The original Mayor's Trophy Games

[VIBaseball]

I remember from my early years as a fan the in-season exhibition games between the Yankees and the Mets. They were discontinued after 1983. But what I didn't know was that a previous version of the series existed between the Yankees and Brooklyn!

Let's add to this thread, document the history of the earlier edition, and offer any memories we may have.

[penncentralpete]

Prior to the abandonment of New York by the city's two National League teams, the Yankees and Dodgers played an annual midseason exhibition game called the Mayor's Trophy Game to benefit sandlot baseball in New York City, with the proceeds raised by the Yankees going to leagues in Manhattan and the Bronx while proceeds raised by the Dodgers going to leagues on Long Island and Staten Island. The annual charity event was discontinued following the 1957 season when the Yankees became the only major league team in the city, but it was revived in 1963 after the National League returned to New York with the expansion New York Mets in 1962. After dwinding interest and public bickering between the owners of both teams, the Mayor's Trophy Game was discontinued following the 1983 season.

[penncentralpete]

This game might have started in 1946. I say "might have' simply because I'm not positive. I also believe (again--not sure) that the Yanks played the Dodgers and Giants every other year. There was one instance when all 3 teams played a single game at the Polo Grounds. Don't ask me how they did that, but they did. The squads were not combined, but played a strange 3-way game (never to be repeated).

[penncentralpete]

This game might have started in 1946. I say "might have' simply because I'm not positive. I also believe (again--not sure) that the Yanks played the Dodgers and Giants every other year. There was one instance when all 3 teams played a single game at the Polo Grounds. Don't ask me how they did that, but they did. The squads were not combined, but played a strange 3-way game (never to be repeated).

1944: Baseball supports the war effort with an unusual exhibition game at the Polo Grounds. Presented by the War Bond Sports committee in connection with the Fifth War Loan, the game among the Dodgers, Giants and Yankees swells New York's quota in the current bond drive by $56.5 million.

The crowd of 50,000 contributes $5.5 million to attend, while the Bond Clothing Co. pays $1 million in bonds for an autographed program. The overwhelming majority of the money comes from the city of New York, with Mayor Fiorello La Guardia purchasing $50 million worth of bonds.

As for the game, each team bats six times, plays defense six times, and watches six times in the nine-inning game. It takes a professor of mathematics at Columbia to figure out how to accomplish this. The Dodgers win the three-cornered game with five runs, while the Yankees score one run and the Giants are shut out.

[chinese home run]

The Mayor's Trophy Game wasn't exclusively between the Yankees and the Dodgers; the Giants played against the Yankees in both 1952 and 1955 ( the years after they won the NL Pennant, and in the case of 1955, after they won the World Championship.)

Outside of the three-sided affair in 1944, though, I don't remember if the Giants played the Yankess othere than those three times.

[penncentralpete]

The Mayor's Trophy Game wasn't exclusively between the Yankees and the Dodgers; the Giants played against the Yankees in both 1952 and 1955 ( the years after they won the NL Pennant, and in the case of 1955, after they won the World Championship.)

Outside of the three-sided affair in 1944, though, I don't remember if the Giants played the Yankess othere than those three times.

............see post #3.................the Giants participated w/o the Dodgers on occasion.

[Let's Go Mets!]

The Mayor's Trophy Game wasn't exclusively between the Yankees and the Dodgers; the Giants played against the Yankees in both 1952 and 1955 ( the years after they won the NL Pennant, and in the case of 1955, after they won the World Championship.)

Outside of the three-sided affair in 1944, though, I don't remember if the Giants played the Yankess othere than those three times.

There were eleven Mayor's Trophy games when the Dodgers & Giants were here.

[Let's Go Mets!]

the Mayor's Trophy Game was to benefit sandlot baseball in New York City, with the proceeds raised by the Yankees going to leagues in Manhattan and the Bronx while proceeds raised by the Dodgers going to leagues on Long Island and Staten Island.

If the Mayor's Trophy Game was to benefit sandlot baseball in New York City, why were proceeds donated by the Dodgers to teams on Long Island? Because the Big O' lived there?

[VIBaseball]

Going back to news stories of the day, I think you're right, Pete: the series began in 1946. That 1944 game appears to have been billed differently.

The first five years, the game was between the Yankees and Giants. I'm finding no detail so far on these games but will continue to dig.

Then from 1951 through 1954, the Dodgers were the opponent. (It definitely wasn't the Giants in '52, CHR.) The Giants returned in 1955, as there was a spat between the Yanks and Dodgers. No game was played in '56, and then the last one took place at Ebbets Field in '57.

For more detail, go here. You can also see what I pulled together on Phase II of the MTG: Yankees vs. Mets.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Mayor%27s_Trophy_Game

[penncentralpete]

A high school buddy of mine and I attended the first Mets/Yanks Mayor's Trophy game at Yankee Stadium (1963). The attendance was 50,000+, but I remember seeing no empty seats at all. Perhaps these seats were filled with non-paying "guests". Our seats were more than decent, downstairs,half way up between home and first base. The crowd was about 50/50 and was very loud and boisterous.. Being 16 at the time, we drank only sodas during the contest. As I recall many Yankee fans did not enjoy the fact that the lowly Mets beat their defending World Champions. I had to stuff my Mets cap into my pocket to avoid physical harm on the way out of the stadium. To a starry-eyed teen (and Mets' fanatic), I literally floated off the ground travelling home that night. Little did I know it then, but I was to actually play a "sandlot" game in that wonderful original Yankee Stadium the next summer.

[VIBaseball]

I have filled in the detail from 1946 to 1950. Originally this was known as the William O'Dwyer Trophy -- he was NYC's mayor at that time. The first two years, it was a best-of-three series.

Perhaps the most interesting thing I found concerned the game of August 16, 1948. What took place that day in the baseball world that caused everybody at the Polo Grounds to rise in tribute?

[penncentralpete]

I have filled in the detail from 1946 to 1950. Originally this was known as the William O'Dwyer Trophy -- he was NYC's mayor at that time. The first two years, it was a best-of-three series.

Perhaps the most interesting thing I found concerned the game of August 16, 1948. What took place that day in the baseball world that caused everybody at the Polo Grounds to rise in tribute?

George Herman Ruth met his maker, and 12 days later I celebrated my 2nd birthday.