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Play Ball!  An Introduction

On display at the Albemarle County Historical Society from April 1, 2000 through May 31, 2000, “Play Ball!” was a colorful exhibit of information, photos, and stories about local baseball presented chronologically. An overview of each decade from the 1880s through the 2000s was surrounded by photos, news clippings and stories of the period. Among these displays were hung color copies of Baseball Cards of local players who had played Major League ball. Pictures of hot dogs stimulated memories of tastes and smells. Two special panels told the story of major league teams holding their spring training at the University. Maps of Albemarle County and Charlottesville were placed so that visitors could pinpoint and describe where they had played ball. Visitors were encouraged to attach comments and add items into the two display cases filled with uniforms, bats, mitts, trophies and pictures. The walls of the exhibition hall were covered with a set of photographs of the fields used by the “Sunday League” teams of 1960s-1970s, images of Walter Johnson’s pitching grips, and recent posters of youngsters playing ball. A prominently displayed American flag reminded viewers this is our national pastime. Quotations from national figures encouraged guests to relate our local history to our national culture.

An exhibition baseball game played April 30, 2000 at Charlottesville High School served as the society’s Spring meeting. Renewing the tradition of “town and gown” confrontation the Charlottesville Blues faced the University of Virginia Club Baseball team. Rich Thurston prepared a baseball quiz that appeared the Daily Progress prior to the opening of the “Play Ball!” exhibit. Bobby Shiflett, a member of the Blues team, won first prize in the baseball quiz competition with Paul Brockman runner-up. Hantzmon Wiebel & Co, McGuire Woods Battle & Boothe LLP, ALC Copies, and the Historical Society membership funded the exhibit and baseball game

Two introductory panels hung on the doors of the exhibition hall included quotations that supported the reasons for the exhibit. Upon entering the hall one could view two foot by four foot high panels describing the tradition of spring training at the University and then proceed, in a counterclockwise fashion around the room, to survey the decades of local baseball history.

“Well—it’s our game; that’s the chief fact in connection with it: America’s game; it has the snap, go, fling of the American atmosphere; it belongs as much to our institutions, fits into them as significantly as our Constitution’s laws; is just as important in the sum total of our historic life.”—Walt Whitman

“Baseball, because of its continuity over the space of America and the time of America, is a place where memory gathers.”—Donald Hall

All panels of information, laminated on red and blue backgrounds, are ready for future display in schools and at other public sites.

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