Dead Ball Era Baseball

[hooptyhee1]

I grew up with the 1959 Go-Go Sox. If they had been in a time machine, and gone back to 1910 or so, they would have done just fine. That was the style in those days--solid singles hitters, lots of speed, lots of pitching. Nellie Fox would have shone.

[SuperRip7]

What music is that ?

[rfe8nn2]

True instead of getting rid of those two historic ball parks they reinventize them and build it bigger.

[gbkadillak1]

beaty

[rvz77]

baseball became terminally ill when cellphones were let into the park

[Wehategod]

I would love to watch Baseball From 1947 till 1963. Thats the Era of baseball I would like to see. My late Grandfather was born in 1922 and he went to baseball games Baseball from 1926 till the day he died in 2005 thats about 79 years. I have an Un Dying affection for the Gints and Dem Bums because of him !!! His stories about the Gas House gang the 33 world series the 54 World series also about how the St. Louis Browns were the Worst team in Baseball I miss those talks we use to have

[elFlakation]

The 3rd Anti-Christ..MONEY..has ruined everything, not just baseball.

[jeffsc83]

I was born and am living in the wrong era. Thats for sure.

[avskickass15]

i wish the game was like this today. sweet parks. no ads. no steroids. just good old hardball. back when america embraced this game like no other. dont get me wrong i love baseball today but man these were the days. now stupid football is our most popular game and baseball's true glory is past us.

[evrbody]

@avskickass15 There were ads all over the ballparks back then. The outfield walls were covered with them. The Green Monster in Fenway wasn't even originally green because it was covered with ads.

[avskickass15]

@evrbody good point. guess i wasn't really thinking about that. but still. the old game didn't have the commercial intentions it does today.

[skwingsfan]

come on newyorkbaseballgiant!!!! none of the ballparks back then had bad seats?!?!?! yeah unless you got the seat right behind a pole!!!

[InaWonder]

Man, to have baseball like back then. No doping up for personal stats, no egos, no huge contracts, just the love of the game.

[nakedBison69]

InaWonder dopes up for personal stats

[NEWK18]

1:18 The Bambino when he was a pitcher (i think)

[TRUTHISHAPPY]

Anybody arguing about which race or ethnicity is better needs to actually play the game with a lot of different people. I have played baseball all my life. I have seen and played with white guys who were really good, black guys who were really good and hispanics who were really good. There are great athletes and players in any sport in every race.

[lowslungbooty]

Somehow in this discussion the idea of the "deadball" got lost.  Segregation, true...happens in all trades. The deadball made pitching a developing art. After the change of the ball (after the 1919 World Series scandal) the game went to hitting with Ruth and the others. I predict a movement to pitching now after steroids...which of course helps pitchers like Gange and

Rocker, but I think a normalization period is coming...before the next "thing".

[Aldebaron9]

Baseball is an EARTHLING game. For ALL Earthlings !!! If you are from EARTH, you can PLAY BASEBALL !!!! Now, Right now. In this present moment, ALL EARTHLINGS CAN PLAY BASEBALL !!!!!!!!!

[otcderivatives]

Football, basketball, hockey, and soccer suck cock and so do you! You don't deserve to watch this vid!

[MrYankeesguy56]

if you can't appreciate this era, than you can't appreciate todays era

[Basssinger86]

I'd say the Prime Years of Baseball was 1900 to 1969. Ruth,Mays, Aaron,Young, Cobb, Wagner, Matthewson,Johnson,Jackie Robinson, Rose, Mantle, Gehrig, Williams. No matter what year, these guys will always be in someones List of the greatest of all time. Today, you can't say that about many people. And with almost every big time superstar being caught using steroids, our era's Superstars might never be put in the same light. Steroids ruined an entire generation of baseball.

[soSUBURBIA]

Again...that's just opinion and can't really be backed up with proof as it's subjective. I say Ty Cobb is the greatest hitter ever. My friend says Pete Rose while another says Ted Williams. I think Maris was one of the hardest HR hitting players ever. Friend says Ruth. Another says Bonds.

It's subjective. Baseball is only RACIAL if you make it so. I choose not to. It's my favorite sport and leave it as it is. The American Pasttime.

[JROB1989]

Are you fucking kidding me man? Blacks and latinos have dominated baseball since before it was desegregated, and they always will.

[LatinoBeetz]

JROB1989 your so f-ing right n i would no

[soSUBURBIA]

JROB. Not true. Baseball isn't a racial thing. You're just as guilty as Broklyndodger12. Sorry hypocrite

[JROB1989]

First of all, baseball has been driven by race for most of its existence,and I'm not calling it a racial thing, i love baseball man. Sure it's a very diverse game, but if you look at the greatest players ever, many of them are black and latino,even before desegregation, they would beat the white players in exhibition games constantly. There are great white players and great players of other ethnicity also. I'm not a hypocrite.

