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Baseball in the Armed Forces


67Rally
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1 hour ago, kammo-man said:

I was told along time ago this was an issue bat but maybe it’s just an old one I don’t know as it’s not my collection knowledge.

owen 

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That's a Hanna Bat Rite model that looks to be from the early 1920s. There aren't any markings attributing it to use within any of the armed force branches but the absence does not translate to a non-military-used bat. For the record, through WWII, sports equipment was not "issued" nor was it appropriated through government spending. All athletic equipment was donated through civilian fund-raising efforts (there were many programs including the one established by Washington Senators' owner, Clark Griffith) that purchased every piece of equipment and uniforms used by both service teams and the troops in all theaters. Literally millions of balls and hundreds of thousands of gloves, bats, bases, chest protectors, et al were acquired through this means. As far as researchers (like me) can ascertain, much of the equipment was disseminated sans markings and there is photographic evidence to support this. 

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Here's my bat. Basically the same. Mine has US and more info on end of bat.IMG_20210218_094505127.jpg.a3b4e12122c385e5ee5c3a6f3e95aeee.jpgIMG_20210218_094520825.jpg.e48fc11bb3da52104ebd8106e33a1ba4.jpgIMG_20210218_094822270.jpg.c00edc59d459fc377746492d467be241.jpg

 

While I'm here, these are 3 guys on the 106th Cav teamIMG_20210218_095456899.jpg.703dd05e675ce11e9ed0798f4d0c17a0.jpg

 

I also have a WWII Wacs softball uniform from Ft. Belvoir. Two different style shirts and a pair of shorts.

I have a USMC boxing robe. 1920's (?) l co. 59th regt. basball uniform W/ note ( found in pocket that states I played w/ Ty Cobb).

Away & Home USMC basketball uniforms Korean era. The Gunny I got them from said he played w/ Paul Arizin.

Plus more.  When I find where I stashed this stuff, I'll post.

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I picked up a collection of older baseball uniforms but they are American Legion related. Most have the sponsoring business on the backs. Im thinking form the late 40s early 50s. Dont really collect them but to nice to just pass them by.

 

 

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15 minutes ago, doyler said:

I picked up a collection of older baseball uniforms but they are American Legion related. Most have the sponsoring business on the backs. Im thinking form the late 40s early 50s. Dont really collect them but to nice to just pass them by.

 

 

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Sheesh, that is a ton of flannel! Is everything youth sized? Your estimate of the age of the uniforms is correct. 

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4 hours ago, dave grunt said:

I also have a WWII Wacs softball uniform from Ft. Belvoir. Two different style shirts and a pair of shorts.

I have a USMC boxing robe. 1920's (?) l co. 59th regt. basball uniform W/ note ( found in pocket that states I played w/ Ty Cobb).

Away & Home USMC basketball uniforms Korean era. The Gunny I got them from said he played w/ Paul Arizin.

Plus more.  When I find where I stashed this stuff, I'll post.

I look forward to seeing your baseball pieces!! Does the 59th Regt uniform have a name or is the note named?

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5 hours ago, dave grunt said:

While I'm here, these are 3 guys on the 106th Cav teamIMG_20210218_095456899.jpg.703dd05e675ce11e9ed0798f4d0c17a0.jpg

Snapshot photos of service baseball are my favorites. I have quite a few images showing regular joes playing the game. 

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One of my favorite baseball flannels in my collection is this 1941-42 Wilson-tagged. This was part of a uniform group from a fire controlman who served aboard the ship from 1940-1946. There are three service uniforms from the veteran as well as his brother's dress blues. The flat hat with the tally is the icing on this fantastic cake. This veteran passed away on December 7, 2019.

The ball cap, mitt, glove and bats are all service equipment but were not part of this group.

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6 hours ago, 67Rally said:


Sheesh, that is a ton of flannel! Is everything youth sized? Your estimate of the age of the uniforms is correct. 

