Cramped but colorful Ebbets Field, in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, was home to the Dodgers in their lean times and glory years, until the franchise was transplanted to Los Angeles. Built by Dodger owner Charlie Ebbets for the 1913 season, the widely anticipated park opened without a press box, and no one brought the key to the bleachers for the first game. Originally the double-decked grandstand stood only along the foul lines, leaving the left field corner 419' distant, and center 477'. The grandstand was extended to left and center in the 1930s, however, making the park a hitter's paradise. The left-field power alley was 351' and center became a very comfortable 388', made even shorter by the upper deck, which hung over the playing field. The right field wall was a sight in itself. A patchwork collection of local advertisements, a scoreboard, and a large black screen that was in play, it was 38' high and abutted Bedford Avenue. The screen made up the top 19', sending balls rebounding at unpredictable angles, while the wall itself was concave, angled in the middle. The large black scoreboard featured the famous Abe Stark "Hit sign, win suit" advertisement on the bottom, and a Schaefer beer ad on top which gave the official scorer's ruling on hits and errors by lighting up the appropriate letter (h or e).

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RELATED LINKS » 1913: Ebbets Field Opens » 1955: Tom Lasorda's Wild Debut » 1957: : Dodgers, Giants Bid New York Adieu Book Excerpts » "In Ebbets Field our bullpen was down the right-field line": Carl Erskine » "[Durocher] had the honor (?) of making the last out of Johnny Vander Meer's second consecutive no-hitter in the first night game ever played at Ebbets Field": Leonard Koppett Submissions » Baseball Returns to Brooklyn, New York: You Can't Go Home Again by Sam Person » Remembering Irving Rudd by Harvey Frommer Ask The Experts » When was the first televised baseball game? » Who was the last Brooklyn Dodger to hit a home run at Ebbets Field?

Renowned for its laughable Dodgers in the 1920s and 1930s, Ebbets Field was also known for its vocal and boisterous fans. Hilda Chester would attend each game with her clanging cowbell, while the Dodgers Sym-Phony, a collection of musically inclined fans, played other instruments. In the 1940s, the Reds' Lonny Frey hit an inside-the-park home run when his drive to right hit the screen and fell straight down, coming to rest on top of the lower half of the wall, 19' above the field. And on October 3, 1947 Cookie Lavagetto broke up Bill Bevens's World Series no-hit bid with two out in the ninth.

By 1957, however, Ebbets Field had grown too old to satisfy Dodger owner Walter O'Malley, and in 1958 Brooklyn's beloved Dodgers were in Los Angeles. Only 6,673 fans attended the final game, and the park was demolished in 1960. The Jackie Robinson apartment complex now stands on the site. (SCL)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » May 29, 1908: At Ebbets Field, Christy Mathewson rights himself and shuts out Brooklyn for a 1-0 Giants win. Matty gives up four hits, K's 8, in beating Nap Rucker. » July 6, 1912: In Brooklyn, the cornerstone is put in place and construction on Ebbets Field begins. » October 5, 1912: In their last game at Washington Park, the Superbas lose to the Giants, 1–0. Pat Ragan takes the loss before 10,000 fans. Brooklyn will open next season at Ebbets Field. » April 5, 1913: An exhibition game with the newly christened Yankees opens Ebbets Field; 25,000 are on hand to watch Nap Rucker beat the American Leaguers, 3–2. The first home run is hit by Brooklyn's Casey Stengel, who legs out an inside-the-parker in the 1st. Jake Daubert legs out another round tripper in the 2nd. The Yanks suffer a loss when Zack Wheat spikes starting SS Claud Derrick on his throwing hand. Derrick will play just seven games before New York ships him to Sacramento (PCL). » April 9, 1913: With league approval, the Dodgers play their opener—and first regular-season game at Ebbets Field—a day ahead of the rest of the league. Cold