Roosevelt Stadium

[tonypug]

The Brooklyn Dodgers played seven league games and one exhibition game in 1956, and eight league games in 1957, in Jersey City's Roosevelt Stadium. I know a couple of the Brooklyn Dodger Forum members attended games there, maybe they can give us a feel of what that stadium was like. I saw some of the Dodger games from there on TV but never had a chance to go there. If anyone has photos (Jackie 42?) maybe they can share. The stadium is a bit of a mystery, there seems to be very few photos available. I haven't found any from the games the Dodgers played there. According to newspaper reports and player interviews the Dodgers were not treated like the home team. Most of the fans attending the games were New York Giants fans and rooted against the Dodgers. The Giants at one time had a farm team in New Jersey.

[Tim Brent]

here's a seating diagram of Roosevelt Stadium.

[tonypug]

here's a seating diagram of Roosevelt Stadium.
Thanks Tim.

[JACKIE42]

http://www.jerseycityonline.com/rstadium/roosebw.jpg

[JACKIE42]

http://www.jerseycityonline.com/rstadium/32rs.jpg

[JACKIE42]

Roosevelt Stadium Firsts
Jersey City, NJ

Game 04/19/1956 Phillies 4, Dodgers 5 (10 innings)
Umpires Augie Donatelli, Bill Engeln
Vic Delmore, Jocko Conlan
Managers Walter Alston, Dodgers
Mayo Smith, Phillies
Starting Pitchers Carl Erskine, Dodgers
Murry Dickson, Phillies
Ceremonial Pitch Hoboken Mayor John J. Grogan
Attendance 12,214
Batting
Batter Richie Ashburn (groundout)
Hit Pee Wee Reese (single)
Run Junior Gilliam
RBI Gil Hodges
Single Pee Wee Reese
Double Gil Hodges
Triple Dee Fondy (06/25/1956)
Home Run Wally Moon (05/16/1956)
Grand Slam NONE
IPHR NONE
Stolen Base Roy Campanella
Sacrifice Hit Jackie Robinson
Sacrifice Fly Rube Walker
Cycle NONE
Pitching
Win Clem Labine
Loss Murry Dickson
Shutout Don Newcombe (08/07/1956)
Save Clem Labine (05/16/1956)
Hit by Pitch Jim Hearn hit Gino Cimoli (04/22/1957)
Wild Pitch Carl Erskine
Balk NONE
No-Hitter NONE

http://www.retrosheet.org/ballparks/roosevelt_stad.htm

[Chisox73]

Thanks Tim for the seating diagram.I haven't seen one for that place before,and thanks Jackie for the photo.

A couple of questions I would like to find out.What was the seating capacity at Roosevelt Stadium,and is it still standing today?

[tonypug]

Thanks Tim for the seating diagram.I haven't seen one for that place before,and thanks Jackie for the photo.

A couple of questions I would like to find out.What was the seating capacity at Roosevelt Stadium,and is it still standing today?
The 1956 Dodger yearbook lists capacity at 25,000. It is no longer standing, and there are very few pictures available. I still haven't found any Dodger game action photos from Roosevelt Stadium.

[tonypug]

Roosevelt Stadium Firsts
Jersey City, NJ

Game 04/19/1956 Phillies 4, Dodgers 5 (10 innings)
Umpires Augie Donatelli, Bill Engeln
Vic Delmore, Jocko Conlan
Managers Walter Alston, Dodgers
Mayo Smith, Phillies
Starting Pitchers Carl Erskine, Dodgers
Murry Dickson, Phillies
Ceremonial Pitch Hoboken Mayor John J. Grogan
Attendance 12,214
Batting
Batter Richie Ashburn (groundout)
Hit Pee Wee Reese (single)
Run Junior Gilliam
RBI Gil Hodges
Single Pee Wee Reese
Double Gil Hodges
Triple Dee Fondy (06/25/1956)
Home Run Wally Moon (05/16/1956)
Grand Slam NONE
IPHR NONE
Stolen Base Roy Campanella
Sacrifice Hit Jackie Robinson
Sacrifice Fly Rube Walker
Cycle NONE
Pitching
Win Clem Labine
Loss Murry Dickson
Shutout Don Newcombe (08/07/1956)
Save Clem Labine (05/16/1956)
Hit by Pitch Jim Hearn hit Gino Cimoli (04/22/1957)
Wild Pitch Carl Erskine
Balk NONE
No-Hitter NONE

http://www.retrosheet.org/ballparks/roosevelt_stad.htm
I seem to remember a strange play. Willie Jones the Phils 3b spiked himself while trying to catch a popup and had to leave the game.