 

Not are if they are all sized marked. This is one I  took a picture of the mabel and it may be a size 38. Several pants and socks as well.

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11 hours ago, doyler said:

 

Not are if they are all sized marked. This is one I  took a picture of the mabel and it may be a size 38. Several pants and socks as well.

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38 is definitely a small uniform. These were most likely worn by 14-16 year old players. Is the "Dick's Phillips" about the same in size?

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  • 4 weeks later...

One of my latest additions - this wartime 7th AAF gray/away wool flannel jersey with the number 7 on the back. Yes, I know who wore that number.

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  • 3 months later...
Salvage Sailor
On 11/30/2018 at 3:53 PM, Salvage Sailor said:

From my Pineapple Army collection

11th Field Artillery DRAGONS Hawaiian Division

1937 Season schedule at home, Sargent Field, Schofield Barracks, T.H.

 

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From my Pineapple Army collection

 

11th Field Artillery DRAGONS vs.18th Pursuit Group, Hawaiian Division July 11th, 1937 at Stribling Field, Schofield Barracks, T.H.

 

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I've got a lot of these in my files along with some team photos and rosters to match.  All of the units from Div. HQ, Brigade, Regiments, QM, Signals, Air Service, etc. had their own home fields laid out and provided by the busy Beavers of the 3rd Engineer Regiment.  The 11th Field Artillery had Stribling Field as I've shown above.  Here are some other Interwar Hawaiian Division baseball scorecards from the 1937 season that I have on hand.

 

Gimlet Field - Home Field of the 21st Infantry Regiment

 

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21st Infantry vs. Staff Regiment Roster June 11, 1937

 

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21st Infantry Roster June 11, 1937

 

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Sills Field - Home Field of the 27th Infantry Regiment 'Wolfhounds'

 

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27th Infantry vs. Staff Regiment

 

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This one is from the 1938 Hawaiian Division Season

 

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Wolfhounds vs. Gimlets and Gimlet Field, June 1st, 1938.  Just another sunny Wednesday afternoon at Schofield Barracks, very tough duty.

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

1912 US Army Baseball Team - 4th Cavalry Regiment, L Troop - Fort Huachuca - Sierra Vista Arizona

 

 

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1910 US Army Baseball Team - 7th Cavalry Regiment, G Troop - Fort Riley - Fort Riley Kansas

 

 

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342nd Field Artillery Baseball Team - Camp Funston Kansas

 

 

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On 10/3/2016 at 9:47 PM, patches said:

After posting that foto of Japanese troops playing ball got me thinking. Does anybody know the doings in the Occupation Period in Japan Vis a Vis Baseball between U.S. Divisional Teams and Japanese Teams, even in the Korean War 50s?

 

The 1949 US Goodwill Baseball Tour of Japan was one of the first post WWII peacetime cultural exchanges between the US and Japan.  Upon the personal request of General Douglas MacArthur, the Tour was organized by Lefty O’Doul, who was already known by Japanese baseball fans through pre-war professional baseball team tours.  Lefty was manager of the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League, so he chose the Seals to play the Tour.  They played 11 games and drew more than half a million spectators to the games played at Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka.  At the end of the tour, General MacArthur proclaimed that the Tour was “the greatest piece of diplomacy ever”. (This summary was created from a story posted by Tim Evans, Exhibitions and Education Coordinator, The Society of California Pioneers https://www.californiapioneers.org/museum/exh2/2009-2010-the-san-francisco-seals-goodwill-baseball-tour-of-japan-1949/).

 

The Japanese produced baseball menko cards of all the players on the tour.  I've posted an example ... Gene Brocker, who was a catcher on the Tour.  I’m also sharing a ticket stub for the first game of the Tour, October 15, 1949, which featured the San Francisco Seals playing the Yomiuri Giants from Korakuen Stadium in Tokyo. The Seals defeated the Giants 13-4.

