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Baseball in the Armed Forces


67Rally
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Good morning (it is still morning out here) baseball fans,

I have been laying quite low in terms of the USMF however my activity has been rather intense in terms of baseball militaria. I have been making all sorts of discoveries in the past few years that I have been sharing. One such discovery surrounds integration of the game and the ranks. Perhaps this isn't something that gets others charged up but to see this and how things moved leading up to that day in 1945 when Branch Rickey signed the former Lt. Jack Roosevelt Robinson to a minor league contract.

https://chevronsanddiamonds.wordpress.com/2020/05/15/morrie-arnovich-breaking-ground-for-branch-rickeys-bold-move/

2020-05-17_10-10-12.jpg

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  • 4 weeks later...

One of my recent acquisitions. 1944 Navy flannel used in the Hawaii Leagues by the Pearl Harbor Submarine Base Dolphins team and possibly an All-Star game from that season. #30 was worn by former Philadelphia Athletics infielder, Al Brancato.

 

This uniform includes the trousers. The jersey has been professionally cleaned, removing the oxidation and successfully concealing the heavy stains.

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The back.

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Johnny Mize in his Navy flannels, 1944.

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53 minutes ago, T Ambrosini said:

Wow...  That Al Brancato jersey is amazing!

 

Tom

 

Thanks! I have no provenance to tie it directly to Brancato so I can't say for certain that he wore it. The uniform was part of an estate that came out of Virginia. I know that Brancato did NOT have this in his estate (I am in communication with one of his kids) when he passed. He did have some uniforms that he sold or gave away but there is no recollection of any service-related baseball uniforms.  That is not to say that I can rule him out, I just can't tie it to anyone specifically without the hard evidence.

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4 hours ago, T Ambrosini said:

Its a great looking jersey, either way!

 

Tom

 Thanks, Tom! 

I have been quiet on this thrread for so long and I am realizing that my baseball militaria collection has grown exponentially since my posting activity faded. 

 

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T Ambrosini

My one and only baseball uniform from WW2...  USN Training and Distribution Center (TADCEN).  I apologize for the poor quality of the images.  The color is washed out in the photos...

 

20200610_110905.jpg

 

More...

20200610_111020.jpg

 

The pants...

 

20200610_111329.jpg

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1 hour ago, T Ambrosini said:

My one and only baseball uniform from WW2...  USN Training and Distribution Center (TADCEN).  I apologize for the poor quality of the images.  The color is washed out in the photos...

 

20200610_110905.jpg


That is damned-sexy!

I would love to see the close-ups of the material, tags and buttons.

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This week has been quite a good one for this collector of baseball militaria. The arrival of this USS Phoenix (CL-46) group, headlined by the flannel that you see below, has been the realization of a dream. Being a Pac Fleet sailor with countless visits to Pearl Harbor (and subsequent visits to the USS Arizona Memorial), I have wanted to land something notable from a Pearl Harbor veteran. Having it be baseball-connected hits that desire out of the park!

See more

 

USS_Phoenix_Jersey.jpg.5f9ee9dfe041157b9038474cfc599a33.jpg

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Just thought I would add my dad's team as part of the Marine Detachment at NAS Coco Solo, Canal Zone in 1945. He's standing middle of the back row with the only dark tee shirt.

usmcteam.jpg

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25 minutes ago, TLeo said:

Just thought I would add my dad's team as part of the Marine Detachment at NAS Coco Solo, Canal Zone in 1945. He's standing middle of the back row with the only dark tee shirt.

usmcteam.jpg



Great photo! I love seeing these softball team photos! I have a few of them in my library.

There is a long tradition of baseball at Coco Solo going back into the 1920!

Mickey Harris was down there running baseball leagues during the war.

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T Ambrosini

That USS Phoenix jersey is simply amazing.  What a great piece of history!  You have done a great job with your Chevrons and Diamonds website!

Tom

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6 hours ago, T Ambrosini said:

That USS Phoenix jersey is simply amazing.  What a great piece of history!  You have done a great job with your Chevrons and Diamonds website!

