REVISITING THE 1963 LATINO ALL STAR GAME AT THE POLO GROUNDS AND MY INFLUENCE WITH BASEBALL

The First and only Latino All Star Game that was ever played was at the Polo Grounds and the last professional game ever played there. Polo Grounds III was formally known as Brotherhood Park built in 1890 with a capacity of 34,000 (1911) 55,000 Coogan’s Bluff located in the western shore of the Harlem River in the Washington Heights neighborhood of upper Manhattan in New York City. The access to the Polo Grounds was thru the Bushman steps and the John T. Bush stairway. Today both entrances remain but the train station entrance closest to the Polo Grounds is blocked as the stadium is longer there as NYCHA projects were built on the site. Coogan’s Bluff overlooked the Polo Grounds from 1890 until April 1964. In 1957 the New York Giants moved to San Francisco as New York City had not shown any interest in the building of a new ballpark for the Giants in New York.  Since the beginning of the 18th century upper Manhattan’s New York’s fans of the New York Giants Baseball club would assemble at Coogan’s bluff right on top of West 155th street in upper part of Manhattan facing the Bronx were the original Yankee Stadium stood. I attended games with my dad at the Polo Grounds. We mostly attended games when the teams with the Latino players were in town. As my dad was an avid Giants baseball fan. My Dad, who was from Puerto Rico, was a Hugh baseball fan who influence me and my brother Ray during our youth growing up in East Harlem in New York City. Having played himself in his native Vieques and Ceiba Puerto Rico as a Left-handed hitter proved good for him. I attended my very first game at the Polo Grounds and also Yankee Stadium in 1961 the year Roger Maris Broke Babe Ruth single season home run record. I was of course taken by the crowds at the Polo Grounds as the New York Mets were now the new tenants of the Polo Grounds. I grew closer to being a Yankee Fan because of the Interlocking NY something I had never seen before and fell in love with the Yankee pin stripes. The first Yankee ever saw was none other than Ryan Duran a Yankees relief pitcher his Eyeglasses made me wonder how a player play baseball can wearing glasses. As I grew older, I began to follow the San Francisco Giants with the liking of Juan Marichal, Orlando Cepeda and the Alou Brothers. Tito Puente, Tito Rodriguez and La Lupe performed for the crowd of 14,235 as the Latino Players who participated in a Charity Game at the Polo Grounds October 12, 1963.  

The National League defeated the American League 5-2 as it was the last professional game to be played at the Polo Grounds. 

Here is the list of the participants of the 1963 Latino All Star Game at the Polo Grounds New York City.  

Felipe Alou – Dominican Republic – San Francisco Giants -NL – Outfielder/ First Baseman 

Luis Aparicio – Venezuela – Chicago White Sox – AL- Shortstop 

Joe Azcue – Cuba – Cleveland Indians – AL – Catcher

Ed Bauta – Cuba – St. Louis Cardinals – NL – Pitcher 

Cuno Barragan – United States – Chicago Cubs – NL – Catcher  

Leo Cardenas – Cuba – Cincinnati Reds – NL – Shortstop/ Third Baseman   

Roberto Clemente –  Puerto Rico – Pittsburgh Pirates – NL –  Right Fielder

Vic Davalillo – Venezuela – Cleveland Indians – AL – Outfielder 

Chico Fernandez – Cuba – Detroit Tigers AL – Shortstop 

Tony Gonzalez – Cuba – Philadelphia Phillies – NL – Outfielder 

Julian Javier – Dominican Republic – St. Louis Cardinals – Second Baseman 

Al Mc Bean – United States Virgin Islands – Pittsburgh Pirates – Pitcher 

Roman Mejias -Cuba – Boston Reds – Outfielder 

Tony Oliva – Cuba – Minnesota Twins – Outfielder

Joe Pignatano – United States – New York Mets – Catcher 

Vic Power – Puerto Rico – Minnesota Twins – First Baseman

Pedro Ramos – Cuba – Cleveland Indians – Pitcher 

Diego Segui – Cuba – Kansas City Athletics – Pitcher

Zolio Versalles – Cuba – Minnesota Twins – Shortstop