Jump to content

Baseball in the Armed Forces


67Rally
 Share

Recommended Posts

When the USMC arrived in New Zealand in 1942, they wanted to play baseball. New Zealand didn't know about baseball, cricket was our game. But The USMC decided to put on exhibition games and attached are a newspaper report and a few photos from then. Enjoy.

 

post-6029-0-54699500-1481679537_thumb.jpg

 

USMC Team - New Zealand 1942

 

 

post-6029-0-22041900-1481679667.jpg

 

Private Darrell W. Heath L/3/8 takes batting practice in New Zealand 1943.

 

post-6029-0-81712000-1481679881.jpg

 

USMC players on the bench, New Zealand 1943.

 

post-6029-0-14144900-1481679957_thumb.jpg

 

Private Darrell W. Heath in New Zealand 1943. He landed at Tarawa and survived.

 

 

post-6029-0-02062300-1481680025_thumb.jpg

 

New Zealand newspaper clipping of the game at Athletic Park, Wellington, New Zealand.

post-6029-0-67119300-1481680159.jpg

 

USMC baseball team meet a New Zealand Member of Parliament 1943

 

post-6029-0-64710600-1481680382.jpg

 

And for something a little different, the USMC try rugby. They played a New Zealand army team and lost, but not by much. 21 - 13.

post-6029-0-44780000-1481680575_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/13/2016 at 3:54 PM, Trumper said:

USMC baseball team meet a New Zealand Member of Parliament 1943

 

 

I am wondering if my set of three USMC images are from the same event....

 

post-9529-0-65863200-1481836743_thumb.jpg

 

...and this...

 

post-9529-0-64810800-1481836782_thumb.jpg

 

and this

 

post-9529-0-49619800-1481836796_thumb.jpg

 

Some similarities with the grounds and the uniforms.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yep, all three of yours are from the same event by the look. Your third photo is definitely Athletic Park in Wellington. Nice to see them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Trumper,

 

The handwritten notes on the back of the photos (it appears to be period-original) has the names of the players in the three photos but refer to the game being played in 1943...in Melbourne, Australia (IIR). I'll verify but clearly, these are from the same game or games as yours.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/10/2016 at 6:09 AM, 67Rally said:

 

Is this a primary collecting interest for you? Are these items part of a larger baseball collecting interest?

 

Army baseball equipment, particularly gloves, is my primary collection. I have other WWII gear for reenactments, but I have about 25 Army gloves.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Army baseball equipment, particularly gloves, is my primary collection. I have other WWII gear for reenactments, but I have about 25 Army gloves.

I have other militaria but my passion is for baseball equipment, uniforms, ephemera and photographs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 weeks later...

I just picked this one up, been working on it for a while.

Post war I am sure, has a zipper, but the 504 devil patch wasn't worn for too long after.

IMG_5090.JPG

 

504.jpg.0af895e94365238cc70acbb9ca62f935.jpg

 

 

Here is the somewhat shredded tag looks like McGregor.

 

 

 

IMG_5132.JPG

IMG_5134.JPG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just picked this one up, been working on it for a while.

Post war I am sure, has a zipper, but the 504 devil patch wasn't worn for too long after.

 

Zippers were used from the late 1930s into the early 60s. From the various baseball uniform references that I have, the zippers were used to keep the chest image tightly aligned (think St. Louis Cardinals' red birds on the bat in chenille). Most major league and a lot of minor league teams employed zippers. Yours is the first military jersey that I have seen.

The sleeve cut and length in conjunction with the taper from the arms to the waiste tells me that this is a mid-late 50s jersey when some players began to opt for shorter length sleeves to accentuate their arms (intimidation) as seen on Roger Maris and others:

 

post-9529-0-04042000-1484716578.jpg

 

I'd love to see a close-up of the tag!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some may recall that none other than 2LT George Steinbrenner himself served as a sports coordinator in the USAF 1952-55;

 

"George Steinbrenner Baseball Executive, Businessman George Steinbrenner was born in Rocky River, Ohio on July 4, 1930. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1952 after graduating from Williams College. He served as an aide to the commanding general at Lockbourne AFB in Ohio. He was responsible for setting up athletic programs and sporting events..."

 

https://airforce.togetherweserved.com/usaf/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=Profile&type=Person&ID=113678

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/19/2017 at 6:06 PM, Mr.Jerry said:

Here is the somewhat shredded tag looks like McGregor.

 

 

That tag dates the jersey to be from 1946-1953 when MacGregor was then known as the MacGregor-Goldsmith Sporting Goods company. Sometime in 1953, the Goldsmith name was dropped (Philip Goldsmith was the founder).

 

Here is the MacGregor tags from the 1946-1953 (and one showing the change that began in '54).

 

post-9529-0-98810800-1484949865.jpg
1946

 

post-9529-0-39654500-1484949883.jpg
1948

 

post-9529-0-36109600-1484949956.jpg
1951

 

post-9529-0-05323700-1484949975.jpg
1955

All of the tags were from Dodgers uniforms.

