buy Shares in Brooklyn Baseball Club|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1912/08/30/104906480.html?pageNumber=7|access-date=26 September 2016|newspaper=New York Times|date=August 30, 1912|page=7}}</ref> Though the sale led to management troubles years later, by early 1913 Ebbets Field was ready, and would become the home of some of baseball's greatest dramas.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Ward|first1=Geoffrey C.|last2=Burns|first2=Ken|title=Baseball: An Illustrated History|year=1996|publisher=Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group|isbn=0-679-76541-7}}</ref>

Newspaper coverage in the spring of 1913 was filled with glowing praise about the new park, calling it "A Monument to the National Game" and predicting it could last 200 years:<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/543869492/|title=Field Rivals Ancient Arenas in Grandeur|work=Brooklyn Standard Union|date=April 9, 1913|page=11|access-date=July 4, 2019|via=newspapers.com}}</ref> in the end it only lasted 47 years, failing to survive the exit of the Dodgers for Los Angeles in 1957.

===Opening===
[[File:Miss Genevieve Ebbets, youngest daughter of Charley Ebbets, throws first ball at opening of Ebbets Field (baseball) LCCN2014692697.jpg|thumb|Charles Ebbets' daughter throws out the first pitch, at an exhibition game on April 5, 1913.]]The first game played was an inter-league exhibition game against the [[New York Yankees]] on April 5, 1913, played before an overcapacity of 30,000 fans, with 5,000 more who had arrived but were not able to get in.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ebbets Field Opening Victory for Superbas – 30,000 Fans Jam Into New Home of Brooklyn Club – Yankees Lose, 3 to 2|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1913/04/06/100261135.html?pageNumber=58|access-date=26 September 2016|newspaper=New York Times|date=April 6, 1913|page=S1}}</ref> After a loss against the Yankees in another exhibition game on April 7 in front of about 1,000 fans on a very cold day,<ref>{{cite news|title=Yankees Win Costly Game in Brooklyn – Manager Chance, Warhop, and Derrick Injured Playing in Cold Atmosphere|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1913/04/08/100393298.html?pageNumber=11|access-date=26 September 2016|newspaper=New York Times|date=April 8, 1913|page=11}}</ref> the first regular season game was played on April 9 against the [[Philadelphia Phillies]], with Brooklyn losing, 1–0.<ref>{{cite news|title=Brooklyn Starts Season a Loser|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E0CE0DC1F3AE633A25753C1A9629C946296D6CF|newspaper=The New York Times|date=April 10, 1913|page=9|access-date=2010-01-16}}</ref> 

When the park was opened it was discovered that an American flag, keys to the bleachers, and a press box had all been forgotten. The press box level was not added until 1929.<ref name="Lowry">{{cite book |title=Green Cathedrals |last=Lowry |first=Philip |year=2006 |publisher=Walker & Company |isbn=978-0-8027-1608-8 |page=40 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Afo5vtVTz4wC&q=green%20cathedrals&pg=PP1 }}</ref> The original double-decked seating covered all of right field, rounded home plate, and extended past third base, with an open concrete bleacher stand continuing to the left field wall. 

The ballpark was built on a sloping piece of ground, raised above street level in right field, which resulted in short foul line there of just {{convert|301|ft}}).  When it opened, the field was very large for its time in both left field ({{convert|419|ft}}) and center ({{convert|508|ft}}); with additional seating the playing field shrunk to {{convert|356|ft}} in left, {{convert|406|ft}} in center, and {{convert|297|ft}} to right, which gained a screen above its fence and a scoreboard.  At its peak it had a capacity of around 32,000.

As with Boston's [[Fenway Park]] and Detroit's [[Tiger Stadium (Detroit)|Tiger Stadium]], two ballparks that had opened one year earlier than Ebbets Field, the intimate configuration of some of each park's dimensions prompted some baseball writers to also refer to Ebbets Field as a "cigar box" or a "bandbox."{{cn|date=October 2024}}

===Use===

Ebbets Field was the scene of some early successes, as the Dodgers, also called the "Robins" after long-time manager [[Wilbert Robinson]], won [[National League (baseball)|National League]] championships in [[1916 Brooklyn Robins season|1916]] and [[1920 Brooklyn Dodgers season|1920]]. The seating area was expanded in the 1920s, a boom time for baseball when many ballparks were expanded. The double deck was extended from third base around the left field corner, across left field, and into center field, allowing right-hand hitters to garner many more home runs. By the 1940s, a big scoreboard had been installed in right field, as well as a screen atop the high wall which made home runs to right field a tougher accomplishment. Additional rows of seating across left field reduced that area by about 15 feet, aiding right-handed hitters.

