PopKulture's photos with the keyword: baseball

As this May 1949 issue of Sports World attests, the springtime speculations from the sportswriters of yesteryear regarding names like Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams was not unlike the perpetual dance of whether Brett Favre was to retire or not. Although DiMaggio's production indeed waned in '49 due to injuries, he rebounded with another solid year in 1950, in which he lead the league in slugging at .585, hit 32 homers and drove in 122 runs, while batting a solid .301. The Yanks bested the Phillies that year to win the World Series. Lucky for the Yankee faithful that a nineteen year old rookie named Mickey Mantle was being groomed to take DiMaggio's place in center field the following year..!

What is a more natural fit than Opening Day optimism and Chicago Cubs pinstripes? ('Cept of course those years where the Cubbies lost their stripes!) Sports Novels Magazine - August 1948 issue.

Opening Day is here and of course there's snow on the ground in Chicago! Complete Sports - July 1950 issue. Cover painting by the great Norman Saunders!

The spring issue of Exciting Sports must surely mean baseball! Exciting Sports - Spring 1945 issue. Cover art likely by Earle Bergey.

Vintage mail order brochure advertising major league baseball apparel for youngsters - from Major League Suppliers, 160 Greene Street, New York. Looks to be late 1940's and almost certainly dates before 1953, when the Boston Braves moved to Milwaukee. One year later in 1954, the St. Louis Browns moved to Baltimore and became the Orioles.

So I stopped by a local H@lf Price Books today, as I happened to be in the neighborhood. Armed with modest expectations, I was pleased to find a few interesting books on American history to read. Understand now that this particular store is notorious for looking up older items online and pricing them at what must surely be the highest price they can find. Well, you can only lecture (lightheartedly, of course) the teens behind the counter so many times before they roll their eyes that just because someone somewhere is asking X dollars for that item doesn't mean it's worth that. That having been stated, as I was on my way out, I gave one of their metal spinner-racks full of paperbacks a twirl and, lo and behold, right in front of me at eye-level, this gem swung into view. Now, it's not in the top echelon of paperbacks, admittedly, but it is somewhat more difficult to find because of its status as a baseball crossover collectible. Not only that, it couldn't have been read more than once, as the spine is perfectly tight and square. Needless to say, when I saw that it was priced three dollars, I speedily snatched it right up as if someone was bearing down on me to wrestle me for it! Subtract from that the 20% storewide sale discount, and I was pretty darned pleased. Avon No. 307 - Big League Baseball, anthology, 1950.

Newspaper advertisement for Wheaties featuring Babe Ruth as it appeared in The Sunday Oregonian, July 30, 1933. For just one measly box top, kids could score a copy of the Babe's animated "moviebook" which shows how he hits a home run when you flip through the pages rapidly. p.s. I wish it was that easy to get one of these today!

In this pictorial softcover book, the sultan of swat, Babe Ruth, offers advice on everything from fielding and base-running as well hitting the home runs that made him the most famous athlete - if not of all-time - then at least for the first half of the twentieth century. Babe Ruth's Baseball Advice by Rand McNally, 1936. Measures about 8-1/2 by 11.

Vintage Goudey Big League Chewing Gum baseball card from 1934, featuring Baxter Jordan of the Boston Braves.

Vintage Big Hit brand potato sack from Laxdal and Thorleifson, Edinburg, North Dakota. That swing is part Johnny Mize, part Ted Williams!

Vintage advertising flyer for Bally's 1936 All-Stars pinball machine, though not in the common view of the word. Pinball prior to 1947 meant no flippers, believe it or not. You'd just launch the ball, skillfully as possible, and then nudge the machine short of "tilting" it. Many machines like the one pictured above were "one-shots," or one ball per coin, and featured pay-outs. It took pinball many years to break the gambling stigma of the 1930's, and until the advent of the flipper, it was a tougher case to argue.