Major League Baseball on television and Plainfield, New Jersey: Difference between pages

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{{Infobox Settlement
The following is a detailed description of the various [[television network]]s (both [[Terrestrial television|broadcast]] and [[Cable television|cable]]), rights fees, and announcers who have called [[Major League Baseball]] games throughout the years (from the late 1930s through the present).
|official_name = Plainfield, New Jersey
|settlement_type = [[City (New Jersey)|City]]
|nickname =
|motto =


<!-- Images -->
==National television broadcasters== <!-- United States and Canada only -->
|image_skyline =
===United States===
|imagesize =
*[[Major League Baseball on NBC|NBC]]: 1947-1989; 1994-2000
|image_caption =
*[[Major League Baseball on ABC|ABC]]: 1953-1965; 1976-1989; 1994-1995
|image_flag =
*[[The Baseball Network]] (a joint venture between [[Major League Baseball]], [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] and [[NBC]]): 1994-1995
|image_seal =
*[[Major League Baseball on CBS|CBS]]: 1951; 1955-1965; 1990-1993
*[[Major League Baseball on FOX|FOX]]: 1996-present
*[[ESPN Major League Baseball|ESPN]]: 1990-present
*[[The USA Thursday Game of the Week|USA]]: 1979-1983
*[[Major League Baseball on TBS|TBS]]: 2007-present


<!-- Maps -->
===Canada===
|image_map = Plainfield_nj_039.png
These networks air [[Toronto Blue Jays]] games unless specified:
|mapsize = 250x200px
*[[Rogers Sportsnet]] (also airs the Fox and ESPN/ESPN 2 feeds if they do not conflict with the Toronto Blue Jays games)
|map_caption = Map of Plainfield in Union County. Inset: Location of Union County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
*[[The Sports Network|TSN]]
|image_map1 = Census Bureau map of Plainfield, New Jersey.gif
*[[CBC Television|Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Television]]
|mapsize1 = 250x200px
|map_caption1 = Census Bureau map of Plainfield, New Jersey


<!-- Location -->
==Baseball firsts==
|subdivision_type = [[List of countries|Country]]
===1930s===
|subdivision_name = [[United States]]
{{Main|Baseball broadcasting firsts}}
|subdivision_type1 = [[Political divisions of the United States|State]]
The first-ever televised baseball game was on [[May 17]], [[1939 in baseball|1939]], between [[Princeton University|Princeton]] and [[Columbia University|Columbia]]; Princeton beat Columbia 2-1 at Columbia's [[Baker Field (New York City)|Baker Field]]. The contest was aired on [[W2XBS]], an experimental station in [[New York City]] which would ultimately become [[WNBC-TV]].
|subdivision_name1 = [[New Jersey]]
|subdivision_type2 = [[List of counties in New Jersey|County]]
|subdivision_name2 = [[Union County, New Jersey|Union]]
|government_footnotes =
|government_type = [[Special Charter (New Jersey)]]
|leader_title = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name = Sharon M. Robinson-Briggs (2009)
|leader_title1 =
|leader_name1 =
|established_title = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
|established_date = [[April 5]], [[1847]]


<!-- Area -->
On [[August 26]] of the same year, the first ever [[Major League Baseball]] game was televised (once again on W2XBS). With [[Red Barber]] announcing, the [[Los Angeles Dodgers|Brooklyn Dodgers]] and the [[Cincinnati Reds]] played a doubleheader at [[Ebbets Field]]. The Reds won the first 5-2 while the Dodgers won the second, 6-1. Barber called the game without the benefit of a monitor and with only two cameras capturing the game. One camera was on Barber and the other was behind the plate. Barber had to guess from which light was on and where it pointed.
|unit_pref = Imperial
|area_footnotes =
|area_magnitude =
|area_total_km2 = 15.6
|area_land_km2 = 15.6
|area_water_km2 = 0.0
|area_total_sq_mi = 6.0
|area_land_sq_mi = 6.0
|area_water_sq_mi = 0.0


<!-- Population -->
===1940s===
|population_as_of = 2006
When the [[Atlanta Braves|Boston Braves]] won the National League pennant in [[1948 in baseball|1948]] and drew 1.46 million fans, they decided to sell the television rights to all of their home games for the next two years. They also had television coverage for most of their home games through the [[1952 in baseball|1952]] season, all for the sum of $40,000. The Braves figured that the televising of home games and fueled interest in the team in the first place. By the time the Braves' television contract ran out, their home attendance had fallen by 81%. Apparently, fans had decided that they preferred to watch the games on television than go to the ballpark. In [[1953 in baseball|1953]], when baseball's attendance shrunk to 14 million paying customers, the Braves moved to [[Milwaukee, Wisconsin|Milwaukee]] and refused all offers to televise home games.
|population_footnotes = <ref name=CensusEst/>
|population_total = 47353
|population_density_km2 = 3058.6
|population_density_sq_mi = 7921.7


<!-- General information -->
===1950s===
|timezone = [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
Television's sports arrival in the 1950s increased attention and revenue for all major league clubs at first. The television programming was extremely regional. It hurt the minor and independent leagues most. People stayed home to watch [[Maury Wills]] rather than catch Joe Nobody at their local baseball park. Major League Baseball, as it always did, made sure that it controlled rights and fees charged for the broadcasts of all games, just as it did on radio. It brought additional revenues and attention both from the broadcast itself, and from the increases in attendance and merchandise sales that expanded audiences allowed.
|utc_offset = -5
|timezone_DST = EDT
|utc_offset_DST = -4
|elevation_footnotes = <ref>{{Gnis|885355|City of Plainfield}}, [[Geographic Names Information System]]. Accessed [[January 4]], [[2008]].</ref>
|elevation_m = 29
|elevation_ft = 95
|latd = 40 |latm = 36 |lats = 55 |latNS = N|
longd = 74 |longm = 24 |longs = 58 |longEW = W


<!-- Area/postal codes & others -->
On [[January 31]], [[1953 in baseball|1953]], the [[New York Yankees]], [[Cleveland Indians]], and [[Boston Red Sox]] joined forces against [[Baltimore Orioles|St. Louis Browns]] owner [[Bill Veeck]]. The respective franchises tried to force the Browns to play afternoon games in an attempt to avoid having to share television revenues. A month later, Major League Baseball owners received a warning from Senator [[Edwin C. Johnson|Edwin Johnson]] about nationally televising their games. Johnson's theory was that nationally televising baseball games would be a threat to the survival of [[minor league baseball]]. The owners pretty much ignored Johnson since the games on [[NBC]] in particular, were gaining a large and loyal following.
|postal_code_type = [[ZIP code]]s
|postal_code = 07060-07063
|area_code = [[Area code 908|908]]
|blank_name = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info = 34-59190{{GR|2}}<ref>[http://mcdc2.missouri.edu/webrepts/commoncodes/ccc_nj.html A Cure for the Common Codes: New Jersey], Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed [[July 14]], [[2008]].</ref>
|blank1_name = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info = 0885355{{GR|3}}
|website = http://www.plainfield.com
|footnotes =
}}
'''Plainfield''' is a [[City (New Jersey)|City]] in [[Union County, New Jersey|Union County]], [[New Jersey]], [[United States]]. As of the [[United States 2000 Census]], the city population was 47,829.


Plainfield was originally formed as a [[township (New Jersey)|township]] on [[April 5]], [[1847]], from portions of [[Westfield, New Jersey|Westfield Township]], while the area was still part of [[Essex County, New Jersey|Essex County]]. On [[March 19]], [[1857]], it became part of the newly-created Union County. Plainfield was incorporated as a city by an Act of the [[New Jersey Legislature]] on [[April 21]], [[1869]], from portions of Plainfield Township, based on the results of a referendum held that same day. The city and township coexisted until [[March 6]], [[1878]], when Plainfield Township was dissolved and parts absorbed by Plainfield City and the remainder becoming Fanwood Township (now known as [[Scotch Plains, New Jersey|Scotch Plains]]).<ref name=Story>"The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 240.</ref>
===1960s===
By [[1964 in baseball|1964]], CBS' [[Dizzy Dean]] and [[Pee Wee Reese]] worked [[Yankee Stadium]], Wrigley Field, St. Louis, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. New York got $550,000 of CBS' $895,000. Six clubs that exclusively played nationally televised games on NBC got $1.2 million.


Plainfield is nicknamed "The Queen City".<ref>[http://www.plainfield.com/index.aspx City of Plainfield], accessed [[April 5]], [[2007]]. "On behalf of the City of Plainfield, I greet you with the passion and enthusiasm that hopefully you share for our Queen City, Plainfield, New Jersey."</ref>
ABC paid $5.7 million for the rights to the 28 Saturday/holiday ''Games of the Week''. ABC's deal covered all of the teams except the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies (who had their own television deals) and called for two regionalized games on Saturdays, [[Independence Day (United States)|Independence Day]], and [[Labor Day]]. ABC blacked out the games in the home cities of the clubs playing those games.


==Geography==
In [[1966 in baseball|1966]], the New York Yankees, who in the year before, played 21 ''Games of the Week'' for CBS joined NBC's package. The new package under NBC called for 28 games compared to [[1960 in baseball|1960]]'s three-network 123.
Plainfield is located at {{coor dms|40|36|55|N|74|24|58|W|city}} (40.615352, -74.416070){{GR|1}}.


The city is located on the southwestern edge of Union County and is bordered by nine municipalities. [[Scotch Plains, New Jersey|Scotch Plains]] lies to the north and east, and [[Fanwood, New Jersey|Fanwood]] to the northeast. Bordered to the south are [[South Plainfield, New Jersey|South Plainfield]] and [[Piscataway, New Jersey|Piscataway]], and to the southwest lies [[Dunellen, New Jersey|Dunellen]], all which are in [[Middlesex County, New Jersey|Middlesex County]]. [[Green Brook, New Jersey|Green Brook]] lies to the southwest, [[North Plainfield, New Jersey|North Plainfield]] lies to the north and [[Watchung, New Jersey|Watchung]] borders to the northwest. All three of these municipalities are in [[Somerset County, New Jersey|Somerset County]].
By [[1969 in baseball|1969]], Major League Baseball had grown to 24 teams and the net local TV revenues had leaped to $20.7 million. This is in sharp contrast to [[1950 in baseball|1950]] when local television brought the then 16 Major League clubs a total net income of $2.3 million. Changes baseball underwent during this time, such as expansion franchises and increasing the schedule from 154 games to 162, led to a wider audience for network and local television.