The park's first night game was played on June 15, 1938, drawing a crowd of 38,748. [[Johnny Vander Meer]] of the visiting [[Cincinnati Reds]] pitched his second consecutive [[no-hitter]], a feat that has never been duplicated in Major League Baseball. It was also in [[1938 in baseball|1938]] that [[Hilda Chester]], one of the earlier sports "[[Fan (person)#Sports|superfan]]s," became a regular attendee when promotional wizard [[Larry MacPhail]] brought Ladies' Days to Ebbets Field, welcoming women for only ten-cents.

After the Dodgers early successes the team slid into hard times. It remained there for two decades, until new ownership first brought in MacPhail in 1938, and then, after MacPhail's wartime resignation, player development specialist [[Branch Rickey]] in [[1943 Brooklyn Dodgers season|1943]]. In addition to his well-known breaking of the color line by signing [[Jackie Robinson]] in 1948, Rickey's savvy with [[Farm team|farm systems]] (which he had honed with the rival [[St. Louis Cardinals]]) produced results that made the Brooklyn Dodger "Bums" a perennial contender through their exit to California after the 1957 season.

The Dodgers won pennants in [[1941 Brooklyn Dodgers season|1941]] (under MacPhail), [[1947 Brooklyn Dodgers season|1947]], [[1949 Brooklyn Dodgers season|1949]], [[1952 Brooklyn Dodgers season|1952]], [[1953 Brooklyn Dodgers season|1953]], [[1955 Brooklyn Dodgers season|1955]] and [[1956 Brooklyn Dodgers season|1956]]. They won the [[1955 World Series]], their only world title, and were within two games (in 1950) and a [[Shot Heard 'Round the World (baseball)|playoff heartbreak]] (in 1951) of winning five National League pennants in a row (1949–53), challenging the five time World Champion cross-town Yankees during that stretch. Ebbets Field also hosted the [[1949 Major League Baseball All-Star Game]].

===Demise===
[[File:Crowd at Ebbets Field.jpg|thumb|250px|Ebbets left field corner in the 1920 World Series, with temporary bleachers]]

The Dodgers found themselves victims of their own success soon thereafter, as Ebbets Field never seated more than 35,000 people, and the constraints of the neighborhood made its expansion impossible. It also had almost no automobile [[parking]] for Dodger fans who had moved east to suburban [[Long Island]], though it was near a [[Prospect Park (BMT Brighton Line)|subway station]]. [[Walter O'Malley]], who obtained majority ownership of the Dodgers in 1950, announced plans for a privately owned [[Brooklyn Dodgers proposed domed stadium|domed stadium]] at the [[Atlantic Yards]] in Brooklyn (currently the site of the [[Atlantic Terminal Mall]]), where a large market was being torn down. 

New York City Building Commissioner [[Robert Moses]] refused to help O'Malley secure the land, instead wanting the Dodgers to move to a city-owned stadium in [[Flushing Meadows]] in the borough of [[Queens]] (the future site of [[Shea Stadium]] and [[Citi Field]]). O'Malley refused to consider Moses' proposal, famously telling him "We are the Brooklyn Dodgers, not the Queens Dodgers!"{{citation needed|date=October 2024|reason=cannot find a source for this quote}}

As a result, O'Malley began to flirt publicly with [[Los Angeles]], using a relocation threat as political leverage to win favor for a Brooklyn stadium. Ultimately, O'Malley and Moses could not come to agreement on a new location for the stadium, and the club moved west to Los Angeles after the [[1957 Brooklyn Dodgers season|1957 season]]. During their last two years in Brooklyn, the Dodgers played several games each year in [[Jersey City, New Jersey]]'s [[Roosevelt Stadium]], which was a tactic by O'Malley to force Moses to acquiesce and allow a new stadium to be built.

