Braves Field Photos

[sflnyc]

Another park with not a lot of photo representation.

The site for three World Series – but only one involving the Braves.

All of these photos except one are undated. The photo with the play at First Base is from Game 2 of the 1948 World Series (10.7.48). Bob Elliott of the Braves has just grounded into a Double Play with Indians 1B Eddie Robinson stretching to catch the throw.

Others are an aerial shot, crowds outside the ticket office, a lonely Braves fan in the last Boston season of 1952, and then the weeds taking hold of the park in 1953. I can't tell if the 1952 photo of the one Braves fan is from the stands in the LF corner or the RF corner. Maybe someone has another aerial photo that would identify the building behind the stands he is sitting as to what side of the park it was.

[sflnyc]

Second set of Braves Field photos

These last two photos provide an interesting history.

First, they seem to me to be taken from the same game.

Interesting point of reference is that beyond the right field “Jury Box” stands is the football scoreboard, which still displays the score of the last football game, which using my magnifying glass, says that Boston lost 20-6. Internet searches reveal that game is not the Boston University Terriers*, but the Boston College Eagles, who lost to Wake Forest on September 21, 1951. The Braves had 6 home games remaining in 1951 after that date, of which judging by the “size” of the crowd means that the photos were taken against the Giants on Sunday, Sept. 30 (13,209 in attendance). The Saturday game drew considerably less at 7,091. The four midweek games (incl. a DH) against the Dodgers only drew 5,670; 2,444; and 2,086, so I know it can’t be those games.

I believe the photos were possibly taken that weekend against the Giants by someone (or a fan) chronicling the Giants then hopeful miracle comeback. (it had yet to be completed). All of the 6 Braves home games were day games. Of course it doesn't help that the left field baseball scoreboard isn't in any of the picturs to verify opponents, line-ups, etc., but wonderful photos, nonetheless.

*There isn’t any information online on Boston University game scores from 1925-1946.

Only other Boston College home game that I came across with a 20-6 score relative to that period was against Holy Cross in the season finale on November 29, 1947, which would mean that the scoreboard was left alone with the score all winter and that the baseball game is during 1948. Highly unlikely.

[alpineinc]

Sporting News, 1937. Anyone for Bees Field? Only concession stand in majors which carries full line of chewing tobacco!

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj90/alpineinc/bravesfieldsn37.jpg?t=1225597073

[alpineinc]

1947 Sporting News, from Gene Mack of the Boston Globe.

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj90/alpineinc/sn4607mackbraves.jpg?t=1226249399

[alpineinc]

Stadium blueprints/drawings from Osborn Engineering, 1915.

http://72.37.159.45/App_Themes/Images/Auctions_Images/811/popups/60139a.jpg

http://72.37.159.45/App_Themes/Images/Auctions_Images/805/popups/57162.jpg

[stlfan]

Thanks for the blueprints. It proves that the main grandstand was at an obtuse angle.

[alpineinc]

1950

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj90/alpineinc/c-14.jpg?t=1227247206

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj90/alpineinc/c-13.jpg?t=1227247140

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj90/alpineinc/c-15.jpg?t=1227247275

[icee82]

This pic was taken on August 8, 1950 at Braves Field

[icee82]

Check out the scoreboard in this pic. It is similar to the ones posted by sflnyc.

[icee82]

Same game as above

[New York Kid]

At 40 years old, Babe homered and singled off Carl Hubbell on Opening Day, 1935.

[jimmyjimjimz]

Same game as above

why is there a score on the football scoreboard during a baseball game? Unless it was during football season too, and even for away games they changed the score on the scoreboard.

[parlo]

Here is one more from that same Dodger Brave game in September 1951.

http://images.google.com/hosted/life/l?imgurl=9f641e9575710995&q=baseball+source:life&ei=XV1ASZ2rEYe4sAOq97SuBA&sig2=Qg7bv24MKY80ir_FMexyLw&usg=__Qt995UNY9evHZLRJugvLOtliiqY=&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbaseball%2Bsource:life%26start%3D80%2 6ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DN

[teamrap]

why is there a score on the football scoreboard during a baseball game? Unless it was during football season too, and even for away games they changed the score on the scoreboard.