According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of 6.0&nbsp;[[square mile]]s (15.6&nbsp;[[km²]]), all of it land.
===1970s===
In the aftermath of the thrilling [[1975 World Series]], attendance figures, television contracts (this time including two networks, [[NBC]] and now [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]), and player salaries all spiraled. In the eyes of some, that particular World Series restored baseball as [[United States of America|America]]'s national pastime (ahead of [[American football|football]]).


====See also====
==Demographics==
{{USCensusPop
*[[MLB on NBC#ABC and NBC Alternates Coverage of the All-Star Game.2C League Championship Series.2C and World Series: 1976-1989|ABC and NBC Alternate Coverage of the All-Star Game, League Championship Series, and World Series: 1976-1989]]
| 1860=3224
| 1870=5095
| 1880=8125
| 1890=11267
| 1900=15369
| 1910=20550
| 1920=27700
| 1930=34422
| 1940=37469
| 1950=42366
| 1960=45330
| 1970=46862
| 1980=45555
| 1990=46567
| 2000=47829
| estimate= 47353
| estyear=2006
| estref=<ref name=CensusEst>[http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFPopulation?_event=ChangeGeoContext&geo_id=16000US3459190&_geoContext=&_street=&_county=plainfield&_cityTown=plainfield&_state=04000US34&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=010&_submenuId=population_0&ds_name=null&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null&reg=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry= Census data for Plainfield city], [[United States Census Bureau]]. Accessed [[March 1]], [[2007]].</ref>
| footnote=historical data source: <ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.wnjpin.net/OneStopCareerCenter/LaborMarketInformation/lmi01/poptrd6.htm
|title=New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990
|accessdate=2007-03-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/41084506no553.zip
|format=ZIP
|title=Fourteenth Census of The United States: 1920; Population: New Jersey; Number of inhabitants, by counties and minor civil divisions
|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]
|accessdate=2007-03-21
|author=Wm. C. Hunt, Chief Statistician for Population}}</ref>
}}
As of the [[census]]{{GR|2}} of 2000, there were 47,829 people, 15,137 households, and 10,898 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was 7,921.7 people per square mile (3,057.4/km²). There were 16,180 housing units at an average density of 2,679.8/sq&nbsp;mi (1,034.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 21.45% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 61.78% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.41% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.93% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.10% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 10.78% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 4.55% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 25.16% of the population.


There were 15,137 households out of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.3% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 24.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.0% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.10 and the average family size was 3.49.
===[[Cable television]]===
{{main|Major League Baseball on cable television}}
On [[July 17]], [[1964 in baseball|1964]], a game out of [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]] between the Chicago Cubs and [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] contest became the first [[Pay TV]] baseball game. Basically, subscription television offered the ''cablecast'' to subscribers for money. The Dodgers beat the Cubs by the score of 3-2, with [[Don Drysdale]] collecting 10 strikeouts by the way.


In the city the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males.
In [[1980 in baseball|1980]], 22 teams (all but the [[Atlanta Braves]], [[Houston Astros]], [[New York Mets]], and [[St. Louis Cardinals]]) took part in a one-year [[cable television|cable]] deal with [[United Artists Television|UA]]-[[Columbia Pictures Television|Columbia]]. The deal involved the airing of a Thursday night ''Game of the Week'' in markets at least 50 miles (80 km) from a major league park. The deal earned Major League Baseball less than $500,000, but led to a new two-year contract for 40-45 games per season.


The median income for a household in the city was $46,683, and the median income for a family was $50,774. Males had a median income of $33,460 versus $30,408 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $19,052. About 12.2% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 21.3% of those under age 18 and 12.6% of those age 65 or over.
On [[January 5]], [[1989 in television|1989]], Major League Baseball signed a $400 million deal with [[ESPN]], who would show over 175 games in beginning in [[1990 in baseball|1990]]. For the next four years, ESPN would televise six games a week ([[Sunday Night Baseball|Sunday]], ''[[ESPN Wednesday Night Baseball|Wednesday Night Baseball]]'', [[Doubleheader (television)|doubleheader]]s on Tuesdays and Fridays, plus holidays).


== History ==
In [[1994 in baseball|1994]], ESPN renewed its baseball contract for six years (through the [[1999 in baseball|1999]] season). The new deal was worth $42.5 million per year and $255 million overall. The deal was ultimately voided after the [[1995 in baseball|1995]] season and ESPN was pretty much forced to restructure their contract.
[[Image:Bungalow in Plainfield, New Jersey.JPG|thumb|right|230px|A typical [[Bungalow]] style house in Plainfield.]]
It was settled in 1684 by [[Religious Society of Friends|Quakers]], and incorporated as a city in 1869. Formerly a bedroom suburb in the [[New York metropolitan area]], it has become the urban center of 10 closely allied municipalities, with diversified industries, including printing and the manufacture of [[chemical]]s, [[clothing]], [[electronics|electronic]] equipment, and [[vehicle|vehicular]] parts. Among the several 18th-century buildings remaining are a Friends' meetinghouse (1788), the Martine house (1717), and the Nathaniel Drake House (1746), known as [[George Washington]]'s headquarters. Nearby [[Washington Rock]] is a prominent point of the [[Watchung Mountains]] and is reputed to be the vantage point from which Washington watched British troop movements.


In music history, Plainfield is known as the birthplace of [[P-Funk]]. [[George Clinton (funk musician)|George Clinton]] founded [[The Parliaments]] while working in a barber shop in Plainfield. Parliament - Funkadelic was inducted in the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in 1997. Plainfield is now home to former New Jersey governor [[James McGreevey]].
In [[1996 in baseball|1996]], ESPN began a five year contract with Major League Baseball worth $440 million and about $80 million per year. ESPN paid for the rights to a Wednesday doubleheader and the Sunday night ''Game of the Week'', as well as all postseason games not aired on FOX or NBC. Major League Baseball staggered the times of first-round games to provide a full-day feast for viewers: ESPN could air games at 1 p.m., 4 p.m., and 11 p.m. [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]], with the broadcast networks telecasting the prime time game.


===Civil disturbance===
Beginning in [[1997 in baseball|1997]], [[Fox Entertainment Group|FOX]] entered a four year joint venture with [[Liberty Media|Liberty Media Cable]] (which resulted in the placement of a Thursday night baseball game on Fox Sports Net alongside an FX Saturday night game, Fox Family would later replace Fox Sports Net) worth $172 million. The deal called for two games a week that aired games on its choice of two weeknights other than Wednesday, with no exclusivity.
Plainfield was affected by the [[1967 Plainfield riots|Plainfield riots]] in July 1967. This [[civil disturbance]] occurred in the wake of the larger [[1967 Newark riots|Newark riots]]. One Plainfield police officer died, about fifty people were injured, and several hundred thousand dollars of property was damaged by looting and arson. The New Jersey National Guard restored order after three days of unrest. <ref name=Riot>"Plainfield Burning: Black Rebellion in the Suburban North", Thomas J. Sugrue and Andrew M. Goodman, Journal of Urban History, vol. 33 (May 2007), pp. 368-401.</ref>


== Government ==
[[OLN]] (now [[Versus (TV channel)|Versus]]) was briefly considering picking up the rights to the Sunday and Wednesday games, which expired after the [[2005 in baseball|2005]] season. On [[September 14]], [[2005 in television|2005]] however, ESPN, then the current rights holder, signed an eight year contract with Major League Baseball, highlighted by the continuation of ESPN's ''Sunday Night Baseball'' series with additional, exclusive team appearances.
=== Local government ===
[[Image:Plainfield Neighborhood.JPG|thumb|right|230px|A historic home in Plainfield, New Jersey.]]
Plainfield is governed under a [[Special Charter (New Jersey)|Special Charter]] granted by the [[New Jersey Legislature]] by a mayor and a seven-member City Council, all of whom serve four-year terms in office. All council members are elected to four-terms of office. There are four wards, with one ward seat up for election each year. There are three at-large seats: one from the First and Fourth Wards; one form the Second and Third Wards; and one from the City as a whole. The three at-large seats and mayoral seat operate in a four-year cycle, with one seat up for election each year.<ref name=DataBook>''2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'', [[Rutgers University]] [[Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy]], April 2005, p. 98.</ref>


The Mayor of the City of Plainfield is Sharon M. Robinson-Briggs (D), whose four-year term of office ends on [[December 31]], [[2009]].<ref>[http://www.plainfield.com/government.aspx?PageID=8 Office of the Mayor], accessed [[April 16]], [[2008]].</ref>
====See also====
#''[[ESPN Wednesday Night Baseball]]''
#''[[Sunday Night Baseball]]''


Members of the Plainfield City Council are:<ref>[http://www.plainfield.com/government.aspx?PageID=9 City Council], City of Plainfield. Accessed [[April 16]], [[2008]].</ref>
==NBC's ''Game of the Week''==
*Ward 1: William Reid (D; 2010)
{{main|Major_League_Baseball_Game_of_the_Week#NBC.27s_Game_of_the_Week}}
*Ward 2: Cory Storch (D; 2011)
*Ward 3: Don Davis (D; 2008)
*Ward 4: Elliott Simmons (D; 2009)
*Wards 1&4 at large: Linda Carter (D; 2011
*Wards 2&3 at large: Rashid Burney (D; 2010)
*At large: Council President Harold Gibson (D; 2008)


=== Federal, state and county representation ===
===1980s===
Plainfield is in the Sixth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 22nd Legislative District.<ref>[http://www.lwvnj.org/pubs/CG06.pdf 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government], New Jersey [[League of Women Voters]], p. 55. Accessed [[August 30]], [[2006]].</ref>
By [[1983 in baseball|1983]], [[Joe Garagiola, Sr.|Joe Garagiola]] had stepped aside from the play-by-play duties for [[Vin Scully]] while [[Tony Kubek]] was paired with [[Bob Costas]] on NBC telecasts. The [[New York Times]] observed the performance of the team of Scully and Garagiola by saying ''"The duo of Scully and Garagiola is very good, and often even great, is no longer in dispute."'' A friend of Garagiola's said ''"He understood the cash"'' concerning NBC's [[1984 in baseball|1984]]-[[1989 in baseball|1989]] 407% MLB hike. At this point the idea was basically summarized as Vin Scully "being the star" whereas, Joe Garagiola was [[Pegasus]] or NBC's junior light.


