Revisiting Dyckman Oval, A Lost Landmark From the Heyday of Black Baseball
At the northern tip of Manhattan, the ballpark was a magnet for families, entrepreneurs, and celebrities.
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Dyckman Oval was just 50 blocks north of the Polo Grounds, where, 100 years ago, the World Series was held entirely in New York City for the first time. But while the Giants and Yankees faced off, Black teams were at Dyckman and all over the city. (I am setting aside the term “$#@! Leagues” so as to include all the games played by Black teams, not just those considered part of league play.) They played at small stadiums and neighborhood parks such as Dexter Park, Ivanhoe Park, and Recreation Field in Queens; Catholic Protectory Oval and Bronx Oval in the Bronx; and New Lots Oval and Suburban Oval in Brooklyn. In prior years, the list would have included places such as Harlem Oval, Olympia, and Olympic Fields in Harlem, and Wallace’s Ridgewood Grounds in Queens.
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Dyckman Oval’s history includes famous boxing and soccer competitions, but soon after its 1915 opening it became associated with Black baseball. In 1918 it was the frequent home of the short-lived New York Red Caps, and in 1919, the Bacharach Giants of Atlantic City began scheduling games there, largely due to the involvement of new owners John Connor, owner of the Royal Café and Palm Garden in Brooklyn, and Barron D. Wilkins, who ran clubs such as the Little Savoy on 35th Street and Barron’s on 134th. At the time, the Bacharachs were the only local team with Black ownership, according to Ted Hooks, sportswriter for Black weekly TheNew York Age. Starting in the mid-1920s, Dyckman served as home of numerous $#@! League teams, including the Black Yankees, the Cuban All-Stars, and the New York Cubans. The latter two teams were owned by Alex Pompez, who was hugely influential in developing the business of Black baseball.
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