Ebbets Field was sold by O'Malley to real estate developer [[Marvin Kratter]] for about $2,000,000 on October 31, 1956.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qdxGAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PvgMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1395%2C7301502 "Real Estate Tycoon Buys Ebbets Field," ''The Associated Press'' (AP), Wednesday, October 31, 1956.] Retrieved March 3, 2023.</ref> The deal included a five-year [[lease]] that allowed the Dodgers to move out as soon as a proposed [[Downtown Brooklyn]] stadium was ready for business and Kratter to raze the ballpark and redevelop the land for a $25 million housing project beginning in 1961.<ref>[https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,824598,00.html "Time Clock, November 12, 1956," ''TIME'' (magazine), Monday, Nov. 12, 1956.] Retrieved March 3, 2023.</ref> When stadium plans fell through the team left for Los Angeles after the 1957 season.

To avoid being the only team west of St. Louis, O'Malley urged [[Horace Stoneham]], owner of the Dodgers' [[Dodgers–Giants rivalry|long-time crosstown rivals]], the [[New York Giants (baseball)|New York Giants]], to also move west: Stoneham, who was having stadium and financial difficulties of his own, agreed, and moved the Giants to [[San Francisco]] after the 1957 season.

The departure of the Dodgers was followed by a "twilight" phase in which the park sporadically hosted [[soccer]], as well as high school, college, and a handful of [[Negro league]] baseball games featuring a team formed by ex-Dodger star [[Roy Campanella]]. In one of those games pitcher [[Satchel Paige]] made a special guest appearance.<ref>{{cite web|first=Rory |last=Costello |title=Twilight at Ebbets Field |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/topic/twilight-ebbets-field}}</ref>

The demolition of Ebbets Field began on February 23, 1960. More than 35 years after the Dodgers had left Brooklyn, a federal judge in the [[United States District Court for the Southern District of New York|Southern District of New York]] presiding over a case deciding the use of the Brooklyn Dodgers' trademark called O'Malley's relocation of the franchise from its historic home to Los Angeles "one of the most notorious abandonments in the history of sports".<ref>[https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=13746555571004926847&q=817+F.+Supp.+1103&hl=en&as_sdt=40006#p1111 Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. v. Sed Non Olet Denarius, Ltd.], 817 F. Supp. 1103, 1111 (S.D.N.Y. 1993).</ref>

[[File:Ebbets Field Apartments jeh.JPG|thumb|right|250px|Ebbets Field Apartments in 2008]]

An auction Ebbets Field's structure and contents was held on April 20, 1960. An estimated 500 people bid on locker room stools, benches, team banners, seats, bricks, bats, caps, team photos, balls, and a brownstone cornerstone of the stadium.<ref>{{cite book|last1=McGee|first1=Bob|title=The Greatest Ballpark Ever{{spnd}}Ebbets Field and the Story of the Brooklyn Dodgers|date=2005|publisher=Rutgers University Press|location=New Brunswick (N.J.) and London (Eng.)|isbn=0-8135-3600-6|pages=15–18|edition=hardcover|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BOZyd7v1cDAC|access-date=29 August 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Lenny |last=DiFranza |title=Chip off the Block |url=http://baseballhall.org/discover/short-stops/chip-off-the-old-block |publisher=[[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum]] |access-date=October 28, 2018}}</ref>

===In subsequent years===
The Ebbets Field Apartments were built on the former ballpark site, opening in 1962,<ref>{{cite news |title=New Chapter for Ebbets Field: Apartments Open This Month |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1962/09/02/archives/new-chapter-for-ebbets-field-apartments-open-this-month.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=September 2, 1962 |page=159 |access-date=2010-04-18}}</ref> and remaining under private ownership.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ebbets Field Apartment Complex |url= https://ebbetsfieldapartments.com/ |access-date=2022-02-07}}</ref>  Middle School 320, across McKeever Place, was renamed Jackie Robinson Intermediate School.<ref>{{cite web | title=Robinson Quick Facts |url= https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/nycha/downloads/pdf/Robinson-Profile.pdf |access-date=2022-02-07}}</ref> In January 2014, the street sign that once stood at the corner of McKeever Place and Montgomery Street was sold at auction for $58,852.08.<ref>{{cite web |title="Ebbets Field" Street Signed Sold for $60,000 |url=http://www.upcomingautographsignings.com/2014/01/ebbets-field-street-signed-sold-for.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140302015616/http://www.upcomingautographsignings.com/2014/01/ebbets-field-street-signed-sold-for.html |archive-date=March 2, 2014 |work=Upcoming Autograph Signings |date=January 28, 2014 |access-date=October 28, 2018}}</ref>