[Chisox73]

Thanks for the reply guys. :waving

[DODGER DEB]

Roosevelt Stadium was one of the dullest ballparks in which I have ever seen a ML ballgame.

WE went there in the summer of 1956, and it took forever to get there. WE took a train in Penn Station to some place in NJ (I don't remember where), but when WE got off the train WE had to take a bus to get to the Stadium. The area outside the park was not the nicest of places. WE sat behind home plate and in general, just felt so "out of place" there, especially when WE were the home team. The trip home took even longer.

I DO remember that WE called a certain "owner" quite a few names that day.....thinking WHY is HE doing to this to US??? Little did WE realize what HE ultimately had in mind for US!

c.

[tonypug]

Roosevelt Stadium was one of the dullest ballparks in which I have ever seen a ML ballgame.

WE went there in the summer of 1956, and it took forever to get there. WE took a train in Penn Station to some place in NJ (I don't remember where), but when WE got off the train WE had to take a bus to get to the Stadium. The area outside the park was not the nicest of places. WE sat behind home plate and in general, just felt so "out of place" there, especially when WE were the home team. The trip home took even longer.

I DO remember that WE called a certain "owner" quite a few names that day.....thinking WHY is HE doing to this to US??? Little did WE realize what HE ultimately had in mind for US!

c.
Deb, do you remember which game you went to?Was there any advertising on the walls? I am trying to get a mental picture of the place.

[DODGER DEB]

Deb, do you remember which game you went to?Was there any advertising on the walls? I am trying to get a mental picture of the place.

Tony, I honestly don't remember WHICH game it was. As I said, I know it was in the summer, but that's about all I remember. I might I have a scorecard among my many items, and I also think I have a photo of the place (WE never went to ballgames without OUR cameras), but, I would have to look for it among the few thousands photos I have.

I can't say that I remember any advertising on the walls, although there could have been.

Sorry, I can't be of more help!

c.

[cong]

Those images are great and bring back some fond memories.

In the early 70's Lincoln HS in JC used Roosevelt as their home field. Many towns, like mine, went out of their way to play Lincoln. I was an awesome place for a HS game.

There were also some wonderful concerts held there in the late 70's and early 80's.

The Indians had an AA team there in the late 70's I believe as well.

Thanks again for those images!

[Digitalparks]

Hi Everyone!

This is Eric Pastore. My wife and I have been touring North America for the past 5 years, photographing every ballpark that has every been used for professional baseball of any kind, since professional baseball began (in high res digital photography). This is for the inclusion in our baseball stadium museum. The museum has been featured as recently as this past month on CNN and ABC News Nightline, and has links to it from the Hall Of Fame in Cooperstown.

We are trying to capture every ballpark ever used for professional baseball, ever. In all of history.

Of course that leads to one big issue. I cannot capture ballparks that no longer exist, for quite obvious reasons. For those, I have to rely on others.

As tony pug stated in the beginning, Roosevelt Stadium has been an enigma. There are very few photographs of it, and we only have one aerial shot ourselves.

We've been lucky, that many of the early Major League parks, we've been able to "Screen Capture" from some very rare footage off of some new DVD's we've gotten. Because of this technology, and because all of the old news reels of the 50's have been digitized, we have some great never before seen footage of Ebbets Field, Yankee Stadium, Seals Stadium, Polo Grounds, Connie Mack, LA Coliseum. Unfortunately, no footage exists of Minor League Parks.

If anyone wishes to help us out, please let me know. My email address is digital@digitalballparks.com.

My musuem www.digitalballparks.com, is seeking ANY photos of "no longer standing" ballparks, preferrably very large so we can crop if we need to.