[MrYankeesguy56]

Willie Mays and Hank Aaron- great but not greatest ever

that honor belongs to the Inagural Class of 1936

no offense but I believe the Caucassions have always been the best in the sport of baseball

[ascernman]

"Caucassions have always been the best in the sport of baseball"??!! That sir is just an amazingly stupid statement. The players that were and are the best ...are the best... Skin color means NOTHING. Come on people get real...

[nakedBison69]

ascernman is amazingly stupid and unreal

[drshorty31]

Dude hispanics are the best in baseball

[PubliusMcPeters]

While I don't necessarily agree with you that blacks and latinos have always "dominated" the game of baseball, they were, at least, the equal of whites in the game, and, obviously, should have been treated as such from the getgo. We will, unfortunately, never know how some of those great pitchers of baseball's segregated era may have fared against some of baseballs greatest hitters, just as we shall never, unfortunately, know how some of baseball's...

[thestuvy]

Baseball celebrated its' glory years during the time of segregation. It became America's sport during these times and that era has produced some of the greatest players to ever play the game. True, there were many great black players then, but I don't think the people of today should care about racism 80 years ago. Black players got their turn in the later decades. As for latinos..... It is a shame the game of baseball has spread to puerto rico and the dominicans. They have truly ruined the game

[PubliusMcPeters]

:( You are truly missing my point, stuv... My point should have been that you cannot know how blacks and latinos may have fared in baseball against some of the white competition out there, just as you cannot know how Babe Ruth may have hit at PNC park, (for instance...) The greatest thing about baseball, IMHO, is its unique ability to change with the times, yet at the same time remain the game that we love!! I don't believe that ANYBODY could 'ruin' that for me!

[ThisIsBilbo]

How exactly have puerto ricans and dominicans ruined the game? I gotta hear this one.

[nakedBison69]

thisIsBilbo has ruined the game

[GnomeEnthusiast]

"Please do not throw bottles."

[jw22223]

look at 1:00, they are literally playing in the snow

[newyorkbaseballgiant]

today baseball is lame but back then they played for the love of the game and not to break records and none of the ballparks had bad seats. today baseball players are stroid punks and all the classic parks are gone except fenway park and wrigley field because only care about benifting the wallets baseball lost most of it's beaty and excitment if only baseball was still like this.

[nakedBison69]

newyorkbaseballgiant the stroid punk has lost all of his beauty

[gmdinformation]

@newyorkbaseballgiant My dad hit 667 on a Jaycees team out of East St Louis in 1952 that won Illinois state and then went on to beat the Missouri champs at Sportsmens Park in St Louis. He was seventeen at the time and turned down the dodgers saying, "I play for fun, not for money." True story.

[alexlvsport]

@newyorkbaseballgiant

Some players today still play for the love of the game. It's not fair to categorize players. Even back then some were greedy like the Black Sox players. It varies person to person. I personally like the dead ball era less home runs pitchers had great mechanics and tommy john was unheard of. Your right about the classic parks i think tearing down yankee stadium was a huge mistake waste of money.

[rfe8nn2]

@alexlvsport Well the blacksox thing had more to do with gangland chitown. In that day it was easier to do busness with them guys then being honest, and when u wanted to change they had ways to force you to keep with the plane, remember the movie, they threating one of the pitchers wifes if he didn't go with it.

[evrbody]

@newyorkbaseballgiant None of the ballparks had bad seats? How about the obstructed view seats behind the support beams?

[newyorkbaseballgiant]

i love this era back then it was a game now it is all about money and braking records but back then it was about playing for the love of the game and the ballparks beatiful todays baseball is ugly all the classic parks are gone except fenway and wrigley and now we have the stroids punks like mark mcguire sammy sosa and barry bonds

[IceDragonProductions]

this video got my pusssssyyyy wweeeettttt!!! c me on cam! g

[la7nata]

This should be call the White era.They can't be consider the best, they weren't playing

best.

[robertcbaseball]

Great video these are the greatest players we have ever seen in baseball. If it wasnt for them there would be no baseball.

[NWAsMostWanted]

these days players are motivated by large contracts and living a rich lifestyle. back then they payed u just enough to survive yet these players were motivated to play because in their soul they love the game. this is how baseball players played the game then, and so few of them play the game that way now. if i cud choose to play in that era or now i wud gladly choose then. this time period was when baseball was america's game.

[sivey6]

this is beautiful.

[bottledsoul]

Think of this.