[[Image:McGreevyPlainfieldHouse.jpg|thumb|right|230px|Home of former Governor [[Jim McGreevey]] in Plainfield.]]
When NBC inked a $550 million contract for six years in the fall of [[1982 in television|1982]], a return on the investment so to speak demanded Vin Scully to be their star baseball announcer. Vin Scully reportedly made $2 million a year during his time with NBC in the 1980s. [[NBC Sports]] head Thomas Watson said about Scully ''"He is baseball's best announcer. Why shouldn't he be ours?"'' Dick Enberg, who did the ''Game of the Week'' the year prior to Vin Scully's hiring mused ''"No room for me. ''Game'' had enough for two teams a week."''


{{NJ Congress 06}} {{NJ Senate}}
====The end of an era====
{{main|Major League Baseball on NBC}}
After calling the [[1988 World Series]] with Vin Scully, Joe Garagiola resigned from [[NBC Sports]]. NBC was on the verge of losing the television rights to cover Major League Baseball to [[CBS]]. Garagiola claimed that NBC left him ''"twisting"'' while he was trying to renegotiate his deal.


{{NJ Legislative 22}} {{NJ Governor}}
NBC's final edition of the ''Game of the Week'' was televised on [[October 9]], [[1989 in television|1989]]; Game 5 of the [[1989 National League Championship Series|National League Championship Series]] between the [[San Francisco Giants]] and [[Chicago Cubs]] from [[Monster Park|Candlestick Park]]. Vin Scully said ''"It's a passing of a great [[United States|American]] tradition. It is sad. I really and truly feel that. It will leave a vast window, to use a [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]] word, where people will not get Major League Baseball and I think that's a tragedy."'' Scully added that ''"It's a staple that's gone. I feel for people who come to me and say how they miss it, and I hope me."''


{{NJ Union County Freeholders}}
Bob Costas said ''"Who thought baseball'd kill its best way to reach the public? It coulda kept us and CBS-we'd have kept the ''Game''-but it only cared about cash."'' Costas added that he would rather do a ''Game of the Week'' that got a 5 [[Nielsen ratings|rating]] than host a [[Super Bowl]]. ''"Whatever else I did, I'd never have left 'Game of the Week'"'' Costas claimed.


== Education ==
The final regular season edition of NBC's ''Game of the Week'' was televised on [[September 30]], [[1989 in television|1989]]. That game featured the [[Toronto Blue Jays]] beating [[Baltimore Orioles]] 4-3 to clinch the AL East title from the [[Rogers Centre|SkyDome]]. It was the 981st edition of NBC's ''Game of the Week'' overall. Tony Kubek, who teamed with Bob Costas since 1983, said ''"I can't believe it"'' when the subject came about NBC losing baseball for the first time since [[1947 in baseball|1947]]. Coincidentally, from 1977&ndash;1989, Tony Kubek (in addition to his NBC duties) worked as a commentator for the Toronto Blue Jays.
The [[Plainfield Public School District]] serves students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The district is one of 31 [[Abbott District]]s statewide.<ref>[http://www.nj.gov/cgi-bin/education/abbotts/abbotturls.pl?string=code&maxhits=100 Abbott Districts], [[New Jersey Department of Education]]. Accessed [[March 31]], [[2008]].</ref> Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the [[National Center for Education Statistics]]<ref>[http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_list.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3413140 Data for the Plainfield Public School District], [[National Center for Education Statistics]]. Accessed [[April 16]], [[2008]].</ref>) are ten K-5 elementary schools —
[http://www.plainfieldnjk12.org/Schools/Barlow/Barlow.htm Barlow] (365 students),
[http://www.plainfieldnjk12.org/Schools/Cedarbrook/Cedarbrook.htm Cedarbrook] (448),
[http://www.plainfieldnjk12.org/Schools/Clinton/Clinton.htm Clinton] (340),
[http://www.plainfieldnjk12.org/Schools/Cook/Cook.htm Cook] (233),
[http://www.plainfieldnjk12.org/Schools/Emerson/Emerson.htm Emerson] (411),
[http://www.plainfieldnjk12.org/Schools/Evergreen/Evergreen.htm Evergreen] (473),
[http://www.plainfieldnjk12.org/Schools/Jefferson/Jefferson.htm Jefferson] (404),
[http://www.plainfieldnjk12.org/Schools/Stillman/Stillman.htm Stillman] (260)
[http://www.plainfieldnjk12.org/Schools/Washington/Washington.htm Washington Community School] (466 students, including pre-K) and
[http://www.plainfieldnjk12.org/Schools/Woodland/Woodland.htm Woodland] (258) — both
[http://www.plainfieldnjk12.org/Schools/Hubbard/Hubbard.htm Hubbard Middle School] (697)
[http://www.plainfieldnjk12.org/Schools/Maxson/Maxson.htm Maxson Middle School] (957) for grades 6-8 and
[[Plainfield High School (New Jersey)|Plainfield High School]] (1,816) for grades 9-12.


==Commerce==
==''Monday Night Baseball''==
Portions of Plainfield are part of an [[Urban Enterprise Zone]]. In addition to other benefits to encourage employment within the Zone, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3½% [[sales tax]] rate (versus the 7% rate charged statewide).<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/njbusiness/financing/tax/geographic.shtml#2 Geographic & Urban Redevelopment Tax Credit Programs: Urban Enterprise Zone Employee Tax Credit], State of [[New Jersey]]. Accessed [[July 28]], [[2008]].</ref>
{{main|Monday Night Baseball}}
On [[October 19]], [[1966 in television|1966]], [[NBC]] signed a three year contract with Major League Baseball. The year before, NBC lost the rights to the Saturday&ndash;Sunday ''Game of the Week''. In addition, the previous deal limited [[CBS]] to covering only 12 weekends when its new subsidiary, the [[New York Yankees]], played at home.


==Transportation==
Under the new deal, NBC paid roughly [[United States dollar|$]]6 million per year for the 25 ''Games of the Week'', $6.1 million for the [[1967 World Series]] and [[1967 in baseball|1967]] [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Game]], and $6.5 million for the [[1968 World Series]] and [[1968 in baseball|1968]] All-Star Game. This brought the total value of the contract (which included three Monday night telecasts) up to $30.6 million.
Plainfield has two [[New Jersey Transit]] rail stations on the [[Raritan Valley Line]], formerly the mainline of the [[Central Railroad of New Jersey]]. The main [[Plainfield (NJT station)|Plainfield]] station is in the downtown and a second, smaller [[Netherwood (NJT station)|Netherwood]] station is in the Netherwood section, east of the downtown.


NJ Transit also provides bus service on the [[113 (New Jersey bus)|113]] and [[114 (New Jersey bus)|114]] to the [[Port Authority Bus Terminal]] in [[Midtown Manhattan]]; the [[59 (New Jersey bus)|59]], [[65 (New Jersey bus)|65]] and [[66 (New Jersey bus)|66]] (Limited) to [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]]; and local service on the [[822 (New Jersey bus)|822]] and [[819 (New Jersey bus)|819]] routes.<ref>[http://www.njtransit.com/sf_tp_rc_union.shtml Union County Bus/Rail Connections], [[New Jersey Transit]]. Accessed [[June 21]], [[2007]].</ref>
From [[1972 in baseball|1972]]&ndash;[[1975 in baseball|1975]] NBC televised Monday games under a contract worth $72 million. In [[1973 in baseball|1973]], NBC extended the Monday night telecasts to from (with a local [[Blackout (broadcasting)|blackout]]) to 15 straight. On [[September 1]], [[1975]], NBC's last ''[[Monday Night Baseball]]'' game, in which the [[Montreal Expos|Montréal Expos]] beat the [[Philadelphia Phillies]] 6&ndash;5.


[[Newark Liberty International Airport]] is approximately 25 minutes away.
===[[ABC Sports|ABC]] takes over===
{{main|Major League Baseball on ABC#1970s}}
[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] would pick up the television rights for ''[[Monday Night Baseball]]'' games in the following year. Just like with ''[[Monday Night Football]]'', ABC brought in the concept of the three-man-booth (originally comprised of [[Bob Prince]], [[Bob Uecker]], and [[Warner Wolf]] as the primary crew) to their baseball telecasts. Said [[ABC Sports]] head [[Roone Arledge]]: ''"It'll take something different for it to work"'' - i.e. curb viewership yawns and lulls with Uecker as the real difference so Arledge reportedly hoped.


==Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center==
By [[1986 in baseball|1986]], ABC only televised 13 ''Monday Night Baseball'' games. This was a fairly sharp contrast to the 18 games to that were scheduled in [[1978 in baseball|1978]]. [[The Sporting News]] believed that ABC paid Major League Baseball to not make them televise the regular season. TSN added that the network only wanted the sport for October anyway.


