Baseball in Portsmouth, Virginia

Baseball in Portsmouth, Virginia
Author: Clay Shampoe
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
Total Pages: 132
Release: 2004
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780738516004

From 1895 until 1969, the city of Portsmouth, Virginia, fielded a professional minor league team. Fans flocked to see the Truckers, Cubs, Merrimacs, and Tides as they battled opponents on the dirt and grass of local diamonds. Many locals are surprised to discover that such renowned ballplayers as Pie Traynor, Hack Wilson, Eddie Stanky, and Harry "The Cat" Breechen got their start in Portsmouth. In 1933, Negro League legend Buck Leonard first played for the Portsmouth Revels and later returned to briefly star with the 1953 Merrimacs, his only opportunity to play integrated ball during his storied career. A number of former big-name players guided the team from the bench including Tony Lazzeri, Jimmie Foxx, and Pepper Martin to name a few. The images in this pictorial volume showcase only a fragment of the vast chronology of baseball as it was played in Portsmouth over the years. Yet their visual appeal and historical representation of the game allow the reader to experience and recall what it was once like to have the National Pastime as an integral part of the city.

Baseball in Norfolk, Virginia

Baseball in Norfolk, Virginia
Author: Clay Shampoe
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
Total Pages: 132
Release: 2003
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780738515007

Pictured is the legendary Myers Field c. 1950, where Norfolk ballplayers, visiting major league stars, and Piedmont League opponents once dueled upon its dirt and grass. The story of baseball in Norfolk, Virginia is as fascinating and enduring as the game itself. Christy Mathewson, Phil Rizzuto, Whitey Ford, Yogi Berra, and a myriad of other charismatic players from the game spent time developing their raw and untested skills on the diamonds of Norfolk. Military stars of the powerful World War II Navy teams and legends of the Negro Leagues performed to the delight and fascination of local fans. Over the years, the mighty New York Yankees with Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Joe DiMaggio showcased their mythical talents during scheduled exhibitions, as did dozens of other big league teams and their stars. The images depicted within this pictorial feature only a fragment of the vast chronology of the game of baseball as it was played in Norfolk over the years. They allow the reader to revisit the past, examine the present, and ponder the future of baseball in the city of Norfolk. All photographs were painstakingly selected by the authors for their dynamic visual appeal and historical impact to accurately reflect the story of baseball in Norfolk.

Baseball

Baseball
Author: Dorothy Seymour Mills
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 672
Release: 1991-05-30
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 0198020961

In Baseball: The People's Game, Dorothy Seymour Mills and Harold Seymour produce an authoritative, multi-volume chronicle of America's national pastime. The first two volumes of this study -The Early Years and The Golden Age -won universal acclaim. The New York Times wrote that they "will grip every American who has invested part of his youth and dreams in the sport," while The Boston Globe called them "irresistible." Now, in The People's Game, the authors offer the first book devoted entirely to the history of the game outside of the professional leagues, revealing how, from its early beginnings up to World War II, baseball truly became the great American pastime. They explore the bond between baseball and boys through the decades, the game's place in institutions from colleges to prisons to the armed forces, the rise of women's baseball that coincided with nineteenth century feminism, and the struggles of black players and clubs from the later years of slavery up to the Second World War. Whether discussing the birth of softball or the origins of the seventh inning stretch, the Seymours enrich their extensive research with fascinating details and entertaining anecdotes as well as a wealth of baseball experience. The People's Game brings to life the central role of baseball for generations of Americans. Note: On August 2, 2010, Oxford University Press made public that it would credit Dorothy Seymour Mills as co-author of the three baseball histories previously "authored" solely by her late husband, Harold Seymour. The Seymours collaborated on Baseball: The Early Years (1960), Baseball: The Golden Age (1971) and Baseball: The People's Game (1991).

Early Professional Baseball in Hampton Roads

Early Professional Baseball in Hampton Roads
Author: Peter C. Stewart
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 265
Release: 2014-01-10
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 0786456868

This work focuses on the Norfolk team (nicknamed the Mary Janes), which played in the Virginia, Eastern and Atlantic leagues. Much attention is given to the players, coaches and teams of the Virginia League and the local news coverage from 1884 through 1928 as well as the business of baseball, the relations between major and minor league teams, and the controversy over hosting professional baseball games on Sundays. Photographs of the players, cartoons, and an appendix of league statistics are included.