weather keeps the crowd down to about 12,000, and the Phils' knuckleballer Tom Seaton beats Nap Rucker, 1–0. Seaton will lead the NL in wins with 27. » April 18, 1913: At Ebbets Field, the Phillies edge Brooklyn, 1–0. » April 29, 1913: At Ebbets Field, New York's Christy Mathewson beats Nap Rucker 6–0 in 13 innings and gives up no walks. He has thrown 22 innings without a pass; he will not walk a batter for 47 innings, then will top his own record later in the year. During his 25–11 season, Matty will walk 21 and hit none. » April 18, 1914: At Ebbets Field, Wilbert Robinson leads his Dodgers to a pasting of John McGraw's Giants. Brooklyn racks Christy Mathewson for 10 hits and nine runs in seven innings. Zack Wheat leads the way with a 3-run homer while driving home five runs. » April 24, 1915: At Ebbets Field, the Dodgers beat an aging Christy Mathewson, 7–5. It's the 6th loss in a row for the Giants. » June 24, 1916: The leading Dodgers sweep a doubleheader against the Giants at Ebbets Field, winning 6–4 and 5–4. Casey Stengel is the hero in the opener, going 3-for-4. » September 14, 1916: Four days after his first appearance, Pirate rookie Burleigh Grimes makes his first start, against the Dodgers at Ebbets Field. Brooklyn breaks a scoreless tie with two runs in the 7th, after Honus Wagner flubs a DP grounder hit by Casey Stengel. Wagner, who ostensibly had told the rookie to have Stengel hit the ball to short, reportedly says, "Those damn big feet of mine have always been in my way." (Okrent & Wulf) Pittsburgh scores two in the 8th to tie but pitcher Larry Cheney hits a run-scoring double in the bottom of the 9th to win it for Brooklyn. » August 22, 1917: Brooklyn and the Pirates play their 3rd straight extra-inning game in Ebbets Field. The Robins win it 6–5 in 22 innings. Pittsburgh's Carson Bigbee goes to bat 11 times, tying a record. » September 7, 1924: The Giants bring a half-game lead into Ebbets Field. With the park already packed, some 7,000 fans batter down the LF exit gate with a telephone pole and break into the field. The Giants win the thriller, 8–7, despite three Robin runs in the 9th. » September 16, 1924: At Ebbets Field, Cards 1B Jim Bottomley's three singles, a double, and two home runs produce a major-league record 12 RBI in the St. Louis 17–3 win over the pennant-chasing Robins. Willie Sherdel coasts home for the win. Bottomley starts the rampage with a 2-run single in the 1st, doubles home a run in the 2nd, hits a 4th inning grand slam off Art Decatur, and a 2-run home run off Decatur in the 6th. He follows with a 2-run single in the 7th, off Tex Wilson, and a run-scoring single in the 9th, after which he's removed for a pinch runner. Brooklyn manager Wilbert Robinson, watching from the dugout, set the previous record with the Orioles in 1892. » April 18, 1925: Charles Ebbets, Dodgers president, dies on the morning of the opener at Ebbets Field, won by New York 7-1. No NL games will be played on the 21st, the day of his funeral. Ed McKeever, the new club president, will catch a cold that turns into pneumonia and die on May 27th. » August 15, 1926: The Braves are at Ebbets Field with Brooklyn's Hank DeBerry on 3B, Dazzy Vance on 2B, and Chick Fewster on 1B. Babe Herman drives the ball against the RF wall, and DeBerry scores. Vance holds up, then rounds 3B headed for home. Fewster stops at 3B. The RF throws home and traps Vance, who heads back to 3B. Herman slides into 3B as Fewster steps off. Herman is out for passing a base runner. Fewster, thinking he's out, too, walks off with Babe, and gets tagged out. Vance, still on 3B, later admits it was his fault, but Herman, who doubles into a double play, gets the blame. » May 20, 1927: At Ebbets Field, the Cubs top the Dodgers, 7–5, behind Tony Kaufmann. Fans interrupt the game with a shower of bottles after a disputed call by umpire Pete McLaughlin. Babe Herman has a pair of homers for Brooklyn, but costs his team two runs with a errant throw. » May 29, 1928: At Ebbets Field, Bill Terry hits for the cycle to lead the Giants to a 12–5 win over Brooklyn. » September 