This
is a 1944 Dodgers Yankees Giants Tri-Cornered Baseball Game Polo Grounds Fifth War Loan Program.
The glossy 16 page, black & white program was issued
by the War
Bond Sports committee. Listed in the program's
centerfold rosters are the following Hall of Fame members:
Dodgers Paul Waner and Leo Durocher, Giants Joe Medwick, Mel Ott and Ernie Lombardi,
Yankees Joe McCarthy and Umpire Jocko Conlan. Many other stars of the time are also listed:
Dixie Walker, Ed Stanky, Ralph Branca, Howie Schultz, Whit Wyatt,
Augie Galan, Billy Jurges, Gus Mancuso, Buddy Kerr, Johnny Allen, George
Stirnweiss, Hank Borowy, Joe Page.
Photos in this historic program are club execs Ed Barrow (HOF), Branch Rickey (HOF) and Horace
Stoneham, managers McCarthy (HOF), Durocher (HOF) and Ott
(HOF). There are pages dedicated to pre game honorees (each with a photo) for each
team with the box scores for each in his major league debut:
Giants Roger Bresnahan (HOF), Harry McCormick and Hooks Wiltse,
Yankees Bill Dickey (HOF), Herb Pennock (HOF) and Wally
Schang, Dodgers Zack Wheat (HOF), Nap Rucker and Otto Miller.
The
cover of this Program features the art work of famed
Sporting News artist/ illustrator Willard Mullin.
The
back of this program pictured below is an advertising
for a War
bond Show sponsored by The Bankers Trust company at
Fifth Avenue, and 44th street. "on the Avenue of
Alies" Special events raising money through war
bonds.
The
three way game played on June 26, 1944 was set
up to support the war effort with an unusual
exhibition game played by the Yankees, Dodgers, and
the Giants at the Polo Grounds. Presented by the War
Bond Sports committee in connection with the Fifth
War Loan. The First War Loan began on
November 30, 1942. The Fifth War Loan was the largest of
the eight, and by its conclusion on July 8, 1944,
$20.6 billion had been raised. $56.5 million contributed
by the Tri-Cornered game at the Polo Grounds.
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.
The
three-cornered baseball game started with Hitting,
running, and throwing contests. In between contests, Al
Schacht, the Clown Prince of Baseball, entertained the
crowd of 50,000, and admission to the game was by
purchase of series E, F, and G war bonds. The 40,000
general admission unreserved seats cost one $25 war
bond; the 5,809 reserved seats in the lower stands went
for a $100 bond; the box seats both upper and lower cost
the fan a $1,000 war bond. Bleacher seats were free to
servicemen.
Between
the Contests and the game took center stage at second base
where radio and movie comedian Milton Berle
"boisterously ushered in" a series of musical
numbers. Then former Mayor James J. Walker took charge
as master of ceremonies to introduce some New York
baseball oldtimers: Zack Wheat, Nap Rucker and Otto
Miller of the Dodgers; the Giants' Roger Bresnahan,
George (Hooks) Wiltse, and Moose McCormick; the Yankees'
Wally Schang, Herb Pennock, and U.S. Navy Lieutenant
Commander Bill Dickey.
Giants
vs Dodgers vs Yankees
The
setup for a three-way nine inning game was simple: The
Dodgers and Yankees played the first inning while the
Giants sat out; the Dodgers and Giants played the second
inning while the Yankees sat out; the Yankees and
Giants
played the third inning while the Dodgers sat out. The
same order continued to the game's end.
The
game, which lasted three hours and four minutes was won
by the Dodgers. Here is the line score:
|
Inning |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
| Dodgers |
1 |
2 |
X |
0 |
0 |
X |
0 |
2 |
X |
5 |
| Yankees |
0 |
X |
0 |
0 |
X |
0 |
0 |
X |
1 |
1 |
| Giants |
X |
0 |
0 |
X |
0 |
0 |
X |
0 |
0 |
0 |
The program for this game is extremely rare.
|
