Montague Street office

[Paulmcall]

Does anyone remember when the Dodgers started using this office for their front office personnel employees?
It was a skip and hop from Borough Hall and has been torn down. How long did it stay there after the Dodgers left Brooklyn?

[Mattingly]

When was it torn down? I remember there used to be an EAB (European American Bank, since merged with Citibank, I think) that had photos of this at the corner of Montague St and Cadman Plaza in Brooklyn Heights, right near the beginning of Court St and near the Federal Court Bldg.

[DODGER DEB]

The actual building where 215 Montague Street was located was torn down. That site became part of a building that replaced it, originally a EAB bank branch. That closed several years ago. It is now occupied by a Commerce Bank branch, after a renovation. The actual address, "215" no longer exists. There is a plaque on the Commerce Bank building noting the BROOKLYN DODGER "Front Office" as it was called in those days. It is about two blocks from Boro Hall.

OUR Front Office was located on the 4th Floor in that building. It housed all the executives, major league and minor league, and their staffs. There was also a "ticket office" located there, for fans who wanted to purchase BROOKLYN tickets. I believe OUR DODGERS started using it in the early 1940's under Larry McPhail. I do know Branch Rickey was located there.

The "west coast group" kept that office open until around 1960, or until after OUR Ebbets Field was demolished. They would have one person fly in and stay for a few weeks at a time...to "keep an eye on things". Even though they no longer owned OUR Ebbets Field, (they did have a lease on it until 1960, but that's a story for another time), they had to remove many items for "safe keeping", once Kratter decided to throw it down.

c.

[zman]

The plaque you mentioned says the Dodgers were headquartered there 1938-1957.


(subwaywebnews.com)

[DODGER DEB]

Originally Posted by DODGER DEB

The actual building where 215 Montague Street was located was torn down. That site became part of a building that replaced it, originally a EAB bank branch. That closed several years ago. It is now occupied by a Commerce Bank branch, after a renovation. The actual address, "215" no longer exists. There is a plaque on the Commerce Bank building noting the BROOKLYN DODGER "Front Office" as it was called in those days. It is about two blocks from Boro Hall.

OUR Front Office was located on the 4th Floor in that building. It housed all the executives, major league and minor league, and their staffs. There was also a "ticket office" located there, for fans who wanted to purchase BROOKLYN tickets. I believe OUR DODGERS started using it in the early 1940's under Larry McPhail. I do know Branch Rickey was located there.

The "west coast group" kept that office open until around 1960, or until after OUR Ebbets Field was demolished. They would have one person fly in and stay for a few weeks at a time...to "keep an eye on things". Even though they no longer owned OUR Ebbets Field, (they did have a lease on it until 1960, but that's a story for another time), they had to remove many items for "safe keeping", once Kratter decided to throw it down.

c.

That would be about right, zman! I was off by a few years.

c.

[CaliforniaCajun]

Originally Posted by DODGER DEB

The actual building where 215 Montague Street was located was torn down. That site became part of a building that replaced it, originally a EAB bank branch. That closed several years ago. It is now occupied by a Commerce Bank branch, after a renovation. The actual address, "215" no longer exists. There is a plaque on the Commerce Bank building noting the BROOKLYN DODGER "Front Office" as it was called in those days. It is about two blocks from Boro Hall.

OUR Front Office was located on the 4th Floor in that building. It housed all the executives, major league and minor league, and their staffs. There was also a "ticket office" located there, for fans who wanted to purchase BROOKLYN tickets. I believe OUR DODGERS started using it in the early 1940's under Larry McPhail. I do know Branch Rickey was located there.

The "west coast group" kept that office open until around 1960, or until after OUR Ebbets Field was demolished. They would have one person fly in and stay for a few weeks at a time...to "keep an eye on things". Even though they no longer owned OUR Ebbets Field, (they did have a lease on it until 1960, but that's a story for another time), they had to remove many items for "safe keeping", once Kratter decided to throw it down.

c.

How the Dodgers get out of the lease in 1958? They would be responsible for the rent, but wouldn't they be responsible for playing there?

[VIBaseball]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaCajun

How the Dodgers get out of the lease in 1958? They would be responsible for the rent, but wouldn't they be responsible for playing there?

They subleased Ebbets in 1958. I have an article coming out on the twilight years, as I call them. I hope to give it to you all soon.

The Big O actually had a lease on Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City too, but he was not obligated to play in either place, or LA's Wrigley Field, which he owned. On 12/7/57, he was quoted in the NY Times as saying, "if anything should make it impossible for us to open in Los Angeles we could still return to Brooklyn." But he then went on to say he had no intention of doing so.

During much of that month, the talk was that the Dodgers might play in the Rose Bowl rather than the L.A. Coliseum.

On 1/14/58, Commissioner Ford Frick was quoted in the Chicago Tribune as follows: "I hope they get it settled soon and make the best deal they can for themselves and for the city of Los Angeles." So it would appear that MLB was a) indifferent and b) couldn't force a club to play somewhere just because they held a lease. That part was just business.

[tonypug]

Originally Posted by VIBaseball

They subleased Ebbets in 1958. I have an article coming out on the twilight years, as I call them. I hope to give it to you all soon.

The Big O actually had a lease on Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City too, but he was not obligated to play in either place, or LA's Wrigley Field, which he owned. On 12/7/57, he was quoted in the NY Times as saying, "if anything should make it impossible for us to open in Los Angeles we could still return to Brooklyn." But he then went on to say he had no intention of doing so.

During much of that month, the talk was that the Dodgers might play in the Rose Bowl rather than the L.A. Coliseum.

On 1/14/58, Commissioner Ford Frick was quoted in the Chicago Tribune as follows: "I hope they get it settled soon and make the best deal they can for themselves and for the city of Los Angeles." So it would appear that MLB was a) indifferent and b) couldn't force a club to play somewhere just because they held a lease. That part was just business.

People forget, that by having Ebbets Field on lease,Whale belly prevented any other team from moving to and playing in Brooklyn. Ebbets Field was the only ball park and O'Malley had it leased.He extended the lease even after he was comitted to move. The reasons are obvious, prevent other teams from moving to Brooklyn.

[tonypug]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaCajun

How the Dodgers get out of the lease in 1958? They would be responsible for the rent, but wouldn't they be responsible for playing there?

The lease was with a private corporation,as long as the lease was paid they could care less whether the team played there or not.