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  St. George Cricket Grounds Location within New York City Show map of New York City St. George Cricket Grounds St. George Cricket Grounds (New York) Show map of New York St. George Cricket Grounds St. George Cricket Grounds (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Location | St. George,New York,United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°38′39″N74°4′31″W / 40.64417°N 74.07528°W /40.64417; -74.07528 |
| Type | Stadium |
| Event | Sporting events |
| Tenants | |
| New York Metropolitans (AA) (1886–1887) New York Giants (NL) (1889) | |
St. George Cricket Grounds or more properly justSt. George Grounds is a formerbaseball venue located onStaten Island, New York. St. George was the home park for theNew York Metropolitans of theAmerican Association for the1886 and1887 seasons.[1] The grounds were also a part-time home to theNew York Giants of theNational League in1889.
The grounds were also known as Mutrie's Dump or Mutrie's Dumping Grounds, referring toJim Mutrie, manager of the Metropolitans and the Giants.
The stadium, which was built in the style of a typical horserace trackgrandstand, was first used as a baseball field in 1853, with the first game between theNew York Knickerbockers and the Washington Club.[2] The site later became part of the development of the then-new community ofSt. George, Staten Island in 1886, byErastus Wiman. He established the Staten Island Amusement Company, which owned both the Metropolitans and the grounds. Fans were able to watch games while also watching the construction of theStatue of Liberty a few miles to the north.
Although the community and theferry were successful, baseball was not. The Giants were a strong team through the latter part of the 1880s, while the Metropolitans floundered. Over time, there was less and less fan incentive to make the trip across the water from other parts of the city. The Mets folded after the 1887 season.
The Amusement Company presented various elaborate stage plays on the site, with detrimental physical impact on the grounds, leaving the field in nearly unplayable condition. In 1889, the Giants had to find a temporary home after the city closed the original Polo Grounds. The Giants played some games at St. George from April 29 – June 14, 1889, while awaiting construction of the newPolo Grounds; their move back to Manhattan ended professional baseball at St. George for over a century.
As noted in the SABR research,[1] the Staten Island Amusement Company grounds were on a block bounded by Wall Street (north-northwest, grandstand and hence home plate); railroad tracks andNew York Bay (east-northeast, left field); Hyatt Street (south-southeast, center field); and Jay Street (Richmond Terrace) (west-southwest, right field). This block is now occupied by a shopping center calledEmpire Outlets. The modern ballparkSIUH Community Park is across Wall Street from it to the north.
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