Episode 9: Brooklyn Dodgers Tour, Where Was Ebbets Field?

Brooklyn was once the home of a professional baseball team. In this video, I discuss the Brooklyn Dodgers and take you on a quick tour of significant Dodger spots in Brooklyn.
NOTE: It appears the plaque outside on 215 Montague Street was removed!

[@williamhild1793]

Late at night, when all is quiet, if you close your eyes, you'll hear the ringing of Hilda Chester's cowbell,, and the strains of the Brooklyn Dodgers Sym-phony.

[@tomtheyank1]

My Grandfather , was a huge Giants fan. We were Mets fans.. he told me about baseball and said the Orange and Blue were for the Giants and Dodgers.. the Mets logo on their hats were the old Giants logo.. NY football Giants played at Giants stadium in Upper manhatten polo grounds.. both giant stadium and Yankee stadium were a block away from each other , even though the Yankees played in the bronx .. football Giants played at Yankee stadium jets played at shea... I'm 58.. my grandpa died in 79.. baseball games were never the same... but now I think of him and say a prayer.... thank you for the video

[@TrueCrimeWithTheSarge]

Inside that TD Bank is a huge mural of Ebbets Field. You have to check that out. Also, the home plate plaque is in the parking lot between Sullivan and Bedford

[@27ckenz]

Greatest episode yet! Great historical tour of our great borough. So much history! Cheers. The best.

[@theleftfieldmikeshow8248]

Thank you, my friend, for being the man. Looking forward to talking about it with ya tomorrow! #FindAWay!

[@shoelessjoe1905]

And the uniform colors of the NY Mets the blue and orange mix pay tribute to the NY Giants (orange) and the Dodgers (blue) and they both left in 1957 for the West Coast

[@principeperfecto6319]

Good job. I liked your video. I would have liked to see you point at a map of Brooklyn and point to the location as opposed to just saying the street names. The reason Robert Moses wouldn't let O'Malley have the land in Brooklyn was because he felt the new stadium should be in NYC's geographic center in Queens, which is where Shea Stadium was built. Citi Field was built on Shea's old parking lot.

[@danielshanetzky3714]

Blubber O'Malley had NO right to destroy Ebbets Field and take brooklyn dodgers away.

[@gordonlandreth9550]

Of course he did , he owned the team . It was Robert Moses that forced the Dodgers to move . Make a trip to Los Angeles and enjoy Dodger Stadium , a wonderful place to enjoy baseball .

[@danielshanetzky3714]

@@gordonlandreth9550 he took advantage of the old widow of the original owner of the brooklyn dodgers Ms McKeever. She had dementia. The brooklyn dodgers were the most successful iconic team in America thanks to branch Rickey not blubber omalley. He hated the people and Boro of brooklyn

[@gordonlandreth9550]

@@danielshanetzky3714 I agree with that Branch Rickey would have found a way to keep them there . But I found out about Moses , man that guy was a rat fink !

[@danielshanetzky3714]

@@gordonlandreth9550 so was that garbage Blubber omalley. Ebbets field was built in the same year and timber as fenway park and Wrigley field which are classic jewels of ballparks which enhance the Americana of baseball and are the pride and joy of Boston and Chicago. It was that pig omalley who destroyed ebbets field not Robert Moses. In2023 long after blubber omalley is a fart in the wind ebbets field would still be standing and flourishing if It hadn't knocked it down

[@jthahooper_8582]

Great video, I subscribed !!

[@danpowers3775]

hey @TheLeftFieldMikeShow; I went by the location today (215 Montague), unfortunately I think the plaque was taken down, idk why..

[@theleftfieldmikeshow8248]

It appears you are right. Not sure why the sign was removed.

[@danpowers3775]

@@theleftfieldmikeshow8248 did you check inside the TD bank?

[@theleftfieldmikeshow8248]

@@danpowers3775 Unfortunately I did not.

[@danpowers3775]

​@@theleftfieldmikeshow8248 ahh, get a chance when you do have time. Also I was at the Polo Grounds on December 18th; checking out the old site of the NY Giants!!!

[@theleftfieldmikeshow8248]

@@danpowers3775 Awesome! I have yet to go to the site. I hear there is an original staircase there that would have led to the old stadium.

[@vjbk1587]

Holy cow I never noticed that with the building on Montague St.

[@CHEIN1960]

you forgot to mention that where Barclay Center is now is where Walter O'Malley wanted to build a new dome stadium for the Dodgers he was even willing to pay for the stadium he just wanted the land but Robert Moses refused and instead offered him Flushing Queens where Citi field is now

[@paulmolina1157]

Nice video!! Now I am mad that I didn’t go see the site where JR was signed and the flag pole. Can you confirm if there is the home plate inside the apartment complex? I thought I read a article stating that is was.

[@theleftfieldmikeshow8248]

Thanks Paul, I appreciate that! I didn't see the plate myself, but I believe its marked somewhere within the property.

[@paulmolina1157]

Then I have to make a road trip out there to see it!

[@enpelotas79]

Home plate is there. They also have some original seats in certain buildings as well. Pretty cool.

[@aaronwilliams6989]

I greatly appreciate this video.