 

 

 

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4 hours ago, TLHSS said:

 

The 1949 US Goodwill Baseball Tour of Japan was one of the first post WWII peacetime cultural exchanges between the US and Japan.  Upon the personal request of General Douglas MacArthur, the Tour was organized by Lefty O’Doul, who was already known by Japanese baseball fans through pre-war professional baseball team tours.  Lefty was manager of the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League, so he chose the Seals to play the Tour.  They played 11 games and drew more than half a million spectators to the games played at Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka.  At the end of the tour, General MacArthur proclaimed that the Tour was “the greatest piece of diplomacy ever”. (This summary was created from a story posted by Tim Evans, Exhibitions and Education Coordinator, The Society of California Pioneers https://www.californiapioneers.org/museum/exh2/2009-2010-the-san-francisco-seals-goodwill-baseball-tour-of-japan-1949/).

 

The Japanese produced baseball menko cards of all the players on the tour.  I've posted an example ... Gene Brocker, who was a catcher on the Tour.  I’m also sharing a ticket stub for the first game of the Tour, October 15, 1949, which featured the San Francisco Seals playing the Yomiuri Giants from Korakuen Stadium in Tokyo. The Seals defeated the Giants 13-4.

 

 

 

Gene Brocker Uncataloged.jpg

Game 1 Ticket Seals vs Yomiuri Giants.jpg

Great addition.

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MinorInHistory

These are kind of hard to see photos, I’ll see if I have any better ones later, but I think these are of some airmen playing Baseball in India. The photos come from a roll taken by a transport pilot during his time in the CBI during WWII.

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  • 2 months later...

This is from my dad, 3ID Germany 1963-66. Not sure if it’s a baseball shirt but that’s what he told me it was. I used to play running bases in it as a kid. 
 

A side note regarding sports in units, I played rugby for Ft. Carson in the early 90s and for Ft. Bragg in the mid 90s. 

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17 minutes ago, jmpmstr said:

This is from my dad, 3ID Germany 1963-66. Not sure if it’s a baseball shirt but that’s what he told me it was. I used to play running bases in it as a kid. 
 

A side note regarding sports in units, I played rugby for Ft. Carson in the early 90s and for Ft. Bragg in the mid 90s. 

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That is a fantastic piece to say the least. It appears to be a short-sleeve warmup sweater. I love the Rock of the Marne reference for their team name.

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This is a pretty interesting piece of memorabilia... it is a ticket to the "Navy World Series" during World War II. Sailors of the Norfolk Naval Station played and defeated the Washington Senators 4-3 in front of a crowd of 29,000 fans. A lot of the navy players were professional players who had enlisted in the Navy in support of the war effort. The most interesting aspect of the ticket to me is that the price of the ticket was the purchase of a $50 war bond! At this point in the war, that would have constituted about a month's pay for a naval recruit. The good news was that they got to keep the bond and could cash it in at some point in the future. Here is a link to an account of the game- https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/05/25/team-sailors-played-washington-senators-during-world-war-ii-won/

 

The game raised over $2 Million for the war effort.

 

Allan

 

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5 minutes ago, Allan H. said:

This is a pretty interesting piece of memorabilia... it is a ticket to the "Navy World Series" during World War II. Sailors of the Norfolk Naval Station played and defeated the Washington Senators 4-3 in front of a crowd of 29,000 fans. A lot of the navy players were professional players who had enlisted in the Navy in support of the war effort. The most interesting aspect of the ticket to me is that the price of the ticket was the purchase of a $50 war bond! At this point in the war, that would have constituted about a month's pay for a naval recruit. The good news was that they got to keep the bond and could cash it in at some point in the future. Here is a link to an account of the game- https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/05/25/team-sailors-played-washington-senators-during-world-war-ii-won/

 

The game raised over $2 Million for the war effort.

 

Allan

 

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Do you own this stub?