==Legacy==
[[File:Citi Field and Apple.JPG|thumb|250px|[[Citi Field]]'s exterior facade is influenced by Ebbets Field]]

Ebbets Field was one of several historic major league ballparks demolished in the 1960s. Of the many teams that uprooted in the 1950s and 1960s, the Dodgers' legacy perhaps has lingered the longest. [[Roger Kahn]]'s acclaimed book ''[[The Boys of Summer (book)|The Boys of Summer]]'' and [[Frank Sinatra]]'s song "[[There Used to Be a Ballpark]]" mourned the loss of places like Ebbets Field and their time. 

The story of Ebbets Field and the Brooklyn Dodgers' move to Los Angeles were further chronicled by historian [[Doris Kearns Goodwin]], figured into the plot of the film ''[[Field of Dreams]]'', were featured in an entire episode of [[Ken Burns]]' acclaimed [[public television|public-television]] [[documentary film|documentary]] ''[[Baseball (documentary)|Baseball]]'', as well as a 2007 [[HBO]] documentary called ''[[Brooklyn Dodgers: Ghosts of Flatbush]]''.

By [[2006 in baseball|2006]] the Dodgers had played as many years in [[Dodger Stadium]] as they had at Ebbets Field, matched by the [[New York Mets]]' duration in [[Shea Stadium]] from 1964 to 2008.

When the [[New Jersey Nets]] of the [[National Basketball Association]] moved to Brooklyn in 2012, marking a return of major-league professional sports to the borough after a 55-year absence, they installed the Ebbets Field flagpole in front of their home arena, the [[Barclays Center]]. 

===Other sports at Ebbets Field===
Ebbets Field was frequently used for collegiate football match-ups, and was home base for Manhattan College's team in the 1930s.  It also hosted three pro football teams &ndash; the [[New York Brickley Giants]] for one game in 1921, the [[Brooklyn Lions / Horsemen (1926)|Brooklyn Lions/Horsemen]] in 1926, and the [[Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL)|Brooklyn Dodgers/Tigers]] from 1930 to 1944. <ref>{{cite web|title=NFL in NYC: Pro Football's History in the Five Boroughs|url=http://ny.curbed.com/2016/2/3/10942384/nfl-in-nyc-pro-footballs-history-in-the-five-boroughs|website=nycurbed.com|publisher=Curbed NY|access-date=4 September 2016|date=February 3, 2016|last=Plitt|first=Amy}}</ref><ref name="David S. Neft 1994">David S. Neft, Richard M. Cohen, and Rick Korch, ''The Football Encyclopedia: The Complete History of Professional Football, From 1892 to the Present'' (St. Martin's Press 1994), {{ISBN|0-312-11435-4}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Manhattan College All-Time Football Records|url=http://www.luckyshow.org/football/Manhattan.htm|website=luckyshow.org|publisher=P.S.Luchter|access-date=4 September 2016}}</ref>

On 1927, the soccer [[Club Nacional de Football]] in its [[Club Nacional de Football 1927 tour of North America|North American tour]] played two games against [[Brooklyn Wanderers]], winning both. The Nacionals fielded Olympic medal winners such as [[José Leandro Andrade|José Andrade]] and [[Héctor Scarone]]. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Nacional vs Brooklyn Wanderers. 04/16/27 |url=https://atilio.uy/partido:1010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Nacional vs Brooklyn Wanderers. 05/30/27 |url=https://atilio.uy/partido:1025}}</ref>