[@ChynWonder]

thanks for sharing this

[@richardespinoza6243]

That’s also Walter O Malley old office.

[@CerdafiedBaseballClub]

Taking a trip there next month. Never being there, would you recommend this even if I have my small child with me? Rumors about some pretty bad gang activity right there in that complex. Any info is appreciated.

[@theleftfieldmikeshow8248]

Hi Andrew, thanks for watching the video! There's not a whole lot to see other than realizing its the former site of the ballpark. I'd recommend taking a walk around the complex and checking out Prospect Park/Prospect Park Zoo which is only a few blocks away! The complex is about a 10 minute bus ride/a few stops on the subway from Downtown Brooklyn/Barclays Center.

[@vladimirlopez7840]

Pretty sure there’s still a small section of brick wall that was part of the stadium there.

[@Checkmate34851]

They were America’s team before the Dallas Cowboys. The boys of summer

[@leemulvaney5165]

Quality Mike! Very entertaining mate! Shame this stuff happens over here...teams just uprooting and shippin out!!?? We've got a massive Jackie Robinson statue over here in Jersey City an I thought he was from this side, now I know! Haha an I like tellin people back home I work in Brooklyn lad, carries a lot of weight! Keep it up la!

[@theleftfieldmikeshow8248]

Thanks Lee! I appreciate the kind words!

[@lonniestephens6254]

Robert Moses was the one at fault but not Walter O'Malley!

[@2743joemac]

BTW the flag at Barclays is Nets on one side and the Islanders on the other...but you are not a hockey guy so I get it

[@theleftfieldmikeshow8248]

My apologies Joe!

[@principeperfecto6319]

Didn't the Islanders move to a new rink in Elmont, next to Belmont Racing Track?

[@TheBatugan77]

Psssh. Hockey. Psssh.

[@rstefanie2622]

Enjoyed your video. You really glossed over some of the key reasons why the Brooklyn team fled NY and also what made the Brooklyn Dodgers so special here. The area was once a local nice safe local neighborhood but was in rapid decline. With the advancement of night baseball the issue of safety was on the forefront in Flatbush, thus Branch Rickey and finally Walter O'Malley forced to move out of the corroding inner city for higher ground. Matter of fact just 6,700 fans turned out on the final night of baseball in Brooklyn on 9/24/57. The hard cold truth is people were moving OUT of Brooklyn for greener pastures such as Long Island where builder William Levitt as building homes and new communities and finally Staten Island once the Verrazano Bridge was completed in the mid 60s. Sad ending really. You are correct about Robert Moses (local politician) who refused to build the Dodgers a new ballpark and ultimately the Dodgers leaving along with the Giants to the West coast where they have flourished for decades. Also, there were many many other notable players that were part of those great Dodger teams in the 50s besides Jackie Robinson that you neglected to mention (very unfair to those players), which included hall of famers like Al Lopez, Billy Herman, Duke Snider (mentioned), Pee Wee Reese (captain) mentioned), Don Newcombe, Gil Hodges, Johnny Podres, Carl Erskine (street off the Belt Parkway named after him), the tragedy of Roy Campanella (mentioned) and a very young Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale and Tommy Lasorda, who all played under longtime Hall of Fame Dodger managers such as Casey Stengel, Leo Durocher and Walter Alston. Also, no mention of the great announcers that would broadcast to thousands of radios and later TVs that could be heard through the neighborhoods on warm summer nights such as Red Barber and a hall of famer Vin Scully. Your video also never mentions the 1955 Dodgers team that finally ended the curse of the NY Yankees reign and the end of "dem bums". Just thought the other members of the Brooklyn teams needed to be recognized here. Thanks for reading.

[@principeperfecto6319]

I believe another reason for the decline of.the neighborhood was that the Brooklyn Navy Yard closed and Brooklyn's newspaper shut down. Hand to be really tough for Brooklynites in 1958.

[@tomporterjr652]

im a dodgers fan i live in los Angeles

[@2743joemac]

Nice job...no worries everyone mistakes their hat for their shirt

[@theleftfieldmikeshow8248]

Rats, it happens!

[@27ckenz]

It’s a Shat!

[@josephambrose2852]

According to my dad, the place was a veritable sh*thole No disrespect intended

[@frankgrimesification]

Los Doyers!!!

[@mocha-cream2756]

Thank you Brooklyn for giving Los Angeles your Dodgers! Must felt sickening watching them go.

[@principeperfecto6319]

In Brooklyn, I've heard that the joke used to go like this: You're in a room with Hitler, Stalin, and O'Malley. You have a gun with 2 bullets. What do you do? Ans: Shoot O'Malley twice. Most of Brooklyn blamed O'Malley when they should have blamed Moses.

[@mocha-cream2756]

Exactly.

[@TheBatugan77]

Test

[@qvs787]

Haha there still is racism. 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@trevorweaver6415]

You clearly know nothing about baseball.

[@trevorweaver6415]

If you really wanted to show respect for the Dodgers you would have spoken to the people who live there. You do not have friends in different neighborhoods in Brooklyn. Your hand ios hard and crusty which means you don't know much.

[@saucepapi123]

Yes nothing like talking to strangers, you ever think about that it’s hard for some people including me to talk to people we’ve never met before