9, 1928: At Ebbets Field, the Robins come from behind to edge the Giants, 3–2, behind Dazzy Vance. Harvey Hendrick dinks a 2-run homer in the 8th, off Larry Benton, to tie, and Jake Flowers singles with two out in the 9th to drive home the winner. The ecstatic fans respond by covering the field with straw hats. » May 30, 1930: With two on base in game one, Del Bissonette, Brooklyn 1B, hits the ball over the RF screen at Ebbets Field, but baserunner Babe Herman, "the Headless Horseman of Ebbets Field," stops to watch and is passed by Bissonette, reducing the home run to a single. Despite this, the Robins win a pair of games from the Phillies, 11–1 and 11–9 and take first place. Unfazed, Herman will pull off the move again on September 15th. In the nitecap, Bissonette collects five hits, including a homer. Chuck Klein homers in each game for the Phils to bring his total to 13. » June 4, 1930: Brooklyn makes eight errors, losing to Pittsburgh at Ebbets Field 12-6. » August 31, 1930: At Ebbets Field, the Dodgers also roll up a football-like score when they tally 23 hits, including round trippers by Babe Herman, Glenn Wright, and Rube Bressler, to stomp the Phils 14–3. » September 12, 1930: Brooklyn C Al Lopez drives one over the head of Cincinnati LF Bob Meusel, and the ball bounces into the bleachers at Ebbets Field. It will be the ML's last recorded bounce HR, as the NL rules after the season that such a hit will henceforth be a double. The AL had made the change after the 1929 season. » September 18, 1930: The Cards finish a 3-game sweep of Brooklyn at Ebbets Field. » September 27, 1930: Almost overlooked is Wally Berger's 38th HR for the Braves, at Ebbets Field, as Boston tops Brooklyn 7-1. It is a record for rookies and still stands as an NL record. » September 27, 1931: The most desperately contested battle for individual honors takes place in the race for the NL batting title. Chick Hafey, who reported late due to a contract dispute, goes into the final doubleheader with the Reds batting .353, four points over Bill Terry, last year's champ. Hafey gets only two hits in eight times at bat to drop to .349. Bill Terry's Giants are playing archenemy Brooklyn at Ebbets Field. Brooklyn, in their last game as the Robins, wins 12–3, behind Clark. Terry gets only one hit in four times at bat. The title goes to Hafey, who batted .3488 to Terry's .3486. Jim Bottomley, Hafey's Cardinal teammate, goes 4-for-8 and finishes at .3481. The Cards win 6–2 and 5–3, to win 20 of 22 with the Reds. » May 14, 1933: With rain pelting down at Ebbets Field, Hack Wilson pounds a 9th inning pinch grand slam, the first in Dodger history, to beat the Phils Ad Liska, 8–6. The homer is inside-the-park, just the 3rd pinch inside-the-park grand homer in history, and the first since 1910. » September 29, 1933: Before a crowd of just 200 at Ebbets Field, the Braves down the Dodgers 4–1. The game is a playoff of Thursday's 2–2 tie in ten innings, and the Braves score four unearned runs to hand Walter Beck his 20th loss of the year. » May 30, 1934: A record crowd of 41,000 jam Ebbets Field for a doubleheader with the Giants. New York manager Bill Terry, who earlier in the year had wisecracked, "Brooklyn? Are they still in the league?" proved correct. New York sweeps both games, 5–2 and 8–6, to raise their season record to 6–0 vs. the Dodgers. New York will move into 1st place the following week. Giants SS Travis Jackson has only one chance in 18 innings. » May 12, 1936: After the Dodgers beat Dizzy Dean, 5–2, at Ebbets Field, Cardinal captain Leo Durocher and Casey Stengel agree to meet under the stands and the Dodger manager gets a cut lip in a brief fight. The fight was the result of much bickering about calls during the game and some pre-game bantering. » July 23, 1936: Before a paying crowd of 1,932 at Ebbets Field, Joe Stripp bangs a 9th-inning double to give the Dodgers a 6–5 win over the Cubs. » July 27, 1936: Under rainy conditions at Ebbets Field, the Dodgers thrill a crowd of 485 by routing Cy Blanton and beating the Pirates for the 3rd straight time, 6–3. Fred Frankhouse