The stadium also hosted numerous soccer games, including the U.S. National Challenge Cup soccer tournament, now known as the [[U.S. Open Cup|Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup]]. [[Bethlehem Steel F.C. (1907–30)|Bethlehem Steel F.C.]] from [[Pennsylvania]] of the [[American Soccer League (1921–1933)|American Soccer League]] won its sixth and final National Challenge Cup title, on April 11, 1926, scoring a convincing 7–2 victory over Ben Miller F.C. of [[St. Louis]] in the final before more than 18,000 fans.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bethlehem Wins, 7-2; Takes Soccer Title – Downs Ben Millers of St. Louis Before Record Crowd of 18,000 for U.S. Crown – Largest Score in Series – Widest Margin Known in Championship Play - Fifth National Triumph for Victors Stark Tallies Three Times - Makes Two of His Goals in First Period - Nash Registers Twice for Losers at Ebbets Field|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1926/04/12/100062480.html?pageNumber=26|access-date=4 September 2016|newspaper=New York Times|date=April 12, 1926|page=26}}</ref>

On June 7, 1931, over 10,000 fans came out to Ebbets Field to watch [[Celtic F.C.|Celtic]] of [[Scotland]] defeat [[Brooklyn Wanderers]] 5–0.<ref>{{cite news|title=Glasgow Celtics Top Wanderers, 5-0 – McGrory Leads Scottish Soccer Champions' Attack Until He Is Injured – Makes Two of the Goals – Visitors Finish With Ten Men as 10,000 See Game – Brooklyn Celtics Win, 3 to 1 – McGrory Scores Again|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1931/06/08/102237081.html?pageNumber=25|access-date=4 September 2016|newspaper=New York Times|date=June 8, 1931|page=23}}</ref>

On June 17, 1947, the first known televised soccer game in the US took place when [[Hapoel Tel Aviv F.C.|Hapoel Tel Aviv]] lost to the [[American Soccer League (1921–1933)|American League Stars]] 2–0.<ref>{{cite news|title=Soccer All-Stars Blank Hapoel, 2-0 – 20,000 See Palestine Eleven Lose Closing Game of Tour to American Leaguers|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1947/06/18/87540935.html?pageNumber=35|access-date=4 September 2016|newspaper=New York Times|date=June 18, 1948|page=35}}</ref> On June 18, 1948, [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] of England beat [[Djurgårdens IF Fotboll|Djurgården]] of Sweden 3–2 in front of 20,000 fans.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Strauss|first1=Michael|title=Djurgarden Loses To Liverpool, 3-2 – British Soccer Team Triumphs With Drive in Last Half Before 18,400 Fans|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1948/06/19/88120748.html?pageNumber=11|access-date=4 September 2016|newspaper=New York Times|date=June 19, 1948|page=11}}</ref> On October 17 of that year, the [[United States men's national soccer team|U.S. national team]] beat the [[Israel national football team|Israel national team]] in front of 25,000 fans.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Nichols|first1=Joseph C.|title=Israeli Soccer Team Vanquished by All-Stars in Last Game of Tour – U.S. Eleven Halts Visiting Squad, 3-2 – Watman Scores Twice to Lead American League All-Stars in Victory Over Israelis – Notables Watch Contest – Leibowitz, Cashmore, Bennett Take Part in Ceremonies to Mark End of Tour Here|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1948/10/18/85339974.html?pageNumber=33|access-date=4 September 2016|newspaper=New York Times|date=October 18, 1948|page=33}}</ref> On May 8, 1955, [[Sunderland A.F.C.|Sunderland]] of England beat the American League Stars 7–2.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Briordy|first1=William J.|title=Sunderland's Booters Triumph Over All-Star Eleven by 7 to 2 - English League Team Scores Easily at Ebbets Field in Soccer Tour Opener|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1955/05/09/85180422.html?action=click&contentCollection=Archives&module=ArticleEndCTA&region=ArchiveBody&pgtype=article&pageNumber=31|access-date=4 September 2016|newspaper=New York Times|date=May 9, 1955|page=32}}</ref> On May 17, Sunderland drew 1-1 with [[1. FC Nürnberg]] of Germany.<ref>{{cite news|title=Nuremberg Ties Sunderland, 1-1 – 15,450 at Ebbets Field See Late Morlock Goal Match Purdon's for British|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1955/05/18/85696571.html?action=click&contentCollection=Archives&module=ArticleEndCTA&region=ArchiveBody&pgtype=article&pageNumber=37|access-date=4 September 2016|newspaper=New York Times|date=May 18, 1955|page=38}}</ref> 

