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| Re: Brooklyn Dodgers (on topic) (464430) | |||
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Re: Brooklyn Dodgers (on topic) |
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Posted by Lou From Middletown NY on Sun Jul 22 16:16:31 2007, in response to Re: Brooklyn Dodgers (on topic), posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Sun Jul 22 12:36:14 2007. Remember that Stoneham owned the AAA team in Minneapolis, and that of the THREE NY teams, he was always the most underfinanced. Except for the blofeeated postwar attendance numbers, he always lagged far behind the Yanks and Dodgers in attendence. Giants attendance was always (except maybe 1954)in the 6-700,000 range -deadly for the NY market. He also got way less for his TV/radio too. Stoneham had his territory already - he owned the AAA team in Minneapolis, and they had just made plans for what turned to be Metropolitan Stadium. One way or another,Stoneham would have been out of NY by 1959-60.This business of 'New York supported three teams for decades' is a myth - if you look at the actual numbers, there was always one team that lagged far behind the others - and before 1939 it usually, if not always, was the Dodgers. The Dodgers were literally BANKRUPT in the late 30's- which is how O'Malley got into the organization to start with - he was the Brooklyn Trust Company's trustee helping to overlook the running of the bankrupt organization, and slowly started accumulating stock. Ironically, how would history had been different if the bank had sent another one of its young lawyers to the Dodger assignment - a guy named William A. Shea? Anyways, it is absolutely a supportable position that even New York could not feasibly support THREE teams. As much of a drunk as Stoneham was, he was still smart enough to realize this. And the funny thing is that Stoneham would have had no problems with a Flushing Meadow ballpark! The only reason NY had three teams up that point, was the fact since the AL and NL had signed their 1902 peace treaty, it really was unheard of to move your team - although the BROWNS actually would have moved to LA...except the day the AL was going to vote on it was....December 8 1941....oops! The thing that changed all the rules was when the Braves moved to Milwaukee...and instantly started printing money. THAT is why O'Malley needed a bigger,newer ballpark - competition. He knew that eventually the Braves could theoretically (and did) outspend him on their farm system, and overtake the Dodgers - in fact, they did just that in 1957 and 58, and JUST missed in 59! Remember that O'Malley did NOT buy the LA Angels (and their park) until early in the 57 season - when it was obvious that Moses was not going to bend. And where would have O'Malley got the money for the new Brooklyn Stadium? He certainly had the money to build Dodger Stadium! He might have got the land for free, but he paid for the stadium himself! |
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