has only one bad inning—the 3rd in which the Bucs make all their runs on six hits—in winning his 6th against eight losses. Frankhouse has five assists while SS Frey has none. » June 6, 1937: One of baseball's rarest feats takes place when Woody English of the Dodgers wins a suit by hitting the sign of clothier Abe Stark at the base of the Ebbets Field scoreboard. » May 22, 1938: The Dodgers announce contracts to install lights at Ebbets Field. The first night game will be played there on June 15th. » June 15, 1938: Johnny Vander Meer stuns baseball by pitching his 2nd successive no-hitter, defeating the Dodgers and Max Butcher, 6–0. Brooklyn plays the first night game ever at Ebbets Field. In front of 38,748 fans, including spectators Babe Ruth and several hundred fans from Vandy's home town of Midland Park, NJ. Vandy strikes out seven and walks 8, including three one-out walks in the 9th. A force out at home on a grounder by Ernie Koy and a fly ball by Leo Durocher ends the game. In a pregame event, Koy, with a 10-yard start but running in his Reds' uniform, beats Olympic champion Jesse Owens in the 100-yard dash. » August 2, 1938: Larry MacPhail has official baseballs dyed dandelion yellow, and they are used in the first game of a doubleheader between the Dodgers and Cardinals at Ebbets Field. The Dodgers win 6-2, but Johnny Mize hits one of Freddie Fitzsimmons's knuckleballs for the first "yellow" HR. » March 22, 1939: Pete Reiser, 0-for-3 yesterday against the Yankees, starts his 2nd spring training game for the Dodgers. He homers in his first at bat against the Cardinals, and follows with a walk and two singles. He will have 10 straight hits before striking out three times against the Yankees Oral Hildebrand on the 28th. When Jack Haley relieves Hildebrand, Reiser hits a home run off him. Reiser will go north with Brooklyn and play in an April 15th exhibition against the Yankees in Ebbets Field before being farmed out to Elmira. » May 8, 1939: At Ebbets Field, Cards veteran Pepper Martin breaks up a pitching duel between Brooklyn's Red Evans and Bob Weiland by swiping home in the 6th inning. Martin's two-out steal is the only run of the game as the Cards win, 1–0. » August 26, 1939: The first major-league baseball game is telecast from Ebbets Field as the Reds play the Dodgers in a doubleheader. Red Barber broadcasts the game over W2XBS. The Dodgers take the first game 6-2, and the Reds take the second 5-1. » June 16, 1940: The Reds manage just two hits off Wyatt but beat the Dodgers, 1–0, at Ebbets Field. Lonny Frey's unusual home run in the 9th settles the game: Frey's hit strikes the top of the RF wall, bounces straight up, and settles on a ledge on top of the wall next to the scoreboard. » June 18, 1940: Joe Medwick, in the Dodger lineup for six days after his trade from the Cardinals, is beaned by St. Louis P Bob Bowman at Ebbets Field in the 2nd game of a doubleheader. The Cards win their 6th straight in 11 innings 7–5, as Bowman is escorted from the park by policemen. Hospitalized, Medwick will return to the lineup after several days, but he is never again a major power hitter. Larry MacPhail wants Bowman banned for life. The night before, Bowman allegedly got into an argument with Medwick and Leo Durocher in a hotel elevator. » September 16, 1940: A rhubarb at Ebbets Field results in a suspension and fine for Leo Durocher for "inciting a riot." Perhaps better known from the game is the photo showing an obese Brooklyn fan astride George Magerkurth, pummeling the veteran umpire. » August 19, 1941: Pittsburgh Pirates manager Frankie Frisch is ejected by umpire Jocko Conlan from the second game of a doubleheader when he appears on the field with an umbrella to protest the playing conditions at Brooklyn's Ebbets Field. The rainy argument is later portrayed in a famous oil painting by artist Norman Rockwell. » August 20, 1941: Larry MacPhail stages a fashion show before a Ladies Day crowd at Ebbets Field. Such promotions, as well as the Dodgers pennant race, will push the home gate to over one million fans. » September 28, 1941: A