Library of Congress Historic Baseball Resources

March 26, 2008 3:20 PM

The Library of Congress has unveiled a baseball history section on their website. You can see old baesball cards, panoramic shots, a section for teachers and, coolest of all, a video of a baseball game shot by Thomas Edison in 1898.
posted by zzazazz (17 comments total)

Why the hell did Edison choose RealMedia?
posted by mr_crash_davis at 3:22 PM on March 26 [1 favorite]

BUFFERING
posted by stenseng at 3:28 PM on March 26

crash,

because it was the only one to support direct current.
posted by stubby phillips at 3:50 PM on March 26 [3 favorites]

I want to marry the Library of Congress.
posted by Miko at 4:03 PM on March 26 [2 favorites]

This is awesome.
posted by dpx.mfx at 5:16 PM on March 26

stenseng: BUFFERING

BUFFERING?
posted by flatluigi at 5:26 PM on March 26

Nice, but the LoC needs to add more content. Its like one big horrible tease of what could really be offered.
posted by Atreides at 5:35 PM on March 26

Atreides, I often feel that way about their subject portals. But after all, they are meant (really) as finding aids to get you to the collections pieces. I just generally admire their approach.
posted by Miko at 5:55 PM on March 26

"Baesball been berry berry good to me." -- Chico Escuela
posted by Mike D at 5:57 PM on March 26

Wow, fantastic. I love the LoC. My first hometown ballpark: Griffith Stadium!
posted by languagehat at 6:00 PM on March 26

The film may be from 1898, but the streams are clearly of 1998 vintage.

Interesting how the cameraman framed the shot. Most of the diamond except for 3rd plate and home base is obscured; instead of recording the action, the camera is pointed at people milling around off the playing field. The film has no sense of composition.
posted by Chinese Jet Pilot at 6:08 PM on March 26

Chinese Jet Pilot: Actually, that's first base and home plate. And I don't think they were actually playing the game, but rather warming up. Though that doesn't make a whole lot of sense, since there were clearly pitches going on. But the way they were running, the first guy looked like he made it to base safely. Maybe his hit was caught though? Anyone have the box score for that game (or know what game it was?)
posted by klangklangston at 6:18 PM on March 26

Hmm… I've been looking on Baseball Almanac for the box score, and it seems like that's the New York Giants at the Saint Louis Browns, a game they lost 2-6, but it seems odd that Edison would have gone to Saint Louis. And there's no box score, so I don't have any real guesses as to who those players are.
posted by klangklangston at 6:26 PM on March 26

The jersey of the guy thrown out at first says 'Newark', so evidently, it was the Newark Colts, perhaps playing at Meadowbrook Oval in Newark (according to the previous link).
posted by nightwood at 7:21 PM on March 26

LOC = fabulous.

Also, I don't think this is quite enough to merit a post, but baseball fans will enjoy the Royals' Joey Gathright's move in a spring training game: avoiding a collision by going vertical.
posted by LobsterMitten at 7:29 PM on March 26

LobsterMitten: The web teaches me things like: "Wow, I didn't know people actually videotape their TVs!!"

As for this post: I like it. I've been getting a kick out of watching the Sox/A's series at 8 in the morning. This is novel like that. I don't follow the game much, but I could get lost looking at old baseball cards from Teams like the Boston Rustlers and then to be able to read the backs...

I love the LOC. Thanks for this post.
posted by not_on_display at 10:11 PM on March 26

I'm won over whenever they make things easier to find. That said, the reading room of the LoC is one of the most wonderfulest (new word) rooms in the world.
posted by Atreides at 5:52 PM on March 27