Atlanta Braves History: Joe Adcock hits a blast to center field at the Polo Grounds (1953)

Some things aren’t easy. This was one of them. On April 29, 1953, Joe Adcock becomes the first ML player to homer into the Center Field bleacher seats in the Polo Grounds‚ over 475 feet away. His homer in the 3rd‚ with Pafko on‚ came off a Jim Hearn fast ball. Luke Easter‚ in a 1948 Negro League game‚ and Schoolboy Rowe‚ in batting practice before a 1933 exhibition game‚ also accomplished the feat.

Lou Brock and Hank Aaron will match it is as well in 1962. The Braves won the game 3-2 on a 9th-inning knuckler by Hoyt Wilhelm that eludes Sal Yvars for a wild pitch. Billy Bruton’s perfect throw cuts down Monte Irvin for the final out. After the game‚ manager Charlie Grimm buys Adcock’s homer for $25 from the fan who caught it. I wonder how much that is worth today?

Let there be light (1940)

The new trend in baseball in the 1940’s was to install lights for night games. The Braves (then known as the Boston Bees) had not invested yet. Probably a good thing. They played their first night game at the Polo Grounds. It was May 24, 1940. They lost 8-1. The next week they lost in the lights at Forbes Field. There were only two teams that year without lights.

It really didn’t matter in 1940 whether they played in the lights or not. They ended the season, under Casey Stengel as manager, in 7th place. They were 34 1/2 games behind with a 65-87 record.