On May 25, 1958, [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]] of England lost to [[Heart of Midlothian F.C.|Hearts]] of [[Scotland]] 6–5 in front of more than 20,000 patrons. The winners received the Empire State Cup, which can be seen in the Heart of Midlothian FC Museum.<ref>{{cite web |title=London Hearts Supporters Club |url=http://londonhearts.com/scores/games/195805251.html |work=londonhearts.com |date=May 25, 1958 |access-date=October 28, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Briordy|first1=William J.|title=Edinburgh Booters Overcome Manchester at Ebbets Field – 20,606 See Rally Bring 6-5 Victory – Hearts of Midlothian Downs English First Division Club on Rain-Soaked Field|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/05/26/79454633.html?action=click&contentCollection=Archives&module=ArticleEndCTA&region=ArchiveBody&pgtype=article&pageNumber=37|access-date=4 September 2016|newspaper=New York Times|date=May 26, 1958|page=37}}</ref> On June 28, 1959, [[S.S.C. Napoli|Napoli]] of Italy lost to [[SK Rapid Wien|Rapid Vienna]] of Austria 1–0 in front of 18,512, and game officials were attacked afterwards.<ref>{{cite news|last1=White|first1=Gordon S. Jr.|title=Soccer Fans Riot and Injure Three Officials and Patrolman at Ebbets Field – Melee Follows 1-0 Napoli Loss – Game Officials Cut, Special Patrolman Knocked Out – Assailants Escape|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1959/06/29/89216690.html?action=click&contentCollection=Archives&module=ArticleEndCTA&region=ArchiveBody&pgtype=article&pageNumber=37|access-date=4 September 2016|newspaper=New York Times|date=June 29, 1959|page=37}}</ref> At the rematch three days later in front of 13,000 people, Napoli tied Rapid Vienna 1–1, in one of the last events held there.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Sheehan|first1=Joseph M.|title=Rapid And Napoli Play A Placid Tie; Only One Chair Is Thrown in 1-to-1 Soccer Deadlock at Ebbets Field|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1959/07/02/89217339.html?action=click&contentCollection=Archives&module=ArticleEndCTA&region=ArchiveBody&pgtype=article&pageNumber=30|access-date=4 September 2016|newspaper=New York Times|date=July 2, 1959|page=30}}</ref>

Gaelic football was also played at Ebbets Field. On June 24, 1931, the [[All-Ireland Senior Football Championship|All-Ireland]] champion [[Kerry GAA|County Kerry]] team defeated [[Kildare GAA|Kildare]] by a score of 18–3 with an attendance of 2,500 fans under floodlights in a night game.<ref>{{cite news|title=Kerry Beats Kildare in Gaelic Football – Triumphs by 18 to 3 Before Crowd of 2,500 in a Night Game at Ebbets Field|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1931/06/25/118414100.html?pageNumber=29|access-date=4 September 2016|newspaper=New York Times|date=June 25, 1931|page=29}}</ref>

Ebbets Field also hosted nearly 90 fight cards between 1915 and 1947.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=3320884|title=Baseball stadiums once played host to major boxing events|work=espn.com|date=31 March 2008|last=Stradley|first=Don|access-date=2 February 2018}}</ref>

==Dimensions==
{{more refs|section|date=October 2024}}
A detailed plan of the new ballpark was published in the ''[[Brooklyn Daily Eagle]]'' for January 3, 1912, p.&nbsp;21. The right field line was to be {{convert|298|ft}} from home plate, the left field line {{convert|401|ft}}, and to the front of the intended triangle-shaped center field bleachers the plan said {{convert|407|ft}} "+ or −".

When the ballpark opened in 1913, the outfield was bounded by bare concrete walls all around, which would soon be covered with advertising. The triangular center field was used for the flag pole, with just a short fence in front of it, no bleachers. There was a large door in deep right center field, at the one place where the outfield and the sloping Bedford Avenue were at the same elevation. By 1920, several rows of wooden bleachers had been constructed inside the left field wall, which the newspapers called "circus seats".

