Hey! We’re back with another Where & When. As the Winter Meetings wind down and the continents settle into their new places, we return our attention to the past, where beauty and functionality met at the corner and swapped stories about life in the big city. Maybe play some ball in an obsure lot or grab a bite to eat at the hangout spot. Nah, it’s too cold for that right now, but we can still shiver the timbers as we contemplate these boys of summer:
Maybe I’m wrong, but I’ve been pretty easy with my hints lately, so I’m gonna challenge you to determine this one on your own. There are certain clues within the picture that will tell you who or what you’re looking at, so eventually you’ll determine where you probably are (don’t worry, it’s not out of our usual bounds). As for the year, well, I can tell you that our country finally brought some big chips to the party and eventually everything went out with a big bang. (okay, I can’t help but give you clues, huh…) The first person to figure that all out will get a kick from Capt’n Eli, while the rest of us will take a spin with some 365.
As usual, post your answers on the thread below and do not peek at the photo credit (I forgot to post that last game). Best of luck and sorry for the delay, though it was probably a good thing seeing how the conversation went yesterday. I’ll try to catch you all in the afternoon; post questions if you have them as well. Peace!
[Photo Credit: NYC Past]
It's 1915.
The Brooklyn Tip-Tops! Against the Buffalo Bisons (aka Buffalo Buffeds). And the place is Washington Park on Third Avenue in Brooklyn, erstwhile home of the Brooklyn Dodgers/Superbas.
The interesting and rather quaint text on the sign, beginning "Base ball players are all human...", got me to this page. The rest is easy.
I liked the photo so much, that i cheated. I disqualify myself.
Your clue is a little deceiving. The photo seems way early, but to paraphrase, "we put in the big chips that finally ended with a big bang". That would seem to be WWII, but the photo is more WWI-like.
Thanks for these...big fun to look over!
If you are looking for source material and definitive descriptions, I can recommend two volumes: The Encyclopedia of New York City, edited by Kenneth T. Jackson 1995 and Gotham A History of New York City to 1898 by Edwin G. Burrows & Mike Wallace 1999.
I'm sure both are available used for a reasonable cost on the net.
I've got Opening day 1916:
http://oldtimefamilybaseball.com/post/45263928526/the-text-of-that-wonderful-sign-all-the-way-to-the
Washington Park in Brooklyn.
Note that that late Base Ball was still two words. Unless it was a hold over from years earlier.
Which brings to mind, when exactly did Base Ball become baseball, and when did "fans" become the accepted term? Hey, We're struggling to reach 20 degrees here, the forecast is for up to 4 inches of snow, gotta pass the time somehow.
[3] Huh, the page I linked above says 1915, also opening day.
Your source is suspect, rbj. It does say 1916, but it cites this NotGraphs page as its source, and that one says 1915. (In the comments, with further sources.)
[3] Looks like they got the date incorrect on that page. Had to have been 1915 (or 1914) as those were the only two years of the old Federal League. And our old friend Prince Hal (Chase) played for Buffalo in those years. Before returning to the...ahem...major leagues in 1916 with CIN. Where, oddly, he had his best statistical year at age 33. I'd like to say I can spot him in that pic, but I can't. Maybe he's the big fella upfront on the left with his head turned.
[1] Weren't they called the Blues in 1915?
LOVE Federal League stuff!
[5] Wow, nice. Even though you were a minute after me. :-)
It looks like you're right about the name of the Buffalo team, too -- I just got 'Bisons' from the page with the picture on it. Jeez, imagine a baseball team in Buffalo? They'd have to play their first month on the road to stay out of the snow.
[6] To be fair, I spent a good 5 minutes looking for images of Prince Hal for comparisons sake. ;)
[6] If you look closely at the Buffalo squad and the first guy whose is facing forward, you can see he is wearing a pretty heavy jacket with a big "B" instead of the Blues logo that adorns their unis. So it looks like they were well prepared for the frigid temps in Buffalo in April. (Yeah...right)
[4] Weird. Thanks
[2] Tell Jon DeRosa he's off the hook now >;)
Hmm. The reference I used tagged this pic as 1917, thus the WWI reference in my clue. But at least it gave you some frame of reference. I'm glad you liked this one; I felt it was obscure enough, but then "Old ReRIable" came in and grabbed the top spot >;)