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Dodgers, Giants, Yankees Play In Unique Fundraiser

By David Hill

Sep 11, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Navajo Indians who were US Marines code talkers during world war two are recognized on the field prior to the Arizona Diamondbacks game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 11, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Navajo Indians who were US Marines code talkers during world war two are recognized on the field prior to the Arizona Diamondbacks game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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In 1944, the United States found itself in the midst of the second World War. To help the effort overseas, the Dodgers, Giants and the Yankees, the three teams in New York, joined together for a unique fundraising effort.

From the time that Pearl Harbor was attacked until August in 1945, the United States found themselves embroiled in the midst of World War Two. The war efforts touched virtually everyone, as families would send their sons, fathers, and husbands to the Pacific or to Europe with the hope that the war would end soon and that their loved ones would return safely.

Those war efforts touched home in Major League Baseball as well. Stars such as Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams and Bob Feller, amongst others, saw their careers put on hold as they fought in the war. The game itself kept going, as President Franklin Delano Roosevelt felt that having the National Pastime continue would help improve morale back home.

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To help with those efforts, the three New York teams, the Dodgers, Giants and the Yankees, came together for a unique fundraiser. The three teams gathered at the Polo Grounds, home of the Giants, to face each other in a six inning game. Each team would play two innings before sitting out an inning, as they played in that unique three team contest.

In a fundraiser to raise money for war bonds, the Dodgers ended up pulling out the victory, scoring five runs. The Yankees plated a single run, while the home Giants failed to score. However, with over 50,000 fans showing up for the contest, the game was a success in terms of supporting the war effort.

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It may not have been a conventional game, but that did not matter. The Dodgers, Giants and Yankees proved willing to do whatever needed to be done to support the cause overseas, and the contest was truly unique moment in baseball history.

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