Baseball's Union Association

Baseball's Union Association
Author: Justin Mckinney
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 278
Release: 2022-11-16
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 1476647364

Hastily formed in 1883 as a rival, third major league, the Union Association upset the moguls of the baseball world and disrupted the status quo. Backed by Henry V. Lucas, an impetuous 26-year-old millionaire from St. Louis, the UA existed for one chaotic season in 1884. This first full-length history of the Union Association tells the captivating story of the league's brief and enigmatic existence. Lucas recruited a wild mix of disgruntled stars, misfits, crooks, has-beens, drunks, and the occasional spectator--along with a future star or two. The result was a bizarre experiment that sowed both turmoil and hope before fading into oblivion.

Baseball and Richmond

Baseball and Richmond
Author: W. Harrison Daniel
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 213
Release: 2015-09-16
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 0786483288

Early baseball in Richmond, Virginia, was very much about business. The game was a means of promoting Richmond and its various industries and attractions, but it was plagued by instability. Competing interests fought for control of its fortunes in the city and changes in team ownership were frequent. The competitors vied to make a profit in any way they could on the game. As time passed, baseball became more established and eventually found its place in the city. Richmond's affiliation with baseball, from the years 1884 to 2000, is a fascinating story. The book covers the players and owners, and also for nearly twelve decades the relationship shared by the team and the city. It highlights baseball's early amateur beginnings in Richmond prior to 1884, the first year of professional baseball in the city in 1884, the revival of the Virginia State League from 1906 to 1914, the Virginia League from 1918 to 1928 and the Eastern League in 1931 and 1932, the Richmond Colts and the Piedmont League from 1933 to 1953, and Richmond's association with the International League beginning in 1954.

Baseball

Baseball
Author: Harold Seymour
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages: 672
Release: 1960
Genre: History
ISBN: 0195069072

The complete history of the game.

Cardinal Dreams

Cardinal Dreams
Author: Danny Spewak
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 293
Release: 2024-03-05
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 1538179938

The untold story of one of the first Black players for the St. Louis Cardinals, who dreamed of leaving a lasting impact on Major League Baseball. Charlie Peete was poised for greatness. After a meteoric rise through the minor leagues, the rookie outfielder appeared in twenty-three games for the St. Louis Cardinals during the summer of 1956 and established himself as one of the best prospects in the organization—until a cruel twist of fate intervened. On his way to Venezuela to compete in a winter baseball league, Peete and his family died in a plane crash near Caracas. Nearly seven decades later, Cardinal Dreams revitalizes the legacy of Charlie Peete with the most comprehensive account to date of his remarkable life, including personal interviews with those who knew him and played with him. Raised under Jim Crow laws in southeastern Virginia, Peete broke into professional baseball in 1950 with the Negro American League’s Indianapolis Clowns, served his country admirably for two years in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, returned home to help integrate the Class B Piedmont League with the Portsmouth Merrimacs, and then climbed to the top of the St. Louis Cardinals organization at a time of rapid change under new ownership. Had Peete not lost his life in that plane crash, he likely would have become the first Black position player in franchise history to earn a permanent starting job. Charlie Peete’s death stunned the St. Louis Cardinals and left the baseball world to forever wonder what his career might have become. But, despite his premature and tragic ending, Peete changed the world for the better—and left a lasting impact on the sport he spent his life pursuing.

The Virginia Sports Hall of Fame

The Virginia Sports Hall of Fame
Author: Clay Shampoe
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
Total Pages: 132
Release: 2005
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780738517766

Since its first inaugural class was announced in 1972, more than 230 legendary individuals have become esteemed members of the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and were awarded special places of honor, such as Arthur Ashe, Sam Snead, Lawrence Taylor, Moses Malone, and David Robinson to mention only a few. Original.

Baseball's Wildest Season

Baseball's Wildest Season
Author: William J. Ryczek
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 274
Release: 2023-03-13
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 1476649251

At the end of the 1883 baseball season, things looked rosy--attendance had skyrocketed and the National League and American Association were at peace. A year later, however, the sport was in total disarray. A third major league, the Union Association, had come on the scene and waged a bitter war that rocked the baseball world. By the dawn of the 1885 season, the UA had dissolved in a sea of red ink, the AA had dropped four teams, and the minor leagues were desperately hoping to make it through the season.Amid the chaos of 1884 were some historic moments. Iron-man pitcher Hoss Radbourn won 59 games and led the Providence Grays to victory over the New York Metropolitans in the first World Series. Fleet Walker broke baseball's first color line. There were a record eight no-hitters and a cast of fascinating figures--some famous, some lost to history--like Radbourn, Hustling Horace Phillips, Dan O'Leary, and Edward (The Only) Nolan. This book tells the story of the momentous yet overshadowed 1884 season.