(LOT 118)
Additional Brotherhood Park (Polo Grounds) Construction Cost Documents
This lot includes a vast array of documents relating to the construction costs (lumber, iron work, sundries, labor, misc. materials, etc.) for the heralded Brotherhood Park that would eventually be renamed the legendary Polo Grounds. The list of baseball immortals who graced Brotherhood Park's hallowed grounds (as well as the Polo Grounds) reads like a "who's who" for Cooperstown, New York including Tim Keefe, John Montgomery Ward, Buck Ewing, Mickey Welch, John McGraw, Christy Mathewson, Mel Ott, Willie Mays and even the incomparable Babe Ruth (the N.Y. Yankees utilized the Polo Grounds from 1913-1922 before Yankee Stadium opened in 1923). This iconic ballpark was host to some of our National Pastime's grandest moments including the "1908 Fred Merkle Boner" and Bobby Thompson's renowned "shot heard around the world" blast off Dodger's Ralph Branca that propelled the Giants into the 1951 World Series. The construction related offered documents provide a critical historical perspective with the completion of Brotherhood Park, eventually to be renamed the renowned Polo Grounds. After the Articles of Agreement were executed, the various teams had to move with great haste to get their ballparks ready for the start of the 1890 season.

Despite the support that the Players' League received from organized labor, some of the teams tried to save money on construction costs by allowing the use of non-union labor on these projects. Labor struggles broke out in Boston and Chicago where contractors hired non-union carpenters. Due to the time constraints facing the clubs, union demands were acquiesced to, and as an example of the severely tight rates, in Boston, carpenters received a raise to only $2.50 for a nine-hour day! The situation was far better in New York. As some of these documents reveal, most N.Y. carpenters working to construct Brotherhood Park received $0.40/hr, an excellent wage for the time. As previously stated, this lot's vast array of invoices is primarily tied to iron work, lumber, misc. materials/sundries, labor etc. for work relating to the completion of the Brotherhood Park grandstands with a list of the presented documents is as follows: Rapp & Johnson Lumber Co. 4-Page Document (Orange Colored Pages) Dated March 31, 1890 Several "Cram & O'Brien" documents listing amounts they paid to the New York Limited creditors for related construction work.

March 1890 Building Contract signed by New York Limited Vice-President Edward Talcott, Anton Hermanny (Framer/Builder) & Limited attorney Henry Bacon March 31, 1890 Anton Hermanny invoice/estimate to Mr. Cram & Mr. O'Brien (Cram & O'Brien) for the framing work of the Brotherhood Park Grandstand New York Limited letterhead listing various construction costs for Brotherhood Park (157 Street & Eighth Avenue) Several Mechanic's Lien/Notice of Lien Contracts Both dated April 2, 1890 March 20, 1890 MILLIKEN BROTHERS Invoice to Cram & O'Brien relating to New York Limited Brotherhood Park construction costs Historically speaking, after the ultimate demise of the Player's League, in the latter part of 1890, the Players' League merged with the National League and the N.L. Giants bought and moved into Brotherhood Park in 1891. Renamed "Polo Grounds," the Giants played their first game here on April 22, 1891. The third incarnation of the Polo Grounds had a seating capacity of 16,000 with the main double-decked grandstand arched around home plate and down the baselines. Bleachers were located in dead center field and 7,000 seats were added in 1908. By 1911, the ballpark had a seating capacity of 31,000 and was the largest stadium in baseball at that time. Built of mainly wood (substantiated by the lumber invoices/costs included in this lot), the ballpark caught fire and burned while the Giants were out of town on April 14, 1911.

The ballpark suffered $250,000 in damage and was a complete loss. Since other baseball teams were constructing ballparks of steel and concrete during this time, the Giants eventually did the same; constructing the fourth and final Polo Grounds on the same location as its predecessor. Having started the 1911 season at the New York Highlanders ballpark, on June 28, 1911, the New York Giants played their first game at the partially completed Polo Grounds. The "new" Polo Grounds would be the Giants home for the next 47 seasons until the Giants were shockingly re-located to San Francisco after the 1957 season. Unoccupied for the next four seasons, the Polo Grounds final "day in the sun" would be 1962 and '63, when the expansion New York Metropolitans (Mets) would utilize the ballpark for two full seasons until the opening of Shea Stadium in 1964. It's been quite some time (128 years) since the Brotherhood Park grandstands were completed to support additional seating for the Players' League Giants, justifying why these remarkable invoices stand as a truly historical reminder of the incredible history associated with the origin of the hallowed Polo Grounds!

MIN BID $250
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