Old-Time Baseball Photos

Mickey Mantle 1956 - While the most common nickname for Mantle was "The Mick", he did go by "The Commerce Comet". Commerce because that was the name of his hometown in Oklahoma, and comet cause he was so damn fast. In his career, he hit 6 inside-the-park home runs, 3 of them in 1958 Photo Source - Time Magazine (@TIME) Photographer - Ralph Morse

Hey, if you love baseball history, check out my website, Baseball History Comes Alive: baseballhistorycomesalive.com @OTBaseballphoto @Livac2 Today's Essay: Memorial Day Tribute to Eddie Grant and His Connection to the Curse of Coogan's Bluff! See tribute-> baseballhistorycomesalive.com/?p=54682&previ…

OTD in 1903 in Starkville, MS, the great James Thomas “Cool Papa” Bell was born. His nickname ranks as one of the greatest of all-time and his speed and base running ability was the stuff of legends, but it was very real! @MLBNetworkRadio @sn_mlb @KMOXSports @stltoday

Hey, if you love baseball history, check out my website, Baseball History Comes Alive: baseballhistorycomesalive.com @OTBaseballphoto @Livac2 Today's Essay: My review of "Marse Joe and Me, Recalling Baseball's Greatest Manager" Read and see photo tribute-> baseballhistorycomesalive.com/my-review-of-m…

#OTD in 1903, James “Cool Papa” Bell was born in Starkville, MS. Given his nickname by Bill Gatewood, he was anything but ‘cool’ on the diamond, where he was one of the fastest men to have ever played. Here’s my painting of him with the Petroleros de Cienfuegos in 1928-29.

#OTD in 1901, Amos Rusie made his first start for the Reds after a two-year layoff due to arm trouble (and an attempt to repair his relationship with his estranged wife), but got routed by St. Louis, 14-3. Here’s an in-progress painting of the “Hoosier Thunderbolt” in 1893.

Godspeed to the legendary Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox, seen here during his playing days as a New York Yankee during the 1960s

Here's a color study of an unknown player for Brown's Tennessee Rats in 1914. The reason for painting this player was to represent the many African American athletes whose stories have been lost to the dustbins of time.

County Stadium, Milwaukee, WI, May 1955 - This is pretty neat. For a time, seating was built on Mockingbird Hill so war veterans from a nearby soldiers' home could watch the Braves games for free. Today, the Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center is located at this spot.

Hey, if you love baseball history, check out my website, Baseball History Comes Alive: baseballhistorycomesalive.com @OTBaseballphoto @Livac2 Today's Essay: Baseball's Blue Laws Blues! Read about it-> baseballhistorycomesalive.com/blue-law-blues/

@OTBaseballPhoto Here's my article about the day I interviewed Joe DiMaggio in 1974, a chapter in my new book, In My Humble Opinion: Musings of a Sports Columnist. thesportscol.com/2025/01/my-int…

Crosley Field, Cincinnati, May 17, 1970 - While the end was near for Crosley Field, it was still home to historical moments. As seen here, Hank Aaron is collecting his 3,000th hit in the Braves' 7-6 loss to the Reds. Aaron's milestone hit came in the first against Reds rookie pitcher Wayne Simpson

Western League Park, Des Moines, IA, May 2, 1930 - First professional baseball game is played under permanent (<- key word) lights as Des Moines Demons beat Wichita Aviators 13-6 behind an 11-run first inning. The game was played before a crowd of 12,000, with many sitting in the outfield

Rest in Peace John Sterling One of the games greatest voices. John Sterling was the New York Yankees Radio play by play announcer for 36 years. He started in 1989 and finished in 2024. He announced a consecutive 5,060 regular season games spanning from 1989 to 2019.

Hey, if you love baseball history, check out my website, Baseball History Comes Alive: baseballhistorycomesalive.com @OTBaseballphoto @Livac2 Today's Essay: Lou Gehrig's Consecutive Games Streak Comes to an End! Read and see photo tribute to the Iron Horse -> baseballhistorycomesalive.com/lou-gehrigs-co…

#OTD in 1939, Lou Gehrig benched himself “for the good of the team,” ending his consecutive games played streak at 2,130. Here’s my painting of him on that chilly afternoon at Briggs Stadium, watching his teammates from the visitor’s dugout.

Delia is fighting stage 4 stomach cancer, and her medical expenses are adding up quickly. Watching her go through this has been incredibly hard for her family, but they’re determined to support her every step. This fundraiser is just getting started, and sharing helps so much in these early days. Even if you can't donate, a quick share can help it reach people who may be able to support. gofund.me/d73166d8f

#OTD in 1899, Frank Warfield was born in Pembroke, KY. He was a good contact hitter, quick fielder, and an intense, fiery competitor. Here's a color study of him with the 1923-24 Leopardos de Santa Clara, perhaps the greatest team in the history of Cuba.

#OTD in 1898, Andy Cooper was born in Waco, TX. Considered one of the best pitchers of the 1920s, he spent his early career with the Detroit Stars. He went on to manage the Monarchs to three pennants between 1937 and 1940. Here’s a color study of him with Kansas City in 1935.

Never unhappy to return to this gentleman. Still more to do, but he’s finally starting to turn in space. A fun note: 1935, the year this image is dated to, is the last one in which the Yankees did NOT have the interlocking NY on their home jerseys.

This great Martin Dihigo photo is one of several that the @NLBMuseumKC acquired from the recent @LOTGAuctions auction. Dihigo, known as “El Maestro,” is enshrined in 5 country’s baseball Halls of Fame: Mexican, Cuban, Venezuelan, Dominican and the National Baseball Hall of Fame!