For a decade beginning in the late 1940s, New York City was home to three of the best Major League baseball teams — the Yankees, the Giants, and the Brooklyn Dodgers.
In 1951, the Giants’ Bobby Thomson hit an unforgettable three-run homer against Dodger pitcher Ralph Branca, giving New York the pennant over Brooklyn, and sending the Giants to a subway series against the Yankees, which they lost in Game 6.
That golden decade, however, was just part of New York’s illustrious role in America’s pastime. In the mid-19th century, the Knickerbockers were the first team to play by modern rules. In the 1920s and early ‘30s, Babe Ruth became the sport’s most famous name. In 1947, in Brooklyn, Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier. And the ‘50s and early ‘60s Yankees were the winningest team ever.
“The Old Ball Game: New York Baseball, 1887–1977” looks at that history in all its glory.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave. at E. 82nd St. Through Nov. 13: Sun.-Thu., 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
Admission is $25; $17 for seniors; $12 for students; free for children under 12.
More information at metmuseum.org.