[[Solaris Health System]], a nonprofit company which owns [[Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center]], a hospital in Plainfield, has asked for permission to close the hospital. This request has been opposed by [[People's Organization for Progress]], an advocacy group based in [[Newark, New Jersey]].
For most of its time on ABC, the Monday night games were held on "dead travel days" when few games were scheduled. The team owners liked that arrangement as the national telecasts didn't compete against their stadium box offices. ABC on the other hand, found the arrangement far more complicated. ABC often had only one or two games to pick from for each telecast from a schedule designed by Major League Baseball. While trying to give all of the teams national exposure, ABC ended up with way too many games between sub .500 clubs from small markets.
<ref>{{cite news |first=Mark |last=Spivey |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Letter asks state board to reconsider closure of Muhlenberg |url=http://www.mycentraljersey.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080717/NEWS/80717026 |work=MyCentralJersey.com, the combined Web site of the Home News Tribune and the Courier News |publisher= |date=July 17, 2008 |accessdate=2008-07-17 }}</ref> <ref>{{cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Acute-care hospital facility to close. Solaris Health Systems, the nonprofit parent company of Muhlenberg and the JFK Medical Center in Edison, will file a certificate of need... |url= |work=Asbury Park Press |publisher= |date= Feb 24, 2008 |accessdate=2008-07-17 }}</ref> <ref>{{cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= They rally to save Muhlenberg center
Sixty or so people, many from the Plainfield area, gathered in front of the Statehouse Thursday to protest the planned closing of Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center... |url= |work=Asbury Park Press |publisher= |date= May 9, 2008 |accessdate=2008-07-17 }}</ref>


==Plainfield Teacher's College hoax==
In [[1989 in baseball|1989]] (the final year of ABC's contract with Major League Baseball), ABC moved the baseball telecasts to Thursday nights in hopes of getting leg up against NBC's ''[[The Cosby Show|Cosby Show]]''. After braving the traumatic [[Loma Prieta earthquake]] and an all-time low 16.4 [[Nielsen rating|rating]] for the [[1989 World Series]] Al Michaels took ABC's loss of baseball to [[CBS]] as ''"tough to accept."'' Michaels added that ''"baseball was such an early stepchild at ABC and had come such a long way."'' [[Gary Thorne]], who served as ABC's backup play-by-play announcer in 1989 and was an on-field reporter for the World Series that year, simply laughed while saying ''"Great reviews, just as ABC baseball ends."''
*[[Plainfield Teacher's College]], a mythical institution created as a hoax by a duo of college football fans in 1941. The phony college's equally nonexistent football team had its scores carried by major newspapers including ''[[The New York Times]]'' before the hoax was discovered.<ref>Johnson, Bruce. [http://www.goleader.com/05oct13/16.pdf#search='plainfield%20teachers%20football%20hoax' "Plainfield State and Chung Were Too Good to Be True"], ''Westfield Leader'', [[October 13]], [[2005]]. Accessed [[May 13]], [[2007]]. "Never heard of Plainfield State? Well, that’s because neither Plainfield State Teachers College nor Johnny Chung actually existed... On the spur of the moment, he decided to call The New York Times and said, “I want to report a score... Plainfield Teachers 21 (his secretary was from Plainfield) … Regency 12.” The next morning, there was the score in The New York Times!"</ref>


==Arts and popular culture==
===1976&ndash;1989: ABC and NBC alternate coverage===
*The Plainfield Symphony makes its home in Plainfield. It performs concerts at Crescent Avenue Presbyterian Church. The orchestra was founded in 1919, making it one of the oldest continuously operating orchestras in the United States.
Under the initial agreement with [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]], [[NBC]], and Major League Baseball ([[1976 in baseball|1976]]-[[1979 in baseball|1979]]), both networks paid $92.8 million. ABC paid $12.5 million per year to show 16 Monday night games in 1976, 18 in the next three years, plus half the postseason (the [[League Championship Series]] in even numbered years and [[World Series]] in odd numbered years). NBC paid $10.7 million per year to show 25 Saturday ''Games of the Week'' and the other half of the postseason (the League Championship Series in odd numbered years and World Series in even numbered years).


*In the 1985 film ''[[Brewster's Millions (1985 film)|Brewster's Millions]]'', [[Richard Pryor]] portrayed an aging minor league baseball pitcher whose team gets into a bar fight in Plainfield.
Major League Baseball media director [[John Lazarus]] said of the new arrangement between NBC and ABC ''"[[Nielsen ratings|Ratings]] couldn't get more from one network so we approached another."'' NBC's [[Joe Garagiola, Sr.|Joe Garagiola]] wasn't very fond of new broadcasting arrangement at first saying ''"I wished they hadn't got half the package. Still, ''Game'', half of the postseason - we got lots left."'' By [[1980 in baseball|1980]], income from TV accounted for a record 30% of the game's $500 million in revenues.


==Famous residents and natives==
On [[April 7]], [[1983 in television|1983]], Major League Baseball, ABC, and NBC agreed to terms of a six year television package worth $1.2 billion. The two networks would continue to alternate coverage of the [[League Championship Series|playoffs]] (ABC in even numbered years and NBC in odd numbered years), World Series (ABC would televise the [[World Series]] in odd numbered years and NBC in even numbered years), and [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Game]] (ABC would televise the All-Star Game in even numbered years and NBC in odd numbered years) through the [[1989 in baseball|1989]] season, with each of the 26 clubs receiving $7 million per year in return (even if no fans showed up). The last package gave each club $1.9 million per year. ABC contributed $575 million for regular season [[prime time]] and Sunday afternoons and NBC paid $550 million for thirty Saturday afternoon games.
*[[Ernest R. Ackerman]] (1863-1931) represented [[New Jersey's 5th congressional district]] from 1919-1931.<ref>[http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=A000021 Ernest Robinson Ackerman], [[United States Congress]]. Accessed [[June 25]], [[2007]].</ref>
*[[John Adams (educator)|John Adams]] (1772-1863), educator, taught at the Plainfield Academy here for some years.<ref name="Marquis 1607-1896">{{cite book | title = Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896 | publisher = Marquis Who's Who | location = Chicago | date = 1963}}</ref>
*[[Joe Black]] (1924-2002), childhood home, professional baseball player, [[Brooklyn Dodgers]], [[Cincinnati Reds]].<ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_24_101/ai_87210872 Joe Black, baseball pioneer and retired Greyhound Corp. executive, dies - Census - Obituary], ''[[Jet (magazine)]]'', [[June 3]], [[2002]], accessed [[April 26]], [[2007]]. "A native of Plainfield, NJ, Black graduated from Morgan State in Baltimore."</ref>
*[[Judy Blume]], (1938-), author.<ref>Goldblatt, Jennifer. [http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/14/nyregion/14NJ.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&sq= "Blume's Day"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', [[November 14]], [[2004]]. Accessed [[February 5]], [[2008]]. "It wasn't until after Ms. Blume had gotten her bachelor's degree in education from New York University in 1961, was married and raising her son, Larry, and her daughter, Randy, and living in Plainfield and later Scotch Plains, that she started to commit her stories and characters to paper, cramming writing sessions in while the children were at preschool and at play."</ref>
*[[Van Wyck Brooks]] (1886-1963), author.<ref>[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9905EEDC1139F932A35752C1A967948260 NOT TO WRITE WAS NOT TO BE ALIVE], ''[[The New York Times]]'', [[November 1]], [[1981]], accessed [[April 26]], [[2007]]. "Van Wyck Brooks grew up in Plainfield, N.J., second son of a wellto-do Episcopalian and Republican family."</ref>
*[[Benjamin Brown (actor)|Benjamin Brown]] (1968-), actor, attended Plainfield High School.
*[[Taiwan Brown]] (1987-), childhood and current home, TV Personality, attended Plainfield High School for the 9th and beginning of 10th grade year. He returned after the start of 11th grade and graduated from Plainfield High School.
*[[Milt Campbell]] (1933-), childhood home, 1956 Olympic Decathlon Gold Medal winner.<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,806703,00.html "Field Day in Plainfield"], ''[[Time (magazine)]]'', [[July 13]], [[1953]], accessed [[April 26]], [[2007]]. "In Helsinki last summer, a big (6 ft. 3 in., 210 lbs.) Negro high-school boy from Plainfield, N.J. trudged wearily into a locker room in the Olympic stadium. Worn down by the two-day competition in the Olympics' most demanding test, Decathlon Man Milton Campbell gave World Champion Bob Mathias a congratulatory backslap, then flopped on a cot."</ref>
*[[Earl Clark]] (1988-), player for the [[University of Louisville]] [[Louisville Cardinals men's basketball|men's basketball team]].<ref>[http://uoflsports.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/clark_earl00.html Earl Clark], [[CSTV]]. Accessed [[January 2]], [[2008]].</ref>
*[[George Clinton (funk musician)|George Clinton]] (1941-), founder of [[Parliament-Funkadelic]], childhood home.<ref>Fried, Johnathan. [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F5071EFC3A540C748DDDA90994D1494D81 "JERSEY FOOTLIGHTS; A Funkmaster Comes Home"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', [[October 17]], [[1999]], accessed [[April 26]], [[2007]]. "The Mothership landed on Oct. 6 when George Clinton, Plainfield native and funkmaster, brought his band to the Community Theater in Morristown for the second night of a monthlong national tour."</ref>
*[[Manny Collins]] (1984-) [[American football]] [[cornerback]].<ref>[http://www.unioncountynj.org/news/0702hotstove.html "71st Annual Hot Stove Awards Dinner, Feb. 11, Honors Union County Athletes, Young and Old"], [[Union County, New Jersey]] press release dated [[February 2]], [[2007]]. Accessed [[November 14]], [[2007]]. "Manny Collins was a standout at both wide receiver and defensive back for the Plainfield High School Cardinals and earned All-County, All-Conference and All-Area honors."</ref>
*[[Archibald Cox]] (1912-2004), childhood home.<ref>Gormley, Ken. [http://www.harvardlawreview.org/issues/118/Nov04/Cox_TributeFTX.pdf "IN MEMORIAM: ARCHIBALD COX"], ''[[Harvard Law Review]]'', November 2004. Accessed [[May 13]], [[2007]]. "He grew up in Plainfield, New Jersey, the son of a distinguished New York patent attorney."</ref>
*[[Bill Evans]] (1929-1980), childhood home.<ref>Lyons, Leonard S. [http://books.google.com/books?id=UV8twW58ROkC&pg=PA219&lpg=PA219&dq=%22bill+evans%22+%22grew+up+in+plainfield%22&source=web&ots=1gwXMqqUlK&sig=ipGOmQEHPPmnkpcKL-xEz2d2BJY "The Great Jazz Pianists: Speaking of Their Lives and Music"], accessed [[May 13]], [[2007]]. "Bill Evans Grew up in Plainfield, New Jersey."</ref>
*[[J. Michael Fay]] (1956-), conservationist.<ref>[http://www.state.gov/g/oes/rls/25877.htm J. Michael Fay], [[United States Department of State]]. Accessed [[December 10]], [[2007]].</ref>
*[[Jan Groover]] (1943-) [[photography|photographer]] noted for her use of emerging [[color]] technologies.<ref>[http://www.clevelandart.org/exhibit/legacy/bios/bios-gh.html Artist Biographies], [[The Cleveland Museum of Art]]. Accessed [[December 13]], [[2007]].</ref>
*[[Mark Haines]] (1946-), former host of the [[CNBC]] show ''[[Squawk Box]]'' who now appears on ''[[Squawk on the Street]]''.<ref>Strauss, Robert. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=980CE1DE1E31F930A15757C0A9669C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all "NEW JERSEY & CO.; All Eyes Are on Fort Lee"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', [[April 23]], [[2000]]. Accessed [[December 14]], [[2007]]. "Alerted by a viewer, Mr. Haines -- a Plainfield native who now lives in Monmouth County -- researched tapes and noted that when Mr. Greenspan, the head of the Federal Reserve, carried a fat briefcase to the meetings, interest rates rose; a thin briefcase indicated lower rates."</ref>
*[[Robert Hand]] (1942-), childhood home
*[[Bret Harte]] (1836-1902), author and poet.
*[[Byron Hurt]] (1969-), documentary filmmaker.<ref name="NYTimes">{{cite news | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/01/fashion/weddings/01crumel.html?ex=1317355200&en=e848c6b44c5458f3&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss | title=Kenya Crumel and Byron Hurt | work=[[The New York Times]] | date=2006-10-01 | accessdate=2008-03-07}}</ref>
*[[David T. Kenney]] (1866-1922), inventor, longtime resident
*[[Robyn Kenney]] (1979-), field hockey player.<ref>[http://www.usfieldhockey.com/teams/women/u20/kenney.htm Robyn Kenney], [[USA Field Hockey]]. Accessed [[December 20]], [[2007]].</ref>
*[[Phyllis Kirk]] (1927-2006), birthplace, actress
*[[Peter Liske]] (1942-) ,birthplace, childhood home, former professional football player
*[[Burke Marshall]] (1922-2003), childhood home
*[[James Edgar Martine]] (1850-1925), [[United States Senator]] from [[New Jersey]]; childhood home.<ref>[http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=M000205 James Edgar Martine], ''[[Biographical Directory of the United States Congress]]''. Accessed [[April 16]], [[2008]].</ref>
*[[Mary McCormack]] (1969-), birthplace.<ref>[http://www.nbc.com/The_West_Wing/bios/Mary_McCormack.html Mary McCormack cast member profile], ''[[The West Wing]]''. Accessed [[September 30]], [[2007]]. "Born in Plainfield, New Jersey, McCormack is a graduate of Trinity College and resides in Los Angeles."</ref>
*[[Jim McGreevey]] (1957-), former [[Governor of New Jersey]].<ref>Kocieniewski, David. [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/20/nyregion/20mcgreevey.html?scp=6&sq=%22Jim+McGreevey%22+plainfield&st=nyt "Ex-Governor Is Back in Public, This Time as an Author"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', [[September 20]], [[2006]]. Accessed [[April 16]], [[2008]]. "While his resignation forced Mr. McGreevey to move out of Drumthwacket, the governor’s mansion in Princeton, his new home in Plainfield has gardens designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, a circular driveway and a housecleaner who arrived on Tuesday driving a white Mercedes-Benz."</ref>
*[[Dudley Moore]] (1935-2002), resided there at time of death
*[[Boogie Mosson]] (1952-), childhood home
*[[James S. Negley]] (1826-1901), died there
*[[Billy Bass Nelson]] (1951-), childhood home
*[[Irving Penn]] (1917-), birthplace and childhood home
*[[Jane Rule]] (1931-), birthplace
*[[William Nelson Runyon]] (1871-1931), Acting [[Governor of New Jersey]] from 1919 to 1920.<ref>[http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.29fab9fb4add37305ddcbeeb501010a0/?vgnextoid=97923058be3f9010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e449a0ca9e3f1010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD New Jersey Governor William Nelson Runyon], [[National Governors Association]]. Accessed [[August 3]], [[2007]].</ref>
*[[Robert Shapiro]] (1942-), childhood home
*[[Garry Shider]] (1953-), childhood home
*[[Percy Hamilton Stewart]] (1867-1951), mayor of Plainfield in 1912 and 1913, represented [[New Jersey's 5th congressional district]] from 1931-1933.<ref>[http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=S000919 Percy Hamilton Stewart biography], [[United States Congress]]. Accessed [[July 10]], [[2007]].</ref>
*[[Edward Herbert Thompson]] (1856-1935), died there
*[[Jeff Torborg]] (1941-), Former professional baseball player and manager, birthplace
*[[Fred Van Eps]] (1878-1960), banjoist and early recording artist.<ref>[http://www.gracyk.com/fredvaneps.shtml Fred Van Eps -- Banjoist], Biography by Tim Gracyk. Accessed [[May 24]], [[2008]].</ref>
*[[Rich Vos]] (1957-), childhood home
*[[Vita (rapper)|Vita]], rapper who was raised here.
*[[David S. Ware]] (1949-), jazz saxophonist (b. 1949), birthplace
*[[Vic Washington]], Former professional football player (b. 1946), birthplace.<ref>[http://wyomingathletics.cstv.com/genrel/021905aaa.html Six Individuals, One Team Inducted into the 13th Hall of Fame Class], [[University of Wyoming]], [[February 19]], [[2005]]. Accessed [[July 10]], [[2007]]. "Vic Washington. Hometown: Plainfield, N.J."</ref>
*[[Harrison A. Williams]] (1919-2001), birthplace.<ref>[http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=w000502 Harrison Arlington Williams, Jr.], ''[[Biographical Directory of the United States Congress]]''. Accessed [[July 10]], [[2008]].</ref>
*[[Jay Williams (basketball)|Jay Williams]] (1981-), childhood home (He went to private school, but resided in Plainfield)
*[[Malinda Williams]] (1975-), childhood home
*[[Bernie Worrell]] (1944-), childhood home.<ref>[http://www.sptimes.com/2002/06/28/news_pf/Floridian/The_best_keyboardist_.shtml "The best keyboardist you've never heard of"], ''[[St. Petersburg Times]]'', [[June 28]], [[2002]].</ref>
*[[James A. Yorke]] (1941-), childhood home