That was an auxiliary scoreboard for football ... my guess is that picture was taken on a Sunday in September, and Boston College had played a game there on the day before

[HollandsComet]

Anyone notice the little quirk in the Braves Field main scoreboard in the big pics above? It listed the strikes ahead of the balls, for some unknown reason. This board eventually became the main scoreboard at old Municipal Stadium here in K.C.

[icee82]

These LIFE photos have some great shots of Braves Field.

[alpineinc]

August 1925.

http://s270.photobucket.com/albums/jj90/alpineinc/braves1.jpg

[Milwaukee County Stadium]

Some photos of Braves Field never posted here
demolition of 3rd base stands
http://sportstemples.bpl.org/IMGs/STMedium/tm_st11287.jpg
then
http://www.bahistory.org/BravesField_Lo.jpg
today
http://www.burugby.com/uploader/images/2_w-newnickerson.jpg
http://www.conigliofamily.com/images/BravesNickerson.jpg
football
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vo3odxgitzs/SK4xtoayKxI/AAAAAAAAAVA/RhPSBaNV4oY/s200/patriots+at+nickerson.jpg

[Anubis2051]

http://www.burugby.com/uploader/images/2_w-newnickerson.jpg
I'm assuming those are the first base stands that still exist right? Where would home plate have been in the football stadium?

[Milwaukee County Stadium]

Some photos of Braves Field I found on getty and corbis

[driver62]

I believe home plate would have been located behind the soccer goal towards the bottom of the picture.

[teamrap]

I believe home plate would have been located behind the soccer goal towards the bottom of the picture.

More like 1/2 the way between the soccer goal and the farside of the field ... the first base line ran perpendicular from where the diagonal flattens out in the far wall of the existing stands

[teamrap]

I laid in the approx Braves Field locations

/attachment.php?attachmentid=72668&stc=1&d=1246486560/ATTACH]

[Chevy114]

Is it just me or is it luck on the draw how fenway lasted and this one didnt?

[teamrap]

What luck? ... The Braves coudn't draw because Eddie Matthews was a rookie, Hank Aaron was still a year away, the park's location sucked and so they left town ... the Red Sox had a bona fide superstar in Ted Williams (.406) and had been to the World Series once (1946) and lost on the last day of the season twice (1948 & 1949)

[FENWAY FRANKY]

...even back in 1952, with only 25% of the population using television but growing exponential terms, which really put Perini and the 2 other steam shovels over the edge and off to Milw, WI. It just killed attendance for the Braves. Once I figure out how to add photo's I'll post the many "ballpark" pictures I took at my son's recent BU graduation (we were sitting in right center field where the Babe and Tommy Holmes held fort, btw). Stilling there for 4 hours on a cloudy, misty day (what's new, the weather hasn't changed in 40 days up here in New England) I did notice the steady prevailing wind off the Charles River, across the train tracks (they are still there) and into the field.
It would cool off or smoke out, back between 1915 and the advent of the diesel engine, all the attendees at the games there, Not a good thing, and nothing could be done about it.

[J.E.Fullerton]

Here's a quick fake I just made, showing how big the original outfield would have been:http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/jefullerton/05_02_010469_full.jpg
The original had the outfield bleachers and fans standing in front of them; I'm not up to rotating the baselines back to the early configuration, though!
This is a cropped version of a photo in my collection, the original has more of the Allston cityscape behind it:http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/jefullerton/Bravesdetail.jpg

[J.E.Fullerton]

Here's another aerial photo from the 30s doctored to restore the original outfield (though again, with the altered baselines remaining):
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/jefullerton/Bravesair.jpg
I'm kind of in love with the original outfield size. The sheer space of it seems to have a grandeur that really suits the broad sweep of the stands, which look clumsy after the fences were moved in. There's also something clean and sharp looking about the field going straight to the outer wall, with no billboard inner walls tacked up as an after thought.

This park excited some very positive reviews in the press when it first opened (though maybe uncritical boosterism was just sop for that era), contrasting it's austere Grecian lines with the ornate pomp of the Polo Grounds frieze as excellent examples of different approaches. Some of it had to do with being the biggest park in the country at the time, and the vastness of that lawn must have been staggering, especially after the cramped quarters of South End Grounds. I know it got a lot of scorn and abuse in later years, but it's still one of my favourite old parks.

