During The Great War (World War I) the United States was the only country with soldiers in Europe, which throughout the war did not provide its soldiers with condoms and promote their usage. Instead the US military promoted abstinence among its soldiers. By the end of the war the American military had diagnosed almost 400,000 cases of syphilis and gonorrhea.

It should surprise no one that I identify with the downtrodden, the underprivileged, the disadvantaged, the disenfranchised, the outsiders. Those who some might call the losers of society.

No matter who you are someone has it worse than you do. It might be your neighbor, might be someone you know, might be someone you see all the time, hidden in plain sight. It might someone you hardly knew existed; the sick, the elderly, the disabled.

Try to take one minute out and imagine what it might be like. To be struggling, to be vulnerable, to lose control, to need.

The Polo Grounds

The Polo Grounds, home of the New York (baseball) Giants from 1891 to 1957 (when they moved to San Francisco) stood in the section of Upper Manhattan north of 155th Street and bound by Coogan’s Bluff and the Harlem River. It had one of the deepest centerfield fences at 483 feet and shortest right and left field fences at 258 and 279 feet, as any field ever has.

It was home to Willie Mays’ iconic over-the-shoulder catch in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series.  In the photo, the center field fence marking 483 feet is seen in the background.  The ball travelled an estimated 420 feet, most likely a home run in any modern stadium.

The Polo Grounds were also home to the New York Yankees from 1913 until 1922 and the sight of Babe Ruth’s first Yankee home run in 1920.

The last sporting event held at the Polo Grounds was a football game between the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills in December 1963.  It was demolished the following spring.