jubilant crowd at Ebbets Field watches as the Dodgers beat the Phillies 6-1 to clinch the pennant. The crowd sets a new attendance record at 1,215,253. » May 8, 1942: At Ebbets Field, in the first twilight game in 24 years, the Dodgers top the Giants 7–6 with Dolph Camilli's 7th inning home run onto Bedford Avenue the big blow. With more than 24,000 fans on hand, nearly $60,000 is raised for the Navy Relief Fund, as all the proceeds are donated. Everyone, including the ball players and umps, pay their way into the park. » June 1, 1942: Army-Navy relief games by each team are publicized war efforts by organized baseball. The game at Ebbets Field contributes $60,000 from a crowd of 43,000, but the Phillies' game at Shibe Park draws only 2,000 fans and $3,000. » June 18, 1942: Another brawl between the Cards and the Dodgers at Ebbets Field leads to ejection and fines for Joe Medwick and Creepy Crespi. The Dodgers' NL lead is seven 1/2 games. » August 23, 1942: At Ebbets Field, the Dodgers sweep two from their cross-town rivals. In the first game, the Giants took a 4–2 lead in the 10th on Johnny Mize's 2-run home run, only to see Dolf Camilli hit reliever Harry Feldman's 1st pitch for a grand slam and give Dem Bums a 6–4 win. The 2nd game, the Dodgers score two in the 5th to take a 7–5 lead in a game halted by darkness. The Dodgers now lead St. Louis by seven 1/2 games. » May 23, 1944: Wartime restrictions are eased, and Ebbets Field is the scene of the first night game in metro New York since 1941. The Giants Bill Voiselle loses a 2–1, 9th-inning lead because an apparent last-out fly ball is dropped by CF Johnny Rucker when Charlie- Mead runs into him. Two runners score and the Dodgers win 3–2. In other cities, there was no restriction on night play, but games could be interrupted at any time by test blackouts. » June 9, 1945: Brooklyn manager Leo Durocher is arrested on a complaint by a fan that Durocher slugged him while an Ebbets Field cop pinned back his arms. The case will be settled in 1946. » August 18, 1945: Scheduled demonstrations at the Polo Grounds and Ebbets Field to end segregation in organized baseball are called off. » August 20, 1945: At the age of 17, SS Tommy Brown of the Brooklyn Dodgers is the youngest player to hit a ML home run. Brown belts his homer off Pirates southpaw Preacher Roe into the upper LF section at Ebbets Field. Seven Dodger errors make it easy for Pittsburgh to win, 11-1. » April 23, 1946: Ed Head of the Brooklyn Dodgers tosses a no-hitter at the Braves, beating Boston 5-0 before 30,287 at Ebbets Field. It is Head's first ML start since his return from the military. » May 22, 1946: With the score tied 1–1 in the 10th inning at Ebbets Field, Cubs SS Len Merullo and Dodger 2B Eddie Stanky start punching each other, precipitating a brawl between the two teams. Claude Passeau rips off Leo Durocher's jersey before calm is restored. The Dodgers win 2–1 in 13 innings, collecting 11 hits off Johnny Schmidt, who goes the distance. Joe Hatten gives up four hits in 12 innings, with Kirby Higbe pitching the last round. » May 23, 1946: Police sit along the dugouts of both clubs at Ebbets Field after yesterday's brawl but that doesn't stop a pregame fight between the Dodgers Dixie Walker and the Cubs Lenny Merullo. The first place Dodgers again win, 2–1, in 11 innings. The pregame fight will cost five players $650, plus suspensions for Walker, Merullo and Cubs coach Red Smith. Augie Galan gets tossed in the 4th and Leo Durocher in the 9th. » May 30, 1946: In a play that anticipates a scene in The Natural by Brooklyn-native Bernard Malamud, the Braves' Bama Rowell smashes a double in the 7-run 2nd inning of the second game of a doubleheader at Ebbets Field. The ball shatters the Bulova clock high atop the right-field scoreboard at 4:25 P.M., showering glass down on the Dodgers' RF Dixie Walker. An hour later the clock stops. The Braves win 10–8 after being shut out 5–0 by Kirby Higbe in the opener. » September 11, 1946: The Reds and Dodgers play the longest scoreless tie game, 19 innings, at Ebbets Field. The Reds' Johnny