=====Breakdown=====
==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
*[[1983 in baseball|1983]] - $20 million in advance from the two networks.
Maria Dorfner, writer/producer (residence 1999-present)
*[[1984 in baseball|1984]] - NBC $70 million, ABC $56 million, total $126 million.
*[[1985 in baseball|1985]] - NBC $61 million, ABC $75 million, total $136 million.
''Note'': The networks got $9 million when Major League Baseball expanded the League Championship Series from a best-of-five to a best-of-seven in 1985.


==External links==
*[[1986 in baseball|1986]] - NBC $75 million, ABC $66 million, total $141 million.
*[http://www.plainfield.com/ Plainfield, New Jersey's Homepage]
*[[1987 in baseball|1987]] - NBC $81 million, ABC $90 million, total $171 million.
*[http://www.plainfieldnjk12.org/ Plainfield Public School District]
*[[1988 in baseball|1988]] - NBC $90 million, ABC $96 million, total $186 million.
*{{NJReportCard|39|4160|0|Plainfield Public School District}}
*[[1989 in baseball|1989]] - NBC $106 million, ABC $125 million, total $231 million.
*[http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_list.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3413140 Data for the Plainfield Public School District], [[National Center for Education Statistics]]
*[http://www.plainfieldsymphony.org/ Plainfield Symphony]
*[http://www.plainfieldY.org/ Plainfield Area YMCA]
*[http://www.ucnj.org/svcsgov/parksrec/parkfacl.htm Cedarbrook Park & Shakespeare Garden]
*[http://www.plainfieldnjk12.org/Schools/PHS/PHS.htm Plainfield High School - NJ's 2nd oldest]
*[http://www.tricountyredcross.com Tri-County Red Cross serving Plainfield 91 years]
{{Geolinks-US-cityscale|40.615352|-74.41607}}


{{Union County, New Jersey}}
==Major League Baseball on [[CBS Sports|CBS]]-TV: 1990&ndash;1993==
{{New Jersey}}
{{main|Major League Baseball on CBS#1990-1993 version}}
On [[December 14]], [[1988 in television|1988]], [[CBS]] (under the guidance of [[Baseball Commissioner|Commissioner]] [[Peter Ueberroth]]) paid approximately [[United States dollar|$]]1.8 billion for exclusive television rights for over four years (beginning in [[1990 in baseball|1990]]). CBS paid about $265 million each year for the [[World Series]], [[League Championship Series]], [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Game]], and the Saturday ''Game of the Week''. It was one of the largest agreements (to date) between the sport of baseball and the business of [[broadcasting]].

The deal with CBS was also suppose to pay each team $10 million a year. A separate deal with cable TV would bring each team an additional $4 million. Each team could also cut its own deal with local TV. For example, the [[New York Yankees]] signed with a cable network ([[MSG Network|MSG]]) that would pay the team $41 million annually for 12 years. Radio broadcast rights can bring in additional money. Reportedly, after the huge TV contracts with CBS and [[ESPN Major League Baseball|ESPN]] were signed, ballclubs spent their excess millions on [[free agent]]s.

After sustaining huge losses from [[1990 in baseball|1990]]'s abbreviated postseason (which ended with the [[Cincinnati Reds]] shockingly sweeping the defending [[World Series Trophy|World Champion]] [[Oakland Athletics]] in the [[1990 World Series|World Series]]), CBS made several notable adjustments for [[1991 in baseball|1991]]. Regular season telecasts had been reduced to a meager handful. Where as pregame shows during the League Championship Series were entirely eliminated, to minimize the ratings damage.

In the end, CBS wound up losing approximately half a billion dollars from their television contract with Major League Baseball. CBS repeatedly asked Major League Baseball for a [[Rebate (marketing)|rebate]], but MLB wasn't willing to do this.

==The Baseball Network: 1994&ndash;1995==
{{main|The Baseball Network}}
After the fall-out from [[CBS]]' financial problems from their four year long television contract with Major League Baseball, MLB decided to go into the business of producing the telecasts themselves. After a four year hiatus, [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] and [[NBC]] returned to Major League Baseball under the umbrella of a [[revenue]] sharing venture called "The Baseball Network."