If anyone has anything to donate, please let us know. Even the 2 photographs that appear above are pretty good. Thanks everyone.

[shoeless_joe]

The old Roosevelt Stadium, I saw the Jersey City A's play there, Rickey Henderson was on the team. I took my road test there come to think of it, out in the parking lot, the DMV used the parking lot for road tests.

Now, it's a community called Society Hill. I live about 10 blocks away from there.

[EddieBa26]

Hey Eric,
I find it so interesting that you say this about Citizens Bank Park, " Our disdain for the new ballparks... the Camden Yards clones... is well known. The same companies go out with the same ideas every time, and come up with the same ballparks. As one digitalballparks fan named "Toni" put it... soul less ballparks. This my friends... is not one of those."

I really always thought of it is just a boring, plain, run of the mill ballpark like all the other retro new one's.

Then I looked at your pics, and thought about the first stadium there...and I found my opinion changing. It really does have a lot of character. It's not manufactured either. It's a real life atmosphere. The fans and the stadium have a party atmosphere. You are absolutely right about the stadium and I take back the boring comments I made about it on another thread.

[westsidegrounds]

According to newspaper reports and player interviews the Dodgers were not treated like the home team. Most of the fans attending the games were New York Giants fans and rooted against the Dodgers. The Giants at one time had a farm team in New Jersey.

Right there in Jersey City, in fact, home to an International League NYG farm team since 1937. If you're wondering howcum the Dodgers could use the place, the "little Giants" had moved to Ottawa in 1950 ... to make the league more international I guess ...

[Digitalparks]

Hey Eric,
I find it so interesting that you say this about Citizens Bank Park, " Our disdain for the new ballparks... the Camden Yards clones... is well known. The same companies go out with the same ideas every time, and come up with the same ballparks. As one digitalballparks fan named "Toni" put it... soul less ballparks. This my friends... is not one of those."

I really always thought of it is just a boring, plain, run of the mill ballpark like all the other retro new one's.

Then I looked at your pics, and thought about the first stadium there...and I found my opinion changing. It really does have a lot of character. It's not manufactured either. It's a real life atmosphere. The fans and the stadium have a party atmosphere. You are absolutely right about the stadium and I take back the boring comments I made about it on another thread.

Personally, I saw them building it, and stood outside quite a few times, looking around when they were putting the seats in, and thinking to myself, my God, I wish I had the vet back! heheheh I really did. Once I was inside, though, it changed for me. I love the fact that people are not only NOT required to remain in their seats as much as possible, but they're free to just roam around, and hang off the railings and staircases with their beers... actually, it's encouraged! I haven't found that anywhere in the 300 parks i've seen... and this is Philly no less! It was mayhem actually and I loved it. Especially that outfield with the staircases rising up to that strange little plateau. I found it to be so different. Such a laid back way to watch baseball, and I found myself asking, why isn't it like this everywhere. Why have owners turned their ballparks into these conservative places where you sit properly like little children and are watched like hawks by the seating police. I thought this was brilliant. Like you, it took awhile. Probably because I had to really experience this atmosphere. Once I did though I got it. It all made sense to me. It's alright man, it's alright.

Now as for the Senators new park, i'm not so pleased! (oh excuse me... Nationals!).

[tonypug]

I seem to remember that after Fidel Castro took charge in Cuba , the Cinncinnati Reds moved their farm team the Havana Sugar Kings to Roosevelt Stadium and changed their name to the Jersey City Reds. I believe they also televised some games locally in New York. Does anyone else remember if this was so?

[Digitalparks]

I seem to remember that after Fidel Castro took charge in Cuba , the Cinncinnati Reds moved their farm team the Havana Sugar Kings to Roosevelt Stadium and changed their name to the Jersey City Reds. I believe they also televised some games locally in New York. Does anyone else remember if this was so?

During the 1960 season, the revolution was getting underway in Cuba. During the middle of a ballgame, shots rang out, and almost hit the 1st baseman, or actually did hit him. I don't remember exactly what happened. Either way, the teams fled the field and Cuba's Gran stadium in general.