In the spring of 1931, the Dodgers began expanding Ebbets Field. They demolished the old concrete bleachers beyond third base as well as the "circus seats". They built an extension of the main double-deck stands, which stretched across left and center fields, leaving a notch for the big door in deep right center field. Once this work was done, the general layout was fairly well set. The left field corner had a unique arrangement, with the foul line actually running atop the box seat railing to the foul pole. A new door in left center field once had a sign reading {{convert|364+1/2|ft}}. Above the street-exit door in the deep center field notch was a sign reading {{convert|399|ft}}.

The last changes came in 1948, when several rows of seats were installed in front of the outfield stands, reducing the left and center dimensions to their final distances. The 399 marker above the deep center field door was painted over, while a 376 marker was added to the right corner of the seating area wall.


[[File:Ebbets Field Interior 1950.png|thumb|250px|right|A night game at Ebbets Field between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Brooklyn Dodgers, September 24, 1949]]
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
|+'''Original (estimates)''' 
! style="{{Baseball primary style|Los Angeles Dodgers|border=2}};"|Dimension
! style="{{Baseball primary style|Los Angeles Dodgers|border=2}};"|Distance
|-
| Left field pole || {{convert|419|ft|abbr=on}} 
|-
| Center field deep || {{convert|477|ft|abbr=on}}
|-
| Right field pole || {{convert|301|ft|abbr=on}}
|}
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
|+'''1931–1947'''
! style="{{Baseball primary style|Los Angeles Dodgers|border=2}};"|Dimension
! style="{{Baseball primary style|Los Angeles Dodgers|border=2}};"|Distance
! style="{{Baseball primary style|Los Angeles Dodgers|border=2}};"|Notes
|-
| Left field pole || {{convert|348|ft|abbr=on}} || unposted
|-
| Left field corner || {{convert|357|ft|abbr=on}} ||
|-
| Left-center field || {{convert|365|ft|abbr=on}} ||
|-
| Deep left-center || {{convert|407|ft|abbr=on}} ||
|-
| Deep right-center bleacher corner || {{convert|389|ft|abbr=on}} || unposted
|-
| Deep right-center notch || {{convert|399|ft|abbr=on}} ||
|-
| Right-center, scoreboard edges || {{convert|344|ft|abbr=on}} and {{convert|318|ft|abbr=on}} ||
|-
| Right field pole || {{convert|297|ft|abbr=on}} ||
|}
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
|+'''1948–1957''' 
! style="{{Baseball primary style|Los Angeles Dodgers|border=2}};"|Dimension
! style="{{Baseball primary style|Los Angeles Dodgers|border=2}};"|Distance
|-
| Left field pole || {{convert|348|ft|abbr=on}}
|-
| Left-center field || {{convert|351|ft|abbr=on}}
|-
| Deep left-center || {{convert|393|ft|abbr=on}}
|-
| Deep right-center bleacher corner || {{convert|376|ft|abbr=on}}
|-
| Deep right-center notch || {{convert|399|ft|abbr=on}} || unposted
|-
| Right-center, scoreboard edges || {{convert|344|ft|abbr=on}} and {{convert|318|ft|abbr=on}}
|-
| Right field pole || {{convert|297|ft|abbr=on}}
|-
| Backstop || {{convert|71|ft|abbr=on}}
|}

{{S-start}}
{{s-sta|et}}
{{Succession box
 | title = Home of the [[Brooklyn Dodgers]]
 | years = 1913–1957
 | before = [[Washington Park (baseball)|Washington Park]]
 | after = [[Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum]]
}}
{{Succession box
 | title = Host of the [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Game]]
 | years = 1949
 | before = [[Sportsman's Park]]
 | after = [[Comiskey Park]]
}}
{{S-end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* ''Green Cathedrals'', by Phil Lowry.
* ''Ballparks of North America'', by Michael Benson.
* ''Old Ballparks'', by Lawrence Ritter.
* ''The Zodiacs'', by Jay Neugeboren.
* ''The Greatest Ballpark Ever: Ebbets Field and the Story of the Brooklyn Dodgers'', by Bob McGee.

==External links==
{{Commons category|Ebbets Field}}
* [http://www.ballparks.com/baseball/national/ebbets.htm Ebbets Field Information]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUTCySLDJD0 YouTube Video Saying Goodbye to Ebbets Field]
* [http://www.walteromalley.com/ Personal papers of Walter O'Malley, former Dodger owner]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090221131255/http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/ American Soccer History Archives]

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