Under a six year plan, Major League Baseball was intended to receive 85% of the first [[United States dollar|$]]140 million in advertising revenue (or 87.5% of advertising revenues and corporate sponsorship from the games until sales top a specified level), 50% of the next $30 million, and 80% of any additional money. Prior to this, Major League Baseball was projected to take a projected 55% cut in rights fees and receive a typical rights fee from the networks. When compared to the previous TV deal with CBS, The Baseball Network was supposed to bring in 50% less of the broadcasting revenue. The advertisers were reportedly excited about the arrangement with The Baseball Network because the new package included several changes intended to boost [[Nielsen Ratings|ratings]], especially among younger viewers.

Arranging broadcasts through The Baseball Network seemed, on the surface, to benefit NBC and ABC since it gave them a [[monopoly]] on broadcasting Major League Baseball. It also stood to benefit the networks because they reduced the risk associated with purchasing the broadcast rights outright. NBC and ABC was to create a loss-free environment for the each other.

After NBC's coverage the [[1994 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1994 All-Star Game]] was complete, NBC was scheduled to televise six regular season games on Fridays or Saturdays in [[prime time]]. The networks had exclusive rights for the 12 regular season dates, in that no regional or national cable service or over-the-air broadcaster may telecast an MLB game on those dates. ''[[Baseball Night in America]]'' usually aired up to 14 games based on the viewers' region (affiliates chose games of local interest to carry) as opposed to a traditional coast-to-coast format. ABC would then pick up where NBC left off by televising six more regular season games. The regular season games fell under the ''Baseball Night in America'' umbrella which premiered on [[July 16]], [[1994 in television|1994]].

In even numbered years, NBC would have the rights to the All-Star Game and both [[League Championship Series]] while ABC would have the [[World Series]] and newly created [[Division Series]]. In odd numbered years the postseason and All-Star Game television rights were supposed to alternate.

The long term plans for'The Baseball Network crumbled when the players went on [[1994 Major League Baseball strike|strike]] on [[August 12]], [[1994 in baseball|1994]] (thus forcing the cancellation of the [[1994 World Series|World Series]]). In July [[1995 in baseball|1995]], ABC and NBC, who wound up having to share the duties of televising the [[1995 World Series]] as a way to recoup (with ABC broadcasting Games 1, 4, and 5 and NBC broadcasting Games 2, 3, and 6), announced that they were opting out of their agreement with Major League Baseball. Both networks figured that as the delayed [[1995 in baseball|1995]] baseball season opened without a labor agreement, there was no guarantee against another strike. Others would argue that a primary reason for its failure was its abandoning of localized markets in favor of more lucrative and stable advertising contracts afforded by turning to a national model of broadcasting. Both networks soon publicly vowed to cut all ties with Major League Baseball for the remainder of the 20th century.

In the end, the venture would lose $95 million in advertising and nearly $500 million in national and local spending.

==Baseball comes to FOX==
{{main|Major League Baseball on FOX}}
Soon after the Baseball Network fiasco, Major League Baseball made a deal with [[Fox Broadcasting Company|FOX]] and [[NBC]] on [[November 7]], [[1995 in television|1995]]. FOX paid a fraction less of the amount of money that [[CBS]] paid for the Major League Baseball television rights. Unlike The Baseball Network, FOX went back to the tried and true format of televising regular season games (approximately 16 weekly telecasts that normally began on [[Memorial Day]] weekend) on Saturday afternoons. FOX did however, continue a format that The Baseball Network started by offering games based purely on a viewer's region. FOX's approach has usually been to offer four regionalized telecasts, with exclusivity from 1&ndash;4 p.m. in each time zone. When FOX first got into baseball, it used the [[motto]] ''"Same game, new attitude."''

==Trouble at NBC: 1996&ndash;2000==
{{main|Major_League_Baseball_on_NBC#Trouble_at_NBC:_1996-2000}}
Despite of the failure of The Baseball Network, [[NBC]] decided to stay on with Major League Baseball but on a far more restricted basis. Under the five year deal (from [[1996 in baseball|1996]]&ndash;[[2000 in baseball|2000]]) for a total of approximately $400 million, NBC didn't televise any regular season games. Instead, NBC only handled the [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Game]], three [[Division Series]] games, and the [[American League Championship Series]] in even numbered years and the [[World Series]], three Division Series games, and [[National League Championship Series]] in odd numbered years.

In [[1997 in baseball|1997]], just before the start of NBC's coverage of the [[1997 World Series|World Series]], [[West Coast of the United States|West Coast]] entertainment division president and former [[NBC Sports]] executive producer [[Don Ohlmeyer]] came under fire after publicly announcing that he hoped that the World Series would end in a four game sweep. Ohlmeyer believed that baseball now lacked broad audience appeal (especially in the aftermath of the [[1994 Major League Baseball strike]]). As opposed to teams from the big three television markets (New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago) in the country, the 1997 World Series featured match-up of the upstart [[Florida Marlins]] (in fairness, the Marlins are located in [[Miami, Florida|Miami]]) and the [[Cleveland Indians]], who made their second World Series appearance in three years. In addition, Ohlmeyer feared that the World Series would disrupt NBC's efforts to attract enough viewers for its [http://external.new-frontier.info/oe|L01ham9yX0xlYWd1ZV9CYXNlYmFsbF90ZWxldmlzaW9uX2NvbnRyYWN0cw==|aHR0cDovL25ldHNjYXBlLmVvbmxpbmUuY29tL05ld3MvSXRlbXMvMCwxLDE5MzEsMDAuaHRtbA== new fall roster] in order to stay on top of the [[Nielsen ratings|ratings]] heap. Ohlmeyer said ''"If the [[A&E Network|A&E]] channel called, I'd take the call."''

In [[2000 in baseball|2000]], NBC was caught in the dilemma of having to televise a first round playoff game between the New York Yankees and [[Oakland Athletics]] over the first [[U.S. presidential election, 2000|presidential debate]] between [[George W. Bush]] and [[Al Gore]]. NBC decided to give its local stations the option of carrying the debate or the baseball game. If the NBC affiliate decided to carry the debate, then local [[ION Television|Pax]] affiliate could carry the game. NBC also placed a crawl at the bottom of the screen to inform viewers that they could see the debate on its sister channel [[MSNBC]]. NBC spokeswoman Barbara Levin said ''"We have a contract with Major League Baseball. The commission was informed well in advance of their selecting the debate dates."''

===Baseball leaves NBC again===
In September 2000, [[Major League Baseball]] signed a six year, [[United States dollar|$]]2.5 billion contract with [[Fox Broadcasting Company|FOX]] to show Saturday baseball, the [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Game]], selected [[Division Series]] games and exclusive coverage of both [[League Championship Series]] and the [[World Series]].

Under the previous five year deal with [[NBC]] ([[1996 in baseball|1996]]&ndash;[[2000 in baseball|2000]]), FOX paid $115 million while NBC only paid $80 million per year. FOX paid about $575 million overall while NBC paid about $400 million overall. The difference between the FOX and the NBC contracts implicitly values Fox's Saturday ''Game of the Week'' at less than $90 million for five years. Before NBC officially decided to part ways with Major League Baseball (for the second time in about 12 years) on [[September 26]], [[2000]], FOX's payment would've been $345 million while NBC would've paid $240 million. Before [[1990 in baseball|1990]], NBC had carried Major League Baseball since [[1947 in baseball|1947]].

:''"We have notified Major League Baseball that we have passed on their offer and we wish them well going forward."'' - [[NBC Sports]] president [[Ken Schanzer]]

[[NBC Sports]] chairman [[Dick Ebersol]] added that it wasn't [[Cost-effectiveness|cost-effective]] for NBC to be putting out the kind of money that Major League Baseball wanted.

In [[2001 in baseball|2001]], [[Bob Costas]] claimed that despite still loving the game, he now felt a certain alienation from the institution. By the time that NBC lost Major League Baseball for the second time in 12 years, the sport had endured a [[1994 Major League Baseball strike|strike]], realignment, the controversial innovations of the [[wild card (sports)|wild card]] and [[interleague play]], and NBC's complete loss of the regular season ''Game of the Week''. When asked about whether or not the fact that NBC no longer had the baseball rights was disappointing, Costas said ''"I'm a little disappointed to lose baseball, but that's the way the business is. And it's not nearly as disappointing as it was when we lost it at the end of the [[1980s|'80s]]. Because then it was like baseball was the birthright for NBC. ... (Baseball is) not going to affect any decision that I have in the future."'' Costas added to his thoughts on NBC's current baseball blackout by saying ''"It's nowhere near as devastating as a decade ago. Different circumstances, different time."''

==FOX, TBS, and ESPN era: 2007- ==
{{main|Major League Baseball on TBS}}
After weeks of speculation and rumors, on [[July 11]], [[2006 in baseball|2006]] at the [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Game]], Major League Baseball and the [[Fox Broadcasting Company]] announced a renewal of their current contract through 2013. The contract would continue to give FOX exclusive rights to televise the [[World Series]] and the All-Star Game for the duration of the contract. The World Series would begin the Wednesday after the [[League Championship Series]] are completed.

FOX would also get exclusive rights to televise the [[American League Championship Series]] in odd years beginning in 2007, and exclusive rights to televise the [[National League Championship Series]] in even years beginning in 2008. Additionally, FOX would have the right to broadcast its regional Saturday ''[[Major League Baseball Game of the Week|Game of the Week]]'' package for all 26 weeks (up from 18 under the previous contract).

Additionally, [[Time Warner]]'s [[TBS (TV network)|TBS]] gained rights to a Sunday afternoon ''Game of the Week'', beginning in the 2008 season. TBS will be allowed to choose the games that it will carry and may select a single team up to 13 times. These games will normally be shown outside the participating teams' markets, and thus TBS has the option of producing an alternate game in those markets. As of the 2008 season, they have decided against this. TBS also gained exclusive broadcast rights to the [[Division Series]] in both leagues, as well as any tiebreaking games. TBS will also gain the rights to the ''All-Star Game Selection Show'', meaning that ESPN (which previously carried it) can only broadcast the information after it airs on TBS.