Tom

 

Tom,

Thanks for the compliments on the site. Pure labor of love and an outlet for all the work that I do researching my collection pieces.

The USS Phoenix group is truly historic and having the baseball jersey be a centerpiece in my future public displays will be a delight to share with visitors!

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  • 3 weeks later...
19 hours ago, carthage light guard said:

18th U.S. Infantry, 1st Division team, circa 1919.

img045.jpg

 

That is a fantastic photo! The subtle baseball equipment hints that this platoon competed. I'd love to know more of their on-field actions (if that is discoverable).

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 7/19/2020 at 5:11 AM, Garandy said:

 

 

 

 

These manuals are a nice piece to have. It is funny that I continue to let them slip by as I pursue other pieces. I still find them to be intriguing and I may snag one for the collection at some point.

 

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  • 5 weeks later...
General Apathy
On 3/7/2016 at 9:55 PM, 67Rally said:

I have been wanting to start this topic for quite some time and my reluctance was merely due to not knowing the best location to host on this forum.

I have been collecting militaria for a number of years dating back to when saved things from my bootcamp experience, mementos from my early naval career (including my ship's very first commissioning pennant that was raised on commissioning day) through to when my grand uncle allowed me to keep a trunk full of Third Reich militaria that was stashed in a trunk in my grandparents attic since June of 1945.

My favorite area of collecting militaria centers on my passion for the game of baseball (I collected as a kid and young adult) and as the history of the game (and its likeness) dates back to the American Civil War and is inseparably intertwined with the U.S. Armed Forces, I found the cross-over collecting to be something of a passion that is now borderline obsessive. 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. I will start introducing you to some of my pieces that I have come into in the last 4-5 years. I hope that you folks will join in and share what you have!

 

.

Hi 67 Rally, 

 

here's an off duty soldier holding a mitt and ball . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

regards lewis

 

.fullsizeoutput_5f44.jpeg.4cead3b23c698c355b0d069c25b15962.jpeg

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  • 4 weeks later...

The 16th Infantry's team in Germany in the summer of 1950, team's name was the RANGERS. Note a very early made 16th Infantry patch, these later came into vogue as pocket patches to be actually worn on fatiques.

kiujy.jpg

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16 hours ago, patches said:

The 16th Infantry's team in Germany in the summer of 1950, team's name was the RANGERS. Note a very early made 16th Infantry patch, these later came into vogue as pocket patches to be actually worn on fatiques.

kiujy.jpg

 Great photo showing that detail on the caps and left sleeve. A side note, this shows that the Army still had mid-1940s baseball uniforms in their system. The cut/pattern for the uniforms of that era and deeper neck drops and 6" sleeves. 

Thanks for sharing.

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  • 1 month later...

Found this post card today. USS Maine vs. USS Iowa baseball game at Guantanamo, Cuba. 
 

Found this with a group of post cards. This one is not postmarked but the others in the group were from January 1909. This should be the second USS Maine BB-10. 

3AC7120B-D0C4-4D1B-A1B7-A94C5EA7A09B.jpeg

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21 hours ago, hink441 said:

Found this post card today. USS Maine vs. USS Iowa baseball game at Guantanamo, Cuba. 
 

Found this with a group of post cards. This one is not postmarked but the others in the group were from January 1909. This should be the second USS Maine BB-10. 

3AC7120B-D0C4-4D1B-A1B7-A94C5EA7A09B.jpeg


That's a gem! The battleship squadron baseball tournaments were legendary at Guantanamo.

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  • 1 month later...

Here is a 1958 patch for Fort Belvoir's Company R, Engineer Replacement Training Center Softball Championship.  I have some pictures of the 3rd Engineer Regiment/Battalion but I need to find them and then scan the pictures.  Also two jacket patches for the 39th Engineer Group football team.

Fort Belvoir Softball Champions, 1958, Co R, 3rd Bn, USAECR.jpg

0039th Eng Gp Football Team, 1954-F.jpg

0039th Eng Gp Football Team-F.jpg

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