New York Giants Player & World War I Hero: Eddie Grant (1913-1915) Plus The Story of His Polo Grounds Monument
He often annoyed his less educated teammates by refusing to yell the traditional, "I got it," when a fly ball was hit, using the more grammatically correct, "I have it."
Grant began his MLB career with the Cleveland Indians in 1905, and then spent 1906 in the minors. He returned with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1907, and became their every day third baseman until 1910.
The quick third baseman batted leadoff and was known for his base stealing & fine fielding. His best years were the 1909 & 1910 seasons.
In 1910 he drove in 67 runs, stole 25 more bases & was second in the league with 34 sac hits.
He was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in 1911, playing there for two seasons. In the middle of the 1913 season, his contract was purchased by the New York Giants. Although he was no longer in the prime of his career he arrived in New York another Giants pennant year.
In 1914 he hit .277 in 282 plate appearances as a utility infielder, stealing 11 bases, scoring 34 runs, while hitting seven doubles and driving in 29 runs. In 1915 he hit only .208 with six steals and 10 RBIs, retiring at the end of the season. In a ten year baseball career, he was a lifetime.249 hitter with 844 career hits, 153 stolen bases, 79 doubles, 30 triples, 5 home runs, and 277 RBIs. At third base he turned 105 double plays making 148 errors in 2533 chances posting a .942 fielding %.
Retirement: After baseball "Harvard Eddie" practiced law in New York City in 1916 & 1917.American War Hero: Though he was exempt from the draft due to his age, the 33-year old attorney was one of the first to volunteer and serve in the U.S. Army in the First World War in April 1917.
He would serve as Captain of the 77th Infantry Division. During the fierce battle of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, all of Grant's superior officers were killed or wounded, and he took command of his troops on a four-day search for the "Lost Battalion" . These were thousands of soldiers stuck behind enemy lines in the freezing forest without supplies or ammunition.
By the morning of the third day, which was October 5, 1918, Grant was totally exhausted. He hadn't slept since the beginning of the offensive, and some fellow officers noticed him sitting on a stump with a cup of coffee in front of him, too weak to even lift the cup. One of his troops, a former policeman at the Polo Grounds, remembered: "Eddie was dog-tired but he stepped off at the head of his outfit with no more concern than if he were walking to his old place at third base after his side had finished its turn at the bat. He staggered from weakness when he first started off, but pretty soon he was marching briskly with his head up."
Later that day Eddie was waiving his hands and calling out for more stretcher bearers when a shell struck him. It was a direct hit, killing him instantly. Grant was buried in the Argonne Forest, only a few yards from where he fell. Later his remains were moved to the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in Lorraine, France. Quotes: “Edward Leslie Grant gave his all not for glory, not for fame, but just for his country.... His memory will live as long as our game may last.” —Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis.
Polo Grounds Monument Plaque: On Memorial Day, May 29, 1921, representatives from the armed forces, major league baseball, and his sisters, unveiled a monument in center field of the Polo Grounds to his memory.
Each Memorial Day from 1921 until 1957 there was a wreath-laying ceremony at his plaque, usually between games of the customary Holiday doubleheader. This was the first monument to be placed in New York ballpark, honoring a past player.
___________________
Legends & Rumors of the Plaque Since: At end of the final game at the Polo Grounds on September 29th, 1957 the plaque was said to have been pried off the monument by fans. There were Rumors that NYPD had recovered it, but never verified.Supposedly, in July of 1999, the Eddie Grant Memorial plaque was discovered in an attic in Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey. It was the former home of Lena and Gaetano Bucca. Gaetano was a NYPD officer who retired in 1958 after serving in the 32nd Precinct, jurisdiction of the Polo Grounds. It was assumed he was to take it to an Eddie Grant American Legion post in the Bronx, but never made it there.
The new home owners had discovered the plaque carefully wrapped in a blanket and hidden under a trap door in the attic. They contacted The Baseball Reliquary Board. Bucca's son, an attorney never knew of the plaque.
In 2001, the Great War Society approached the San Francisco Giants offering to help pay for a new Eddie Grant plaque at their new Stadium, but the team declined. Some believed there was a curse on the Giants because of the whole plaque history . Others were angry that they did not try to get the original plague back. Finally in 2006 a replica plaque was installed in San Francisco & in 2010 the Giants won the World Series.
Comments
The fact there there was ever a "curse" associated with the name of Eddie Grant does a disservice to his sacrifice and his service to his country. Eddie Grant was a genuine American hero who gave his life attempting to rescue his childhood friend, one of the famed "Lost Battalion," from the deadly Battle of the Argonne, and he should be remembered with a blessing, not a curse. The San Francisco Giants installed a replica Eddie Grant plaque inside the Lefty O'Doul gate at AT&T Park in 2006, and the Baseball Reliquary has what is purported to be the genuine plaque - but it's not even on permanent display, it's just part of a collection of artifacts that the Reliquary exhibits only a few times each year. What's wrong with this picture?
The Eddie Grant memorial plaque belongs to the New York and San Francisco Giants, two teams that may be a continent and a half century apart, but who are forever bound by their shared history and recognition of the supreme sacrifice made by a genuine American hero.