Teddy the Republican Batter
Posted: October 30, 2021 Filed under: 20th Century, Pop culture | Tags: Baseball, comics, history, humor, politics, POTUS, President of the United States, Puck magazine, sports, Theodore Roosevelt Leave a commentTheodore Roosevelt is well-known for the line, “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” This cartoon takes that phrase and gives it a baseball twist. In it, Roosevelt is depicted as a baseball player on the field amongst other political figures. If you look closely, you can see the phrase “Honest & upright government” printed on the bat, while the ball bears the phrase “Trashy politics.”
The image was created in January 1903 for Puck magazine, a political satire publication printed in the early- to mid-1900s in New York City.
(Photo by Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images)
Quote of the day
Posted: April 29, 2021 Filed under: Quote of the day | Tags: Al Kaline, Baseball, Carl Yastrzemski, Eddie Mathews, George W. Bush, Hank Aaron, Harmon Killebrew, Jackie Robinson, Joe DiMaggio, Joe Morgan, Lou Gehrig, Major League Baseball, Mickey Mantle, MLB, POTUS, President of the United States, quotes, sports, Stan Musial, Willie Mays Leave a commentBaseball isn’t just the stats. As much as anything else, baseball is the style of Willie Mays, or the determination of Hank Aaron, or the endurance of a Mickey Mantle, the discipline of Carl Yastrzemski, the drive of Eddie Mathews, the reliability of a (Al) Kaline or a (Joe) Morgan, the grace of a (Joe) DiMaggio, the kindness of a Harmon Killebrew, and the class of Stan Musial, the courage of a Jackie Robinson, or the heroism of Lou Gehrig. My hope for the game is that these qualities will never be lost.
~George W. Bush
Forbes/Getty Images
This day in baseball: Harding’s first pitch
Posted: April 13, 2021 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Boston Red Sox, Griffith Stadium, Major League Baseball, MLB, Opening Day, POTUS, President of the United States, sports, Warren G. Harding, Washington Senators 2 CommentsPresident Warren G. Harding threw out the ceremonial first pitch before a Washington Senators game held on April 13, 1921, at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C. Washington ended up losing to the Red Sox, 6-3, making this the first time in six Opening Days contests the Senators have lost with the President of the United States throwing out the first pitch.
Library of Congress
Quote of the day
Posted: January 25, 2021 Filed under: Quote of the day | Tags: Baseball, Joe Biden, President of the United States, quotes, sports 2 CommentsAs much as I lacked confidence in my ability to communicate verbally, I always had confidence in my athletic ability. Sports were as natural to me as speaking was unnatural. And sports turned out to be my ticket to acceptance — and more. I wasn’t easily intimidated in a game, so even when I stuttered, I was always the kid who said, “Give me the ball.”
~Joe Biden
Vice President Joe Biden throws out the first pitch during opening day of the Baltimore Orioles game against the New York Yankees at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland on April 6, 2009. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/MLB Photos)
Quote of the day
Posted: June 10, 2020 Filed under: Quote of the day | Tags: Babe Ruth, Baseball, Major League Baseball, MLB, New York Yankees, President of the United States, quotes, Richards Vidmer, sports Leave a commentIf you weren’t around in those times, I don’t think you could appreciate what a figure the Babe was. He was bigger than the President.
~Richards Vidmer
Richards Vidmer (Medium)
This day in baseball: Robinson awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom
Posted: March 26, 2020 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Brooklyn Dodgers, history, Jackie Robinson, Major League Baseball, MLB, President of the United States, Presidential Medal of Freedom, Rachel Robinson, Ronald Reagan, sports 2 CommentsOn March 26, 1984, President Ronald Reagan awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously to Jackie Robinson. Rachel Robinson accepted the award on behalf of her husband. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is considered the highest civilian honor given in the United States.
You can watch President Reagan’s remarks from that Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony in the video below. If you’d like to go straight to his remarks about Robinson, you can find them at the 16:03 timestamp.
This day in baseball: First presidential pass
Posted: May 16, 2019 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, history, National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, President of the United States, sports, Theodore Roosevelt Leave a commentThough he wasn’t exactly the game’s biggest fan, on May 16, 1907, the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues issued the first presidential lifetime pass to President Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt preferred sports that were “more vigorous,” though he later admitted that he enjoyed watching his son Quentin participate in baseball. Nevertheless, Roosevelt never attended a major league baseball game.
Baseball Almanac
This day in baseball: First professional team at the White House
Posted: April 13, 2019 Filed under: 19th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Chester A. Arthur, Forest Cities, history, National Association, National League, New York Giants, New York Gothams, President of the United States, sports, White House Leave a commentThe first professional sports team to visit the White House was the Forest Cities ball club, a recently defunct franchise of the National Association, brought to Washington, D.C. by President Chester A. Arthur on April 13, 1883. Later in the season, President Arthur also hosted the new National League’s New York Gothams (who would become known as the Giants in 1885).
Chester A. Arthur (Wikipedia)
This day in baseball: D.C. Stadium opens for baseball
Posted: April 9, 2019 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, D.C. Stadium, Detroit Tigers, John F. Kennedy, Major League Baseball, MLB, National Football League, NFL, President of the United States, RFK Stadium, sports, Washington Redskins, Washington Senators Leave a commentOn April 9, 1962, President John F. Kennedy waited out a rain delay and threw the ceremonial first pitch to open up Washington’s new $23 million D.C. Stadium for its inaugural baseball season. The stadium had initially opened the previous fall for Redskins football on October 1, 1961. More than 44,000 fans attended the Senators’ Opening Day in April as they defeated the Detroit Tigers, 4-1.
Wikipedia
This day in baseball: POTUS’s first World Series
Posted: October 4, 2018 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Calvin Coolidge, history, Major League Baseball, MLB, New York Giants, President of the United States, sports, Washington Senators, World Series 2 CommentsAt Griffith Stadium on October 4, 1924, Calvin Coolidge became the first United States President to attend a World Series opener. The Giants managed to defeat the hometown Senators in 12 innings that day, with a score of 4-3.
President Calvin Coolidge and First Lady Grace Coolidge at a baseball game with Coolidge’s secretary C. Bascom Slemp at right, 1924 (Library of Congress)
