The Abe Stark Story

Back in the early days of baseball history, many Major League Baseball parks resembled the minor league ones we see today. The outfield walls were adorned with advertisements, much like those at the Brooklyn Dodgers' iconic Ebbets Field. Among these ads, one sign stood out: the famous Abe Stark sign.

Abe Stark was not just a businessman; he also had a hand in politics. He owned a clothing store in East New York and ventured into politics during the 1950s. Stark served as the head of the New York City Council from 1954 to 1961, later becoming a prominent figure in Brooklyn from 1962 to 1970.

What truly made Abe Stark a legend in baseball history was his sign located in right-center field at Ebbets Field, which proclaimed, "Hit sign, win suit." The concept was straightforward: if a player could hit the sign with a fly ball, they'd receive a free suit. Positioned just three feet above the ground, it proved to be a challenging target, particularly when it was installed under the scoreboard in 1931. During the 1950s, the Dodgers boasted an impressive outfield, which meant few players managed to earn those coveted free suits. However, this wasn’t the only sign at Ebbets Field; the initial sign stretched across the entire right field wall and was considerably easier to hit before it was moved in 1931. It’s said that the first sign was struck far more frequently, with one of Abe Stark's employees claiming they awarded more suits to players than to regular customers.

Legend has it that only one player from opposing teams ever hit the sign in the air—Mel Ott of the New York Giants, who accomplished this feat twice. The only Dodger to achieve the same was Woody English in 1937. There was even a tale about Carl Furillo, who earned a free suit for safeguarding the sign, but when he attempted to collect his "free" suit, Stark required him to sign a stack of papers.

Hitting the sign back then was a significant accomplishment, especially since players didn't earn the lucrative salaries they do now and often needed to take on regular jobs after the baseball season ended. Today, challenges for hitters still exist. For instance, at Oracle Park, there's a massive baseball glove in left-center field, and if a player hits it with a home run, they can win $1 million. Similarly, at the former Turner Field in Atlanta, players could earn a million bucks by hitting a giant Coca-Cola sign in left field.

When Abe Stark first erected his sign, it cost him only $275 a year. However, once television expanded baseball’s reach, the visibility of such signs skyrocketed, and so did the prices. By the final season the Dodgers played at Ebbets Field, Stark was shelling out an astounding $2,500 to keep his sign in the game.