Colgate’s Long Road Back to the Ballpark
Saturday’s game marks the return to Colgate’s golden days as they return to the ballpark after more than half a century.
The last time Colgate played in a ballpark, gas was 30 cents a gallon. The number one song was Doo Wah Diddy by Manfred Mann and the top grossing movie was My Fair Lady.
On October 24, 1964, Colgate took on the Merchant Marine Academy in Shea Stadium’s first college football game. It would the first of only a few as Shea never became the Mecca of college football it’s Bronx counterpart became, hosting only six games in its 45-year life.
The Raiders easily won 24-0 on their way to a solid 7-2 season. Of course, Shea Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, known commonly as a cookie-cutter stadium, not exactly an iconic ballpark.
You would have to go even further, to 1948 to be exact, to find the last time Colgate played at a baseball specific stadium.That year, the Raiders lost a 14-13 contest to Boston University in the shadow of the Green Monster at Fenway.
Some of Colgate’s best moments came in ballparks, more specifically the iconic parks of the Big Apple.
The most famed of all Colgate teams, the revered Undefeated, Untied, Unscored Upon, and Uninvited 1932 Colgate team defeated NYU handily, 14-0, at Yankee Stadium to highlight an iconic year.
One can even point to 1934 when Colgate handed a Tulane squad on their way to the inaugural Sugar Bowl, a 20-7 defeat at Yankee Stadium.
Saturday’s EBW Classic at Worcester’s sparkling, new Polar Park marks a return to those days of relevance, where fans flocked to the ballpark to watch some of the nation’s best teams play.
Maybe Grant Breneman, one the Patriot League’s best dual threat QBs can show shades of Buford Platt, who went 10-19 for 145 yards and a touchdown at Shea for the Raiders in 1964. Or maybe Breneman will imitate the All-American QB of the famed 1932 team, Charles Soleau.
Although Colgate is in a bit of a lean stretch, they can recapture that magic with an upset of Holy Cross. The Crusaders are the favorite in the Patriot League with a resume accented by wins over UConn and defending Ivy League co-champ Yale.
Win or lose, this is a proud day for Colgate fans. For day, they can party like it’s 1932 as their Raiders will play a nationally relevant game at the ballpark.
*Much of the information on the 1964 game, including the article picture was found on the New York Times recap of the game and in Colgate’s media guide.*