Remember, the $50 war bonds were purchased at 50% of face and always, uniformed service personnel were always admitted free of charge. Depending upon the game, everyone who entered (players, umpires, team execs., concessionaires, ticket takers, grounds crew) paid to enter the ballpark.

I have several fund-raising ballgame scorecards including the first War Bond game. This was played on May 8, 1942 at Ebbets Field as the Dodgers hosted their crosstown National League rivals, the Giants. https://chevronsanddiamonds.wordpress.com/2020/12/30/diamond-score-major-league-baseballs-first-service-relief-game/ 

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40 minutes ago, 67Rally said:

Do you own this stub?


Remember, the $50 war bonds were purchased at 50% of face and always, uniformed service personnel were always admitted free of charge. Depending upon the game, everyone who entered (players, umpires, team execs., concessionaires, ticket takers, grounds crew) paid to enter the ballpark.

I have several fund-raising ballgame scorecards including the first War Bond game. This was played on May 8, 1942 at Ebbets Field as the Dodgers hosted their crosstown National League rivals, the Giants. https://chevronsanddiamonds.wordpress.com/2020/12/30/diamond-score-major-league-baseballs-first-service-relief-game/ 

Yes, it is my stub. I was aware that the price of the bond was half of face value, but recall that a navy enlistee made $22 a month in 1942, so figured $25 was about a month's pay. I wasn't aware that the servicemen were admitted for free. 

The box seats for this game cost the purchase of a $1,000 savings bond. Quite an expense for anyone in 1943.

 

Allan

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55 minutes ago, Allan H. said:

Yes, it is my stub. I was aware that the price of the bond was half of face value, but recall that a navy enlistee made $22 a month in 1942, so figured $25 was about a month's pay. I wasn't aware that the servicemen were admitted for free. 

The box seats for this game cost the purchase of a $1,000 savings bond. Quite an expense for anyone in 1943.

 

Allan


It was expensive, to be sure. When the Treasury capped the E-series bonds in the 1980s, a $50 bond was worth upwards of $1k. When we cashed in my grandparents' bonds (they had north of 50 $50 bonds and about a dozen $100 and two $500) that were all stalled for almost a decade when we found them under the attic stairs floorboard in 1994.  While it was a nice find, it wasn't the motherlode by any stretch. 

Citizens saw their role in the war effort and paid these prices. My grandfather was a train repairman (welder/riveter) for the NPRR and didn't earn much during the war so purchasing bonds was a stretch for him. My grandmother was an RN and they didn't make much money either. Just two blue-collar stiffs trying to make their way and did their patriotic duty. My grandfather was half-deaf and was missing toes from a childhood accident so he felt bad that he was rejected for service especially with his older brothers both in uniform.


The ticket stub is certainly a nice piece. Thank you for sharing!

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  • 3 weeks later...

This one is mine.  A very scarce asiatic fleet, late 30s submarine force baseball jersey from the USS S-41.  It is attributed.  Hope you enjoy; I’ve had it for awhile.

 

Josh

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23 minutes ago, Josh B. said:

This one is mine.  A very scarce asiatic fleet, late 30s submarine force baseball jersey from the USS S-41.  It is attributed.  Hope you enjoy; I’ve had it for awhile.

 

Josh

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That's a fantastic jersey that was no doubt, made in Asia. 

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 i think this is Korean war. the buttons on the ww2 ones are a different set up. i looked at the Ebbets Field Flannel's reproduction USMC jersey. it looks the same but is not the same. mine could be a repop not sure that is why i am posting here. let me know what you guys think. thank you.

https://www.ebbets.com/products/us-marine-corps-1943-road-jersey?currency=USD&variant=27734780552&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google Shopping&gclid=CjwKCAjwzaSLBhBJEiwAJSRokmHEOjdKxXopiRxH_1eVQ7_zfhHWoQuoDUy4TLJ2-U7UZisJdn7o-RoCWjcQAvD_BwE

 

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