The Reds finished the season at Jersey City and stayed for the following season as well, before moving onto San Diego.

[T-Mac]

Thanks for the trip back in history. I believe all Jersey City High Schools played football at Roosevelt Stadium until it's demise in '85. I played for Dickinson in '78. You may remember Jim Bouton, a reporter for CBS who covered a HS football team in the mid 70's that was on pace to break the Guinness record for consecutive losses. The steak was stopped in '74 when DHS beat Emerson 7-6 to fall 2 games short of untold shame. I was at that game and can appreciate Deb's frustration with the transportation system. I grew tired of waiting for the bus and the walk back to where I live was about 5 miles. I think the train she took was then called the Hudson Tubes. Now the PATH system, it still stops in Journal Square(Summitt Ave). The city's bus system hasn't improved much, as I still need to go into Port Authority in NYC to get a bus to the Jets games. There were no ads on/in the stadium when I played there. Capacity was listed at 25,000. :gt
http://www.yesshows.de/Images/RooseveltStadiumAgain.jpg
http://www.njcu.edu/programs/jchistory/Images/R_Images/Roosevelt_Stadium_2_Nestor.jpg

More stories and a few pics can be found here: http://www.jerseycityonline.com/rstadium/stories.htmHere's a pic of Jackie playing his first game with the Dodgers' minor league team. http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/la/history/ballparks.jsp

[wamby]

The 1956 Dodger yearbook lists capacity at 25,000. It is no longer standing, and there are very few pictures available. I still haven't found any Dodger game action photos from Roosevelt Stadium.

There is a crowd photo, in which you can a tiny bit of the playing field in
The Dodgers Move West.

[tonypug]

Thanks for the trip back in history. I believe all Jersey City High Schools played football at Roosevelt Stadium until it's demise in '85. I played for Dickinson in '78. You may remember Jim Bouton, a reporter for CBS who covered a HS football team in the mid 70's that was on pace to break the Guinness record for consecutive losses. The steak was stopped in '74 when DHS beat Emerson 7-6 to fall 2 games short of untold shame. I was at that game and can appreciate Deb's frustration with the transportation system. I grew tired of waiting for the bus and the walk back to where I live was about 5 miles. I think the train she took was then called the Hudson Tubes. Now the PATH system, it still stops in Journal Square(Summitt Ave). The city's bus system hasn't improved much, as I still need to go into Port Authority in NYC to get a bus to the Jets games. There were no ads on/in the stadium when I played there. Capacity was listed at 25,000. :gt
http://www.yesshows.de/Images/RooseveltStadiumAgain.jpg
http://www.njcu.edu/programs/jchistory/Images/R_Images/Roosevelt_Stadium_2_Nestor.jpg

More stories and a few pics can be found here: http://www.jerseycityonline.com/rstadium/stories.htmHere's a pic of Jackie playing his first game with the Dodgers' minor league team. http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/la/history/ballparks.jsp
Thanks for the information. This still remains a stadium that is a mystery, with very few photos available.

[ColtscorrAL]

I never went to a Dodgers game at Roosevelt Stadium, but I did attend a New York Football Giants exhibition game against Lombardi's Packers. Can't remember the year but I believe it was the season after the Pack lost to the Eagles, so 1961? Back then it was a dump. :atthepc

[T-Mac]

Click on the pic of the stadium in this link for 88 photos and layout drawings. Many of the pics were taken after the stadium was out of use. Still some good ones there. The Dickinson vs Prep football game on Thanksgiving was always packed.

http://www.njcu.edu/programs/jchistory/Pages/R_Pages/Roosevelt_Stadium.htm

[tonypug]

Thanks for the link. I know most of the pictures are from after the Stadium was used, but it's still hard to imagine that Major League baseball was played there.