It was announced on [[October 17]], [[2006 in baseball|2006]] that TBS will get exclusive rights to televise the [[National League Championship Series]] in odd years beginning in 2007, and exclusive rights to televise the [[American League Championship Series]] in even years beginning in 2008. This contract also runs through 2013. As part of the contract, TBS relinquished its rights to air [[Atlanta Braves]] games nationally after the 2007 season, by separating [[TBS (TV network)|WTBS]] (now [[WPCH-TV|WPCH]]) channel 17 from the TBS network, rebranding as ''Peachtree TV'' on October 1st, 2007. The new station would still air Atlanta Braves games. Those games have been made available to local cable and satellite operators in the Southeast for the 2008 season.

===''Extra Innings'' and The MLB Network===
It was reported that when [[DirecTV]] and [[Major League Baseball]] completed their deal for ''[[MLB Extra Innings]]'' in [[2007 in baseball|2007]], the deal will include DirecTV carrying Major League Baseball's league owned [[MLB Network]], at first on an exclusive basis. With the later agreement between MLB and [[iN DEMAND]] expanding the distribution of ''Extra Innings'' to cable, it was announced the MLB Network will also be carried on most major cable services starting [[January 1]], [[2009 Major League Baseball season|2009]]. The channel will air Saturday night games (and possible games on other days) and a daily highlight show (although ESPN's ''Baseball Tonight'' will be protected for the duration of ESPN's current TV deal).

== See also ==
* [[List of current Major League Baseball announcers]]

==Sources==
*[http://roadsidephotos.com/baseball/nationalbroadcast.htm Summer 1997: 75 Years of National Baseball Broadcasts]
*[http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/S/htmlS/sportsandte/sportsandte.htm Museum TV - SPORTS AND TELEVISION]
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20041022143442/http://users.commkey.net/fussichen/otdb193.htm Baseball History 1930 to 1939]
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20041022144610/http://users.commkey.net/fussichen/otdb194.htm Baseball History 1940 to 1949]
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20050216044122/http://users.commkey.net/fussichen/otdb195.htm Baseball History 1950 to 1959]
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20041022154412/http://users.commkey.net/fussichen/otdb196.htm Baseball History 1960 to 1969]
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20041022121256/http://users.commkey.net/fussichen/otdb197.htm Baseball History 1970 to 1979]
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20050223131624/http://users.commkey.net/fussichen/otdb198.htm Baseball History 1980 to 1989]
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20050329093026/http://users.commkey.net/fussichen/otdb199.htm Baseball History 1990 to 1999]
*[http://curtsmith.mlblogs.com/ Voices of The Game - MLBlog home of baseball author/historian and former presidential speechwriter Curt Smith]
*[http://www.thesportjournal.org/2002Journal/Vol5-No3/econimic-values.htm Economic Values of Professional Sport Franchises in the United States]
*[http://baseball-almanac.com/asgbox/asgtv.shtml All-Star Game - TV Analysis & Ratings]
*[http://baseball-almanac.com/ws/wstv.shtml World Series - TV Analysis & Ratings]
*[http://www.dbsforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=bd536b7b279c3871007dc630aede5c21&threadid=49032 MLB TV/Radio History to Year 2000]
*[http://www.sportsbusinessnews.com/_news/news_347260.php Going Inside MLB’s latest $3 billion TV agreements]

==External links==
*[http://www.brandweek.com/bw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001996001 MLB's Squeeze Play: League Struggles to Renew TV Rights Deals]
*[http://www.dbsforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=67206 MLB on TV - DBS Forums]
* [http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060711&content_id=1551895&vkey=allstar2006&fext=.jsp MLB, FOX reach seven year extension]
* [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601089&sid=a4weBYzzyNtc&refer=home Baseball expands TV coverage with FOX, Time Warner contracts]
*[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephen-kaus/new-mlb-television-pact-i_b_24860.html New MLB Television Pact is All Bad For Fans]
* [http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060711&content_id=1552889&vkey=news_atl&fext=.jsp&c_id=atl Braves' run on TBS to end in '07]
*[http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/networktv/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002840062 MLB Looks to Sell a TV Rights Package]
*[http://www.dbsforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=67672 Last piece of MLB's TV puzzle]
*[http://curtsmith.mlblogs.com/voices_of_the_game/2006/07/new_network_tv_.html New Network TV Pact a Hit]
*[http://thisbaseforrent.mlblogs.com/this_base_for_rent/2006/08/baseball_and_tv.html This Base For Rent: Baseball and TV]
*[http://www.joost.com/mlb MLB Postseason Games on Joost]


[[Category:Plainfield, New Jersey| ]]
{{Major League Baseball on national television}}
[[Category:Settlements established in 1847]]
{{Major League Baseball on ABC}}
[[Category:Cities in New Jersey]]
{{Major League Baseball on CBS}}
[[Category:Special Charters in New Jersey]]
{{Major League Baseball on FOX}}
[[Category:New Jersey Urban Enterprise Zone]]
{{Major League Baseball on NBC}}
[[Category:United States communities with African American majority populations]]
{{Major League Baseball on TBS}}
[[Category:Former townships in New Jersey]]


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Revision as of 03:53, 10 October 2008

Plainfield, New Jersey
City
Map of Plainfield in Union County. Inset: Location of Union County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Map of Plainfield in Union County. Inset: Location of Union County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Plainfield, New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Plainfield, New Jersey
CountryUnited States
StateNew Jersey
CountyUnion
IncorporatedApril 5, 1847
Government
 • TypeSpecial Charter (New Jersey)
 • MayorSharon M. Robinson-Briggs (2009)
Area
 • Total6.0 sq mi (15.6 km2)
 • Land6.0 sq mi (15.6 km2)
 • Water0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation
[1]
95 ft (29 m)
Population
 (2006)[2]
 • Total47,353
 • Density7,921.7/sq mi (3,058.6/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
07060-07063
Area code908
FIPS code34-59190Template:GR[3]
GNIS feature ID0885355Template:GR
Websitehttp://www.plainfield.com

Plainfield is a City in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city population was 47,829.

Plainfield was originally formed as a township on April 5, 1847, from portions of Westfield Township, while the area was still part of Essex County. On March 19, 1857, it became part of the newly-created Union County. Plainfield was incorporated as a city by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 21, 1869, from portions of Plainfield Township, based on the results of a referendum held that same day. The city and township coexisted until March 6, 1878, when Plainfield Township was dissolved and parts absorbed by Plainfield City and the remainder becoming Fanwood Township (now known as Scotch Plains).[4]

Plainfield is nicknamed "The Queen City".[5]

Geography

Plainfield is located at 40°36′55″N 74°24′58″W / 40.61528°N 74.41611°W / 40.61528; -74.41611Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (40.615352, -74.416070)Template:GR.

The city is located on the southwestern edge of Union County and is bordered by nine municipalities. Scotch Plains lies to the north and east, and Fanwood to the northeast. Bordered to the south are South Plainfield and Piscataway, and to the southwest lies Dunellen, all which are in Middlesex County. Green Brook lies to the southwest, North Plainfield lies to the north and Watchung borders to the northwest. All three of these municipalities are in Somerset County.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.0 square miles (15.6 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18603,224—
18705,09558.0%
18808,12559.5%
189011,26738.7%
190015,36936.4%
191020,55033.7%
192027,70034.8%
193034,42224.3%
194037,4698.9%
195042,36613.1%
196045,3307.0%
197046,8623.4%
198045,555−2.8%
199046,5672.2%
200047,8292.7%
2006 (est.)47,353[2]
historical data source: [6][7]

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 47,829 people, 15,137 households, and 10,898 families residing in the city. The population density was 7,921.7 people per square mile (3,057.4/km²). There were 16,180 housing units at an average density of 2,679.8/sq mi (1,034.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 21.45% White, 61.78% African American, 0.41% Native American, 0.93% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 10.78% from other races, and 4.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 25.16% of the population.

There were 15,137 households out of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.3% were married couples living together, 24.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.0% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.10 and the average family size was 3.49.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $46,683, and the median income for a family was $50,774. Males had a median income of $33,460 versus $30,408 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,052. About 12.2% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.3% of those under age 18 and 12.6% of those age 65 or over.

History

A typical Bungalow style house in Plainfield.

It was settled in 1684 by Quakers, and incorporated as a city in 1869. Formerly a bedroom suburb in the New York metropolitan area, it has become the urban center of 10 closely allied municipalities, with diversified industries, including printing and the manufacture of chemicals, clothing, electronic equipment, and vehicular parts. Among the several 18th-century buildings remaining are a Friends' meetinghouse (1788), the Martine house (1717), and the Nathaniel Drake House (1746), known as George Washington's headquarters. Nearby Washington Rock is a prominent point of the Watchung Mountains and is reputed to be the vantage point from which Washington watched British troop movements.

In music history, Plainfield is known as the birthplace of P-Funk. George Clinton founded The Parliaments while working in a barber shop in Plainfield. Parliament - Funkadelic was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Plainfield is now home to former New Jersey governor James McGreevey.

Civil disturbance

Plainfield was affected by the Plainfield riots in July 1967. This civil disturbance occurred in the wake of the larger Newark riots. One Plainfield police officer died, about fifty people were injured, and several hundred thousand dollars of property was damaged by looting and arson. The New Jersey National Guard restored order after three days of unrest. [8]

Government

Local government

A historic home in Plainfield, New Jersey.

Plainfield is governed under a Special Charter granted by the New Jersey Legislature by a mayor and a seven-member City Council, all of whom serve four-year terms in office. All council members are elected to four-terms of office. There are four wards, with one ward seat up for election each year. There are three at-large seats: one from the First and Fourth Wards; one form the Second and Third Wards; and one from the City as a whole. The three at-large seats and mayoral seat operate in a four-year cycle, with one seat up for election each year.[9]

The Mayor of the City of Plainfield is Sharon M. Robinson-Briggs (D), whose four-year term of office ends on December 31, 2009.[10]

Members of the Plainfield City Council are:[11]

  • Ward 1: William Reid (D; 2010)
  • Ward 2: Cory Storch (D; 2011)
  • Ward 3: Don Davis (D; 2008)
  • Ward 4: Elliott Simmons (D; 2009)
  • Wards 1&4 at large: Linda Carter (D; 2011
  • Wards 2&3 at large: Rashid Burney (D; 2010)
  • At large: Council President Harold Gibson (D; 2008)

Federal, state and county representation

Plainfield is in the Sixth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 22nd Legislative District.[12]

Home of former Governor Jim McGreevey in Plainfield.