Vander Meer pitches the first 15 innings, striking out 14. » October 1, 1946: In the first ever National League playoff before 26,012 at Ebbets Field the Dodgers manage just three hits off Howie Pollet and lose 4–2. Joe Garagiola's three hits pace the Cardinals as they beat Ralph Branca. » October 3, 1946: The St. Louis Cardinals wallop the Brooklyn Dodgers 8–4 at Ebbets Field to win the National League playoffs 2-0 and advance to the World Series. Erv Dusak and Enos Slaughter lead the attack, while winning pitcher Murry Dickson adds a triple. Dickson allows just two hits till the last inning, before the Dodgers score three runs off him. Harry Brecheen strikes out two batters with the bases full to end it. Joe Hatten is the loser. » April 10, 1947: During the 6th inning of the Dodgers-Royals exhibition game at Ebbets Field, the Dodgers announce that they have purchased the contract of Jackie Robinson from Montreal and that "he will report immediately." Rickey says after the game that he reached a definite decision just five minutes before he made the announcement. » April 22, 1947: At Ebbets Field, the Phils test Jackie Robinson by yelling racial slurs and invectives from the dugout. Jackie keeps his cool, singles, and scores in the 8th inning. Hal Gregg allows just one hit and the Dodgers win, 1–0. » May 12, 1947: At Ebbets Field, Brooklyn snaps its losing streak, beating Boston, 8–3. Robinson has a hit and two stolen bases and is leading the National League in scoring with 20 runs. » October 3, 1947: Brooklyn pinch hitter Cookie Lavagetto doubles home 2 runs with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th to break up Floyd Bevens, dramatic no-hit bid and give the Dodgers a 3-2 victory over the Yankees in game 4 at Ebbets Field. » July 26, 1948: Leo Durocher makes his 1st appearance at Ebbets Field since taking over the Giants, but a turnaway crowd is disappointed as the Dodgers lose, 13–4. Preacher Roe is the losing pitcher while Sheldon Jones takes the victory. » April 19, 1949: In Brooklyn, the Dodgers pay tribute to Jack "Shorty" Laurice, the "number one" fan and leader of the Ebbets Field "Sym-phony" band. Laurice died in 1948. » July 12, 1949: The NL commits five errors, allowing the AL to record an 11-7 triumph in the All-Star Game at Ebbets Field. The contest marks the first appearance of black players--Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, and Don Newcombe in the NL lineup and Larry Doby among the AL stars. » July 24, 1949: The Cards trounce the Dodgers 14-1. This win gives St. Louis 3 straight victories at Ebbets Field, as they take over the lead Brooklyn has held through most of the season. » May 30, 1950: The Dodgers Duke Snider hits three home runs in the 2nd-game, 6–4 win of a doubleheader sweep of the Phils at Ebbets Field. » July 25, 1950: After 10 straight losses at Ebbets Field dating back to 1949, the Cards win 9–5. » August 31, 1950: Gil Hodges of the Brooklyn Dodgers hits 4 HRs and a single, driving in 9 runs in the Dodgers 19–3 rout of the Boston Braves in Ebbets Field. Hodges’ 17 total bases is the most since 1894. Gil's first homer is a 2-run shot off loser Warren Spahn in the second inning, adds a 2-run homer in the third off Norman Roy, another 2-run homer off Bob Hall in the sixth, and a 3-run shot off Johnny Antonelli in the eighth. Erskine is the winner of the rout. Hodges had 4 long hits on June 25 last year, the first Dodger to twice have 4 extra base hits in a game. » September 16, 1950: At Ebbets Field, Reds rookie Ted Tappe pinch hits in the eighth and homers in his first major league at bat. The round tripper, off Erv Palica, helps cement a 6–3 win over Brooklyn. Tappe will hit four more homers, all as a member of the Cubs. » September 18, 1950: At Ebbets Field, Dodgers Tommy Brown hits three HRs in his team’s losing effort. He is the third Dodger this year to clout three homers in one game. The Cubs Ron Northey hits his third lifetime pinch grand slam—a record—to give Chicago a 9–7 win. » September 29, 1950: The Dodgers win a pair from Boston 7–5 and 7–6, shaving the idle Phils