[Pelt]

I can't say I've seen those first two pics, J.E.

Good stuff.

[J.E.Fullerton]

Thanks. The first was from the Boston Public Library sports archive that someone linked a while ago. Here's the whole picture of second one:
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/jefullerton/IMG_0002.jpg
There is a signature on the back that was listed as being from someone affiliated with the Braves, but I don't recall who it was...it looks like "Robinson" but it's hard to decipher. I've included it below along with an aerial view from behind the grandstand:
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/jefullerton/BF1.jpg
Here are some more views of the plain exterior, some have probably been posted already on this forum:
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/jefullerton/BBF1302.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/jefullerton/BBF1303.jpg
Lastly, here's a picture of a nine foot long architectural model that Judge Gaffney showed the press before the work began (while joking about having a more low-key approach than Charlie Ebbets). Some statistics from the Herald article are that the field will be 17 feet below street level, the grandstand concourse will be only 16 feet above street level, but 33 feet above field level, the grandstand will have 37 rows, original seating capacity was to have been 45,000, with 15,600 in the Grandstand, 1,400 in the box seats, 12,500 in one pavilion, 12,000 in the other pavilion, and 3,500 in the bleacher, which was intended to have been rather larger than what was finally built. The box seats were to to be reached by a rather steep tunnel, which can be seen on the blueprint on page 1 of this thread. Interestingly, the picture shows both pavilions were to have been roofed by the original plans:
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/jefullerton/BF5.jpg

[Pelt]

Awesome. The roof would have been pretty sweet had they done the whole thing.

[MarthaT]

Awesome. The roof would have been pretty sweet had they done the whole thing.

really wish they wouldve

[J.E.Fullerton]

It almost looks like the rather high roof over the grandstand (as built) was in order to have it be high enough to have the same roof height continue over the significantly taller pavilions. Maybe they planned to extend the roof but never got around to it, or would it have been necessary to make it so high to avoid the roof blocking the view of fans in the back rows of the pavilion?

It seems like the roof on Griffith Stadium may have had that problem, since the newer upper deck on the pavilions (if they would have been called that, but the stands past the infield) was much higher than the first to third upper deck. Maybe that problem, if it was one, was an accident caused by not anticipating the need for expansion in Griffith, whereas, they did anticipate it Braves?

Here's two more I dug up, the first is from an old photocopy (sorry for the quality) of the original left field scoreboard, along the outer fence:
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/jefullerton/scoreboard.jpg
And this has a trolley pulled into position along the park, but I believe it's from a few years after the Braves went west:
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/jefullerton/trolley.jpg

[icee82]

Another great LIFE photo of the stands at this old park!!!

http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/91ee3f7c00e4fd6f_large

[soup]

Cool video of the abandoned Braves Field
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLuK71XRfqE

[locke40]

How in the world did anyone in their right mind put up with those damn support columns in their way!? The fans in the right and left field pavilions must have been so happy that the original plans to extend the roof never went through, or else they would have been stuck with even more support columns; thus, they would have never in a million years know what was happening on the field!

I'm obviously being sarcasm. :rofl:

Seriously though, that enormous roof is amazingly beautiful, even though it wasn't extended down the left and right field pavilions. The architects for Osborn Engineering must be rolling around in their graves when they look at these new parks, that have pathetically tiny roofs. When I go to Yankee games in the spring and fall, there is absolutely no cover from the rain. When I go to Yankee games in the Summer, there is absolutely no cover from the brutal sun. Maybe these old timers had it right, and we should take a page from their playbook.

BRING BACK THE SUPPORT COLUMN!

[J.E.Fullerton]

I just dug up two more blueprint pics from Braves Field, though they're unfortunately small. These were from the online catalogue for a NYC auction that was already over, and they didn't show everything clearly in the lot. The first is of some different plans for the pavilions:
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/jefullerton/GetAttachmentaspx.jpg
The second shows the geographic contours of the site, with the park plan overlaid on it:
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/jefullerton/bravcontour.jpg