 

Based upon the cut of the jersey - contoured on the sides and the shortened sleeves, I'd surmise that the 504th jersey is from '52 -'53.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

my grandfather was in charge of athletics at Perrin Field and I have several photos of games etc. I picked up a glove, bat and ball last year and will get pictures tomorrow

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Manchu Warrior

I'm a die-hard Orioles fan and any team that beats the Yankees and Red Sox. With that said I have these two baseballs in my collection. One is a baseball that was given to a Colonel Chapman by the Regimental Baseball Team in 1954. It is an Official Coast League Baseball and it is signed by the team. Unfortunately there is no reference to what regiment it happens to be or location. The second baseball is pretty interesting. It is an official Ford Frick National League Baseball with USN also printed on it. As you can see the ball was hit by Lee Handley in a game played between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the team from Bainbridge Naval Training Center in August of 1945. Handley was a MLB infielder from 1936 until 1947 with the Reds Pirates and Phillies. The game ended in a 3-3 tie and the ball was sent home to the father of one of the Navy players. It was sent to him in the Barbosol box that I have shown. I at first thought that it was a promotional baseball from Barbosal but it must have contained a shaving mug at one time and it just happened it was the same size as a baseball box the ball fit perfectly inside. I also have a few photos of baseball games being played during the war but they are deep in the pile somewhere.

 

While looking over this interesting topic I remembered when I was stationed down at Ft. Stewart that I had taken a trip out to Tybee Island. While on the trip I had stopped at a Civil War fort on the way. I only mention this because I remembered that there was a sign at the fort that stated that the earliest known photo of a baseball game was taken at the fort, the photo was also on the sign. I honestly did not remember the name of the fort but with a little bit of research I found the place and also the photo. The photo was taken on the parade ground in Fort Pulaski sometime in 1862 after the Union Troops seized control of the fort. The game is being played by a Union Regiment from New York. With the research I did it stated that the photo is one of the earliest known of a baseball game. I thought it was kind of fitting that one of the earliest baseball photos is also military related. I also cannot help myself but if the New York regiment was playing against a regiment from any other state, or even CSA POW's, I hope they lost. The photo is from the National Park Services Fort Pulaski web site.

post-1412-0-07996800-1485227478.jpgpost-1412-0-60569100-1485227485.jpg

 

More pics

post-1412-0-55608100-1485229017.jpgpost-1412-0-10598600-1485229026.jpg

 

Fort Pulaski 1862 baseball game

post-1412-0-42698500-1485229201.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Picture of a team from the 359th FG. Not sure of anything else, just that it was with a grouping to a guy in the unit.

 

post-89245-0-44023700-1488561486_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 11 months later...

...I thought that it would be fun to start a thread that prompted my fellow USMF brethren to share their military baseball items (along with any research they have conducted) in one, all-encompassing thread.

 

 

The following photo (1 of 7) originated from:

SGM Daniel M. Sebby, CSMR

Military Historian and Curator

California Military Department

 

"These photos were taken by the 40th Infantry Division’s 40th Signal Company while at Camp McNair (now the Marine Corps’ Camp Butler), Japan during their training period in July 1951, prior to their deployment to the Korean Peninsula. No exact location was given."

post-3976-0-11097100-1517780219_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
Salvage Sailor

....and one for the military dependents

 

post-2322-0-73236500-1522173592.jpg

 

Point Mugu Junior Baseball League - Courage -Character - Loyalty (and guided missiles too)

 

Point Mugu Junior Baseball League 002.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The following photo (1 of 7) originated from:

SGM Daniel M. Sebby, CSMR

Military Historian and Curator

California Military Department

 

"These photos were taken by the 40th Infantry Division’s 40th Signal Company while at Camp McNair (now the Marine Corps’ Camp Butler), Japan during their training period in July 1951, prior to their deployment to the Korean Peninsula. No exact location was given."

attachicon.gifresized_27336525_398409993930801_1846823570184035924_n.jpg

 

That is a great photo. I wonder where the stadium is located for this game?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

....and one for the military dependents

 

Point Mugu Junior Baseball League

 

That's a nice patch! Yes, the dependents play(ed) ball, too!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

suwanneetrader

Great uniform and photos guys! I bet the reason no name in the jersey was that It belonged to the unit and not one particular person.

 

Here is my contribution. Steve NMI Johnson a semi pro ball player before joining the Corp. Was on the 3rd Mar Div. Guam Allstars. Played semi pro ball after the war where he met his future wife. I guess she talked him into settling down as somewhere in the late 1940s he stopped playing ball.

 

Mike

My Dad spoke of watching these games on Guam and saying a few teams had Major League players on them. Richard

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My Dad spoke of watching these games on Guam and saying a few teams had Major League players on them. Richard

 

Many of the teams in the Pacific had major and minor leaguers on their rosters. In 1945, there was tour of Navy and Army teams hopping around the islands that we held putting on (demonstration) games to entertain the troops and perhaps that is what your dad got to see. I recently missed out on a photo from that tour that had players like Pee Wee Reese, Johnny Mize, Fred Hutchinson, Virgil Trucks and Johnny Vander Meer. I have a growing archive of pieces (photos, ephemera, equipment, uniforms, etc.) from the service teams and from the troops who simply played ball to get a break from the monotony and hell of war.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Attached are a few pix of my dad in 1950. At that time, he had just made 1st Lt, w/the 16th Inf, 1st Inf Div in Furth, Germany. He served as an infantry PSG w/ I Co, 409th Inf Regt, 103d ID in WWII. After WWII, he served w/the 351st Inf in Trieste, Italy and then graduated from OCS in 1949. In a deal straight out of "From Here To Eternity", the Regimental CO offered him a branch transfer to Armor and platoon leader of a tank platoon in Tank Co, 16th Infantry if my dad would play baseball on the 16th team. The first pic shows my dad in his M-26 at Graf (note 103d Inf Div HM patch on his right shoulder. The other 2 pix show him in his 16th Inf baseball uniform, at Soldiers' Field, c 1951. That simple decision to play ball, led to a very long career in which he retired from JCS as an O-6 in 1970. Ain't life strange?

post-1580-0-41255400-1523838471.jpeg

 

post-1580-0-49656600-1523839866_thumb.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...