lead to two, with two head-to-head games at Ebbets Field remaining. » September 30, 1950: Before 23,879 at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn pulls within one game of the lead, as Erv Palica wins 7–3 over the Phillies. The Brooks rout rookie Bob Miller and then Duke Snider and Roy Campanella pound homers off Jim Konstanty. It is the Phillies fifth loss in a row, their eighth in 10 games. The red-hot Dodgers have now won 13 of their last 16 games. For the second year in a row, the pennant race will come down to the last game. If the Dodgers win tomorrow, the race will end in a three-way tie. » July 5, 1951: At Ebbets Field, Gil Hodges hits his 27th HR of the year to lead the Dodgers to a 8–4 win over the Giants. Andy Pafko also homers, off Larry Jansen. Don Newcombe notches his 12th win, giving up seven hits. After sweeping the Giants in the 3-game series, Dodger manager Chuck Dressen declares, "We knocked 'em out. They won't bother us anymore." The Dodgers now lead the Giants by seven 1/2 games. » August 13, 1951: Where's Steve Sax when you need him? At Ebbets Field, the Dodgers offer up one of the odder promotions in "Music Depreciation Night," and every fan with a musical instrument is admitted free. 2,426 fans take advantage of the offer, including one with a piano. The Dodgers have a motive in countering the local musicians' union which wants to silence the non-union Sym-Phoney. The Dodgers outplay the Braves, 7–6, as Gil Hodges belts a 3-run homer in the 8th, following an intentional walk to Campanella, who had earlier homered. » August 23, 1951: At Ebbets Field, the Cards finally beat the Dodgers, 4–2. Max Lanier allows seven hits, including Campanella's 27th homer, in beating Don Newcombe. Newk won't lose again to the Birds till 1957, winning 12 straight. » August 24, 1951: At Ebbets Field, the Dodgers Ralph Branca outduels Cubs pitcher Paul Minner to win 1–0. Branca strikes out 10 Cubs, walks none, and gives up three hits. » August 29, 1951: At Ebbets Field, the Dodgers roll to a 13–1 win over the Reds behind Don Newcombe. Gil Hodges drives in seven runs and hits his 35th and 36th homers to tie Ralph Kiner for the homer lead. He also sets a Dodger club record. Reese has three RBIs to run his total to 77. » September 3, 1951: At Ebbets Field, the Dodgers sweep the Braves, winning both games 7–2, behind Carl Erskine and Clem Labine. Roy Campanella collects six straight hits, including his 30th and 31st homers, before being stopped. The Dodgers (84–47) lead is six games over the Giants (79–54). » October 6, 1952: At Ebbets Field, the Yankees even it up for the 3rd time, as Raschi and Reynolds combine for a 3-2 win in Brooklyn. RF Carl Furillo robs Johnny Mize of a HR in the 9th. » September 22, 1953: The Dodgers tie the record for the most wins in a home park, beating Pittsburgh 5-4. They go an incredible 60-17 at Ebbets Field, tying the record of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1942. Only the 61 wins of the San Francisco Giants in an 81-game home season will surpass the mark. » October 2, 1953: The WS moves to Ebbets Field as Carl Erskine establishes a new Series strikeout record by fanning 14 Yanks, including Mickey Mantle and Joe Collins 4 times each. Roy Campanella breaks a 2-2 tie with a game-winning solo HR in the 8th for a 3-2 Brooklyn win » May 14, 1954: After 12 straight defeats at Ebbets Field, stretching over two years, the Cards finally top the Dodgers, 10–1, behind Vic Raschi. Homers by Stan Musial and Tom Alston pace the Birds attack. » May 26, 1954: Robin Roberts of the Phils stops a personal 7-game losing streak to the Dodgers at Ebbets Field with an 8–6 win over Brooklyn. » July 8, 1954: The Giants complete a 3-game sweep of the Dodgers in Ebbets Field to up their lead in the NL to 61Ž2 games. » July 26, 1954: Brooklyn defeats Giant stalwart Sal Maglie in Ebbets Field, roughing him up for six runs on 11 hits. Since coming into the NL in 1945, the "Barber" had recorded 10 straight victories in the Brooklyn ball park. » July 31, 1954: Using a borrowed bat, Dodger killer Joe Adcock