The Pros Come to Parks

Major League Baseball is also a big part of Parks history. "The House that Ruth Built," or Yankee Stadium, is under the jurisdiction of

the Parks Department. The first Yankee Stadium opened on April 18, 1923 to a crowd of more than 74,000 fans who watched the Yankees beat the Red Sox 4–1. The original Yankee Stadium also supported baseball´s first triple–deck stands.

The new Yankee Stadium was constructed one block north of its predeccessor, across East 161st Street and River Avenue on portions of Macombs Dam and John Mullaly Parks. The stadium´s design evokes the old stadium by incorporating design elements of both the original 1923 stadium and its later renovation in the 1970s. The site of Old Yankee Stadium, and its field, will become baseball fields for all to use.

Shea Stadium, the Queens home of the New York Mets, was housed in Flushing Meadows Corona Park and was one of the park's many distinctive features. It too was torn down following the 2008 season. The stadium, located on the north end of the park at the edge of Flushing Bay, was the largest building constructed for the 1964-65 World's Fair, and also served as the home of the New York Jets from 1967 to 1983 as well as the Beatles first stateside performances in 1965. Most of the Mets´ 46–year history (except for the first two seasons while the stadium was being built) has been wrapped up in Shea, where fans had watched the Mets reach great heights (such as their 1969 and 1986 World Series wins) and tremendous lows (such as the catastrophic end to the 2007 season).

A new stadium evoking Brooklyn´s Ebbets Field (the Mets' debut in 1962 being a response by Major League Baseball to make up for the Dodgers´ departure in 1957) was built just beyond the outfield at Shea, and opened in time for the 2009 season. The memory of the Brooklyn Dodgers is also kept alive at Dodger Playground in Brooklyn, the features of which incorporate design elements from Ebbets Field, which was located just a few blocks away from the site.

The Brooklyn Dodgers also have a link to J.J. Byrne Park in Park Slope, Brooklyn, which was known as Washington Park when the Old Stone House of Gowanus, located at the rear of the park, served as the clubhouse of the Bridegrooms, the baseball team that preceded the Dodgers. Professional baseball returned to Brooklyn in 2001 when the Brooklyn Cyclones, named for the landmark roller coaster visible beyond the outfield fence, began play at KeySpan Park in Coney Island on Surf Avenue between West 16th and 19th Streets. The Cyclones are a Class A minor league affiliate of the New York Mets.

You´re Up to Bat!

From rounders to stickball to cricket to baseball and softball, New York City parks host a long tradition of "bat sports" that continues to this day. As the weather warms up, take advantage of all that Parks has to offer by watching a Major League Baseball game, or even playing a pickup softball game at your local park. Batter up!