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.
SCORE BOARD
The game which
lasted three hours and four
minutes was won by the
Dodgers. |
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 |
|