hits 4 HRs and a double for 18 total bases in the Braves' 15-7 victory at Ebbets Field. The 18 total bases is a major-league mark and, combined with the seven total bases from the day before, gives him a 2-day tally of 25. The 2-game total ties him with Ty Cobb. » August 8, 1954: The Dodgers score an NL record 13 runs in the eighth off Cincinnati in Ebbets Field to win 20-8. Twelve of the runs are unearned. Gil Hodges gets a triple and a HR in the eighth, while P Clem Labine, who has a career .100 BA, walks twice. » September 6, 1954: After losing 10 straight, the Pirates sweep the Dodgers in Ebbets Field on "Back the Dodgers Day," winning 9-6 in 12 innings and 9­7. It is their first doubleheader sweep of the Dodgers since 1950 and drops Brooklyn to 3rd. » September 26, 1954: In his 2nd start, rookie Brooklyn lefty Karl Spooner shuts out Pittsburgh 1-0 on a Gil Hodges HR in the 8th. He fans 12 for a total of 27 strikeouts in his first 2 ML games, establishing a new record. Gil Hodges's 8th-inning HR, his 25th at Ebbets Field (a new club record), gives him 42 for the season, tying him with Duke Snider for the most by a Dodger. » September 25, 1956: At Ebbets Field, Sal Maglie of the Dodgers no-hits the Phils 5-0 for his 12th win against 4 losses. The win keeps Brooklyn 1Ž2 game behind the Braves who beat Cincinnati 7-1. » October 30, 1956: The Dodgers sell Ebbets Field to a real estate group. They agree to stay until 1959, with an option to stay until 1961. » January 15, 1957: The Brooklyn Dodgers extend their 5-year lease on Ebbets Field by signing a new 3-year lease with real estate developer Marvin Kratter, who bought the field in 1953. » May 23, 1957: At Ebbets Field, the Yanks top the Dodgers, 10–7, in the Mayor's Trophy game. Al Cicotte allows two hits in six innings, and smacks two himself. Mickey Mantle is 4-for-5. » June 6, 1957: Umpires wait in vain for fog-drenched Ebbets Field to clear. With the Dodgers ahead 1-0, Cubs LF Bob Speake loses sight of a fly ball, and batter Charlie Neal gets a double. After a delay of an hour and 26 minutes the game is called, the first time ever because of fog. » September 22, 1957: Duke Snider's 39th and 40th HRs are the last that will be hit at Ebbets Field. The Duke of Flatbush ties Ralph Kiner's NL mark of hitting at least 40 HRs in 5 consecutive seasons. Phillie Robin Roberts, who has a penchant for throwing HR balls, is the loser, 7-3. » September 24, 1957: In the last game at Ebbets Field, 6,702 fans watch Dodgers lefty Danny McDevitt prevail over the Pirates 2-0. Gil Hodges has the last RBI. » September 27, 1957: In a desperate move, New York City Council President Abe "Hit Sign, Win" Stark says the Dodgers should be urged to enlarge and modernize Ebbets Field. » February 23, 1960: Demolition of Ebbets Field begins. Lucy Monroe sings the National Anthem, and Roy Campanella is given an urn of dirt from behind home plate. » April 9, 1962: President John F. Kennedy throws out the first ball to open the 1962 baseball season at new District of Columbia Stadium. Despite rain, a record Washington crowd of 42,143 shows up to see Bennie Daniels stop Detroit with a 5-hit, 4–1 win in the new park. This is a switch for Daniels, who had lost the last games played at both Ebbets Field, in 1957, and Griffith Stadium, last year. » April 19, 1996: The A's have a delayed home opener in the reconstructed Oakland Coliseum, though there are no bleachers for the time being. The formerly symmetrical stadium now sports six distinct angles in the outfield, much like the old Forbes or Ebbets Field. All the fans tonight are given yellow construction helmets with the A's logo on them. The A's, 2–4 in their six early games in Las Vegas, lose 4–3 to the White Sox when Frank Thomas cracks a 2-run homer in the 8th to give Chicago reliever Matt Karchner his 3rd win. » April 24, 1998: The Mets unveil a model of their proposed new stadium. The park, patterned after the old Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, will have a retractable roof and a retractable field, so that it can be used for an assortment of events.