[POLO GROUNDS 1957]

Click on the pic of the stadium in this link for 88 photos and layout drawings. Many of the pics were taken after the stadium was out of use. Still some good ones there. The Dickinson vs Prep football game on Thanksgiving was always packed.

http://www.njcu.edu/programs/jchistory/Pages/R_Pages/Roosevelt_Stadium.htm


HELLO ALL. thanks T-MAC for the great site on roosevelt stadium.
this site is great. even has the blueprints of the stadium. i wish that they
could have done something like this with the POLO GROUNDS and EBBETS FIELD that would have been great to see. again thanks for the link. TO ALL you should check this site out. TAKE CARE DONALD DETROIT MI :clapping

[ColtscorrAL]

That's right, after reading the brief bio of Roosevelt Stadium, I remember attending an Emerson, Lake and Palmer concert there. God, what an awful night. First off, I hated the group, so peer pressure was the reason for my visit. Secondly, the guy in front of me, a huge E,L&P fan, was fried :eek: and drunk :p two hours before they came on stage. When they finally did come on, he puked on my friend and passed out missing the entire horrible event. The best part, of the entire night, was when they :clapping finally :clapping broke their instruments and we could get the hell out of there. :atthepc

[tonypug]

It's hard to believe that no photos of the Dodgers playing in Roosevelt Stadium have been found. Maybe if we relight the flame here something will come up.

[calhalo]

It's hard to believe that no photos of the Dodgers playing in Roosevelt Stadium have been found. Maybe if we relight the flame here something will come up.
Ask, and ye shall receive.


(roughly 43.6677% of the time)


Dodgers vs Phils '56

[tonypug]

Ask, and ye shall receive.


(roughly 43.6677% of the time)


Dodgers vs Phils '56
Thanks very much. Not to be greedy, are there anymore? Was this the first game taht the Dodgers played in Jersey?

[Gary Dunaier]

Here's a link to a Corbis photo showing Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese, in uniform, at Roosevelt Stadium chatting with head groundkeeper Jim Esposito the day before the Dodgers' first game in Jersey City in 1956.

http://pro.corbis.com/images/U1310567INP.jpg?size=67&uid={a357b6ae-6b20-4a86-b55a-6a77817f8063}

[sflnyc]

Here's my addition to the collection.

[tonypug]

Here's my addition to the collection.

Great photos , do you have a date on this one?

[Mario Mendoza...HOF Lock]

I was born a few miles from Roosevelt Stadium well after the Dodgers left for the west coast. Images are hard to find on the internet or anywhere else. The NJCU/Library of Congress pics are by far the most comprehensive. It's a shame there aren't more game pictures.

Below are some scale models that a enthusiast built and put on display a few years ago.

http://www.hudsoncity.net/temporary/imagestheater/roosevelt-stadium-model-400.jpg

http://www.hudsoncity.net/temporary/imagestheater/roosevelt-stadium-model-2-6.jpg

http://www.hudsoncity.net/temporary/imagestheater/roosevelt-stadium-model-3-640.jpg

Here's a decent b/w photo from a book about JC I bought several years ago (click link to enlarge)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/135/355377895_d433d41b4d_o.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/135/355377895_d433d41b4d.jpg


Here's an image from a remastered Yes simulcast CD. I doubt this is an "official" band release, but the cover is cool.
http://pageproducer.arczip.com/kristijoff/RoosStdAgainBook.jpg


Some minor league (I presume) practice
http://kearnyalumni.com/images/200301/00000208p1f.jpg

This is a small image from the Dodgers first game at RS in 1956
http://www.walteromalley.com/images/biog_ref/28/roosevelt_stadium_2_b.jpg
The same pic enlarged, (but with poorer image quality)
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1353/1480226717_3789fea57d_o.jpg


A few others
http://kearnyalumni.com/images/200301/00000208p3f.jpg

http://kearnyalumni.com/images/200301/00000208p2f.jpg

[sflnyc]

Great photos , do you have a date on this one?

Unfortunately I do not. The description of the picture that I scanned was that "the Dodgers played some games there in 1956 and 1957", so I don't know if maybe the picture was taken at that time as they were preparing the stadium for the arrival of the Dodgers.

[Gary Dunaier]

I'd guess this photo...

http://www.walteromalley.com/images/biog_ref/28/roosevelt_stadium_2_b.jpg

...is from 1956 because the pennant the woman is holding refers to the "World Champion" Dodgers.