For the 118th United States Congress, New Jersey's 6th congressional district is represented by Frank Pallone (D, Long Branch).[13][14] New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Democrats Cory Booker (Newark, term ends 2027)[15] and Bob Menendez (Englewood Cliffs, term ends 2025).[16][17]

For the 2024-2025 session, the 22nd legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Nicholas Scutari (D, Linden) and in the General Assembly by Linda S. Carter (D, Plainfield) and James J. Kennedy (D, Rahway).[18] Template:NJ Governor

Template:NJ Union County Freeholders

Education

The Plainfield Public School District serves students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The district is one of 31 Abbott Districts statewide.[19] Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[20]) are ten K-5 elementary schools — Barlow (365 students), Cedarbrook (448), Clinton (340), Cook (233), Emerson (411), Evergreen (473), Jefferson (404), Stillman (260) Washington Community School (466 students, including pre-K) and Woodland (258) — both Hubbard Middle School (697) Maxson Middle School (957) for grades 6-8 and Plainfield High School (1,816) for grades 9-12.

Commerce

Portions of Plainfield are part of an Urban Enterprise Zone. In addition to other benefits to encourage employment within the Zone, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3½% sales tax rate (versus the 7% rate charged statewide).[21]

Transportation

Plainfield has two New Jersey Transit rail stations on the Raritan Valley Line, formerly the mainline of the Central Railroad of New Jersey. The main Plainfield station is in the downtown and a second, smaller Netherwood station is in the Netherwood section, east of the downtown.

NJ Transit also provides bus service on the 113 and 114 to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan; the 59, 65 and 66 (Limited) to Newark; and local service on the 822 and 819 routes.[22]

Newark Liberty International Airport is approximately 25 minutes away.

Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center

Solaris Health System, a nonprofit company which owns Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center, a hospital in Plainfield, has asked for permission to close the hospital. This request has been opposed by People's Organization for Progress, an advocacy group based in Newark, New Jersey. [23] [24] [25]

Plainfield Teacher's College hoax

  • Plainfield Teacher's College, a mythical institution created as a hoax by a duo of college football fans in 1941. The phony college's equally nonexistent football team had its scores carried by major newspapers including The New York Times before the hoax was discovered.[26]

Arts and popular culture

  • The Plainfield Symphony makes its home in Plainfield. It performs concerts at Crescent Avenue Presbyterian Church. The orchestra was founded in 1919, making it one of the oldest continuously operating orchestras in the United States.

Famous residents and natives

References

  1. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: City of Plainfield, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed January 4, 2008.
  2. ^ a b Census data for Plainfield city, United States Census Bureau. Accessed March 1, 2007.
  3. ^ A Cure for the Common Codes: New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed July 14, 2008.
  4. ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 240.
  5. ^ City of Plainfield, accessed April 5, 2007. "On behalf of the City of Plainfield, I greet you with the passion and enthusiasm that hopefully you share for our Queen City, Plainfield, New Jersey."
  6. ^ "New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990". Retrieved 2007-03-03.
  7. ^ Wm. C. Hunt, Chief Statistician for Population. "Fourteenth Census of The United States: 1920; Population: New Jersey; Number of inhabitants, by counties and minor civil divisions" (ZIP). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2007-03-21.
  8. ^ "Plainfield Burning: Black Rebellion in the Suburban North", Thomas J. Sugrue and Andrew M. Goodman, Journal of Urban History, vol. 33 (May 2007), pp. 368-401.
  9. ^ 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 98.
  10. ^ Office of the Mayor, accessed April 16, 2008.
  11. ^ City Council, City of Plainfield. Accessed April 16, 2008.
  12. ^ 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 55. Accessed August 30, 2006.
  13. ^ Directory of Representatives: New Jersey, United States House of Representatives. Accessed January 3, 2019.
  14. ^ Biography, Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. Accessed January 3, 2019. "Frank Pallone, Jr., was born in Long Branch, New Jersey, where he grew up and still resides."
  15. ^ U.S. Sen. Cory Booker cruises past Republican challenger Rik Mehta in New Jersey, PhillyVoice. Accessed April 30, 2021. "He now owns a home and lives in Newark's Central Ward community."
  16. ^ Biography of Bob Menendez, United States Senate, January 26, 2015. "Menendez, who started his political career in Union City, moved in September from Paramus to one of Harrison's new apartment buildings near the town's PATH station.."
  17. ^ Home, sweet home: Bob Menendez back in Hudson County. nj.com. Accessed April 30, 2021. "Booker, Cory A. - (D - NJ) Class II; Menendez, Robert - (D - NJ) Class I"
  18. ^ Legislative Roster for District 22, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 12, 2024.
  19. ^ Abbott Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 31, 2008.
  20. ^ Data for the Plainfield Public School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 16, 2008.
  21. ^ Geographic & Urban Redevelopment Tax Credit Programs: Urban Enterprise Zone Employee Tax Credit, State of New Jersey. Accessed July 28, 2008.
  22. ^ Union County Bus/Rail Connections, New Jersey Transit. Accessed June 21, 2007.
  23. ^ Spivey, Mark (July 17, 2008). "Letter asks state board to reconsider closure of Muhlenberg". MyCentralJersey.com, the combined Web site of the Home News Tribune and the Courier News. Retrieved 2008-07-17. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  24. ^ "Acute-care hospital facility to close. Solaris Health Systems, the nonprofit parent company of Muhlenberg and the JFK Medical Center in Edison, will file a certificate of need...". Asbury Park Press. Feb 24, 2008. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  25. ^ "They rally to save Muhlenberg center Sixty or so people, many from the Plainfield area, gathered in front of the Statehouse Thursday to protest the planned closing of Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center...". Asbury Park Press. May 9, 2008. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); line feed character in |title= at position 38 (help)
  26. ^ Johnson, Bruce. "Plainfield State and Chung Were Too Good to Be True", Westfield Leader, October 13, 2005. Accessed May 13, 2007. "Never heard of Plainfield State? Well, that’s because neither Plainfield State Teachers College nor Johnny Chung actually existed... On the spur of the moment, he decided to call The New York Times and said, “I want to report a score... Plainfield Teachers 21 (his secretary was from Plainfield) … Regency 12.” The next morning, there was the score in The New York Times!"
  27. ^ Ernest Robinson Ackerman, United States Congress. Accessed June 25, 2007.
  28. ^ Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1963.
  29. ^ Joe Black, baseball pioneer and retired Greyhound Corp. executive, dies - Census - Obituary, Jet (magazine), June 3, 2002, accessed April 26, 2007. "A native of Plainfield, NJ, Black graduated from Morgan State in Baltimore."
  30. ^ Goldblatt, Jennifer. "Blume's Day", The New York Times, November 14, 2004. Accessed February 5, 2008. "It wasn't until after Ms. Blume had gotten her bachelor's degree in education from New York University in 1961, was married and raising her son, Larry, and her daughter, Randy, and living in Plainfield and later Scotch Plains, that she started to commit her stories and characters to paper, cramming writing sessions in while the children were at preschool and at play."
  31. ^ NOT TO WRITE WAS NOT TO BE ALIVE, The New York Times, November 1, 1981, accessed April 26, 2007. "Van Wyck Brooks grew up in Plainfield, N.J., second son of a wellto-do Episcopalian and Republican family."
  32. ^ "Field Day in Plainfield", Time (magazine), July 13, 1953, accessed April 26, 2007. "In Helsinki last summer, a big (6 ft. 3 in., 210 lbs.) Negro high-school boy from Plainfield, N.J. trudged wearily into a locker room in the Olympic stadium. Worn down by the two-day competition in the Olympics' most demanding test, Decathlon Man Milton Campbell gave World Champion Bob Mathias a congratulatory backslap, then flopped on a cot."
  33. ^ Earl Clark, CSTV. Accessed January 2, 2008.
  34. ^ Fried, Johnathan. "JERSEY FOOTLIGHTS; A Funkmaster Comes Home", The New York Times, October 17, 1999, accessed April 26, 2007. "The Mothership landed on Oct. 6 when George Clinton, Plainfield native and funkmaster, brought his band to the Community Theater in Morristown for the second night of a monthlong national tour."
  35. ^ "71st Annual Hot Stove Awards Dinner, Feb. 11, Honors Union County Athletes, Young and Old", Union County, New Jersey press release dated February 2, 2007. Accessed November 14, 2007. "Manny Collins was a standout at both wide receiver and defensive back for the Plainfield High School Cardinals and earned All-County, All-Conference and All-Area honors."
  36. ^ Gormley, Ken. "IN MEMORIAM: ARCHIBALD COX", Harvard Law Review, November 2004. Accessed May 13, 2007. "He grew up in Plainfield, New Jersey, the son of a distinguished New York patent attorney."
  37. ^ Lyons, Leonard S. "The Great Jazz Pianists: Speaking of Their Lives and Music", accessed May 13, 2007. "Bill Evans Grew up in Plainfield, New Jersey."
  38. ^ J. Michael Fay, United States Department of State. Accessed December 10, 2007.
  39. ^ Artist Biographies, The Cleveland Museum of Art. Accessed December 13, 2007.
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  45. ^ Kocieniewski, David. "Ex-Governor Is Back in Public, This Time as an Author", The New York Times, September 20, 2006. Accessed April 16, 2008. "While his resignation forced Mr. McGreevey to move out of Drumthwacket, the governor’s mansion in Princeton, his new home in Plainfield has gardens designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, a circular driveway and a housecleaner who arrived on Tuesday driving a white Mercedes-Benz."
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  47. ^ Percy Hamilton Stewart biography, United States Congress. Accessed July 10, 2007.
  48. ^ Fred Van Eps -- Banjoist, Biography by Tim Gracyk. Accessed May 24, 2008.
  49. ^ Six Individuals, One Team Inducted into the 13th Hall of Fame Class, University of Wyoming, February 19, 2005. Accessed July 10, 2007. "Vic Washington. Hometown: Plainfield, N.J."
  50. ^ Harrison Arlington Williams, Jr., Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed July 10, 2008.
  51. ^ "The best keyboardist you've never heard of", St. Petersburg Times, June 28, 2002.

Maria Dorfner, writer/producer (residence 1999-present)

External links

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