Now that the World Series is over, my love for baseball starts to fade until Spring Training. So I got a took a seventh inning stretch yesterday and visited Baseball As America, the first major exhibit to examine the relationship between the national pastine and American culture. It will remain in all its glory at the Oakland Museum of California from September 17, 2005 through January 22, 2006.
Organized by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, in Cooperstown, New York, Baseball As America is on a four-year, ten-city nationwide tour, marking the first time many of the treasures have left their legendary home.
A national celebration of America’s romance with baseball, this outstanding exhibition explores the game’s enduring impact on American society, touching on immigration, nationalism, integration, technology, and popular culture.
Some of the exhibits I was thrilled to see included the limited-edition Honus Wagner T206 Tobacco Card, 1909–1911; Jackie Robinson’s Brooklyn Dodgers jersey; Sandy Koufax’s Cy Young Award; Presidential baseballs; the bats Babe Ruth, Mark McGuire and Willie Mays used to hit their 60th, 70th and 600th home runs, respectively; and dozens of photos, memorabilia, and other rareties.
Read more: Baseball As America.