New exhibit showcases baseball history, welcomes fans

Baseball bats, gloves, original collector's cards, official uniforms and jerseys are just a few of the artifacts that are on display in the "Baseball as America" exhibit at the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park.

The Baseball as America exhibit was organized by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Touring numerous museums and galleries across America, the purpose of this exhibit is show people how America's culture has grown over the last hundred years with this sport and to bring forth memories for baseball lovers and fans.

St. Louis resident Bryan Humphrey shared his excitement about the exhibit.

"I think that it is great to bring a show about America's favorite pastime to St. Louis, especially with baseball season beginning," Humphrey said.

Ernst and Young sponsors the exhibit's National tour. St. Louis sponsors include Southwest Bank and U.S. Bank.

Inside the museum, one will find over 500 different objects that represent baseball. Some objects that can be viewed are album covers and sheet music to "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," the record-breaking home run bat of Mark McGwire, trading cards of Mickey Mantle and Roberto Clemente, pictures and posters of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League, bleachers from a variety of stadiums, original scorebooks and hot dog vending machines which date to the 1950s.

Other collectible and valuable items on display include the first baseball card, the uniform of legendary Babe Ruth, the glove of Lou Brock from 1977, Stan Musial's bat from 1952, the bat used by professional basketball player Michael Jordan, an autographed ball from the 1904 World Series, uniforms from the St. Louis Browns team, Atlanta Braves Jersey worn by Hank Aaron when he hit his 715th home run, the shoes of "Shoeless Joe Jackson" (who was banned for gambling connections in the 1919 World Series) and the bat of Albert Pujols (the first major leaguer to hit 30 homers in each of his first four seasons).

Teams such as the St. Louis Cardinals, the St. Louis Browns, the Houston Astros, the Chicago Cubs, the Atlanta Braves, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the New York Mets are highlighted.

Minor League teams, Major League teams and the Negro National League of the 1940s make up the exhibit.

Baseball movie memorabilia can also be seen through the glass cases like the City Rockford Peaches uniform from the movie "A League of their Own," posters and souvenirs from "Field of Dreams," "Major League" and "Bull Durham."

Interactive screens, computer games and video clips allow visitors to test their own baseball knowledge and learn different interesting facts.

Viewers can touch the computer screen to find the names of city teams, rookies, MVPs, stats, coaches and what happened each year.

"I like watching the video and audio clips because they remind you of what the real games were like," History Museum volunteer Mike Smith said.

People can also read "Did you know?" facts, such as that baseball gloves were first made in the 1860s, on each wall of the exhibition room.

One plaque reads that in an 1886 game played in New York, women wore bodices and bustles, while men wore top hats and coats.

A few other facts include that the first-known wedding on a baseball field was held at Cincinnati's League Park in 1896, the Chicago Cubs were the first major league team to allow fans to keep the balls hit into the stands in 1916, people paid 50 cents to see a Cubs-Cardinals game in 1926 and original scoreboards were made out of wood and were hand-operated.

The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was founded in 1943. Photographs showcase the Rockford Peaches vs. Grand Rapids Chicks in 1947.

"I enjoy the women's baseball pieces; they bring back memories of all the players and when I was a little girl and saw them in magazines," History Museum Volunteer Chris Wollbrinck said.

Along with the exhibit, throughout the month of March, the Missouri History Museum hosted a variety of other correlating events and guest speakers. On March 2, a lecture was held discussing the steroid controversy in baseball. On March 9, several ex-St. Louis Browns players spoke about "The Golden Era of Baseball" and on March 16, "The Road Back to the Series: The Cardinals' Upcoming Season" took place.

Film series were also organized on March 13, March 20 and March 27, featuring: "Eight Men Out" with guest speaker Dr. Eric J. Nuetzel, "The Natural" with speaker Dr. Nathan Simon and "Soul of the Game" with speaker Moisy Shopper.

People had the opportunity to meet three women: Barbara Hoffman, Audrey Kissel Lafser and Erma Bergmann, who were female baseball players in the All-American Girls' Professional Baseball League.

There are also numerous upcoming events. On Saturday, April 9, there is the 10th Annual Vintage Baseball Association Conference and on Saturday, April 23, at 3 p.m., in the Southwestern Bell Multipurpose Education Center, visitors can learn about the Negro League's St. Louis teams, the Giants and the Stars, in the St. Louis Shining Stars event.

"Baseball as America" will be open to the public until April 24, 2005. Admission Fees are $8 for adults, $7 for seniors, $4 for students and children under six-years-old are free. Admission is free on Tuesdays and the gallery is open until 8 p.m. All other special baseball presentation events in April are free to the public.