The best 100 players from the last ten years would be a very easy list to create.

It would take some effort to make the list for the entire deadball era (76-20).

This is the roots of baseball, but I would NEVER compare these guys to the players today. I feel sorry for anybody that would.

This is a very nice video though.

[DrRonPaul]

Yes they wouldnt compare to the steroid apes of today.

[jjinswin]

Very nice video. Just finished reading "Cobb" by Al Stump. Great unvarnished truth about a man that defined "maniacal genius". Video goes extremely well with the book.

[rockerduff1231]

i used to think that because of WWI, baseball decided to change. The live ball era began after WWI, and America became more lively. I thought Baseball changed because of America, but the more I realized, America changed because of baseball. Without Chapman getting killed and the balls getting changed and Ruth hitting those home runs, baseball would still be dead.

[zanek250]

If I ever get my hands on a time machine......

[daveibukun]

@zanek250 hehehehehe.

[stoneyrollins59]

Absolutely breathtaking photography and an amazing visual essay on early Baseball.

[TRandy13]

fantastic. I wish I grew up back then. This was real baseball

[HOCKEYMAN99wg]

Actually it was fake baseball..

If these players had to face African-American athletes they would have gotten dominated.

[jofussdad]

Brownies are the O's!

[blacksx17]

By the way, the St. Louis Browns are gone...but not forgotten!

[blacksx17]

As a fan of the Dead Ball Era, I pray for the day when "Shoeless" Joe Jackson and Buck Weaver are inducted in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. It's not a question of "if" it's a question of when!

[NickD310]

I'm a huge fan of both of those guys. Buck Weaver didn't have a fantastic career. And he didn't play for very long. But his heart was in the game more than anyone else.

[woowee53]

i have always been interest in early professional baseball (hell vintage even) when i read stories i always compare the two worlds. nice vid man. (go Cubs 1908 ws champs!)

[alstrand]

This was teary-eyed beautiful.

[shreddedhelix1313]

yeah, and back then, they played through any weather, snow hail rain sleet you name it

it was like football is now

and fuck joeblow59, who cares about attendence

[Shupenko]

ur right abot the attendance, back then games were during the afteernoon when all the people in this country were working for a living all the blue collar guys

[sayitaintso08]

No wonder why MLB and the MLBPA are the laughing stock of professional sports...

[NickD310]

This was when men were men. Guys that didn't care about the paycheck. Guys that went out there and played hard every day. When there was only a 2 or 3 man rotation, depending on what team.

[blacksx17]

You're right, baseball was @ it's best back then - there were no strikes or steroids!

[joeblow59]

Baseball is at its best now. More then 74 million people show up to games in attendance.

[worldrace101]

MASTERPIECE

[ARShepherd]

This clip with beautiful soundtrack truly represents baseball at it's finest. Thank you for sharing baseball history with the world. I still have chill-bumps, even now. I am going to share this with the Perfect Game messageboard in the professional forum for all the true baseball lifers who visit that forum. There are many Yankee fans there.

[palmer87]

that is baseball wen they didnt have steriods good old baseball i love it

[patchhill]

when it was a game, great video...LOVE IT TY

[huero56]

I am a sports fan and baseball has fallen to 3rd on my list of sports to watch(4th if there is a rare/great boxing match). Baseball back then is no better or worse than now it just has new competition that is much more exciting. For 95% of the time 15/18 players in a game are just standing/sitting.

[Arkady63]

What wonderful imagery. Baseball heaven. Thank you for this posting. I loved it.

[signinsuper]

Loved it.  Thank you.

[RufusClancy]

Great video that captures the essence of what real baseball is like. Where did you get the music for this video? It fit well. Thanks for posting it.

[BigSpiderBeck]

Thanks for this sweet tribute to bygone baseball. Well done!

[ilovebaseball117]

this video brings out the meaning in baseball, it helps you understand it, and love it, too.

I LOVE BASEBALL

[JROB1989]

it gives me chills every time, what a great video. I never thought i could love something as much as i love baseball. it truly is the greatest sport and that can clearly be seen in this video, in a time when the nation was mesmorized by the mystique and glory of baseball.

[PhrostCope]

deadball=REAL BALL!!!!!!

[1400deadwood]

This wonderful tape reminds me of my playing days in Brooklyn during the 1960s when we often used a dead ball (it was we could afford!). You are absolutely right: deadball is REAL baseball!! It was a vastly superior game to playing with a lively ball. VASTLY superior.

[zjg5001]

Baseball in black and white seems so much more sincere and pure...

[rdangelo]

Bonds wouldn't have had too many dingers back then, would he?

[JSS29]

no because they didnt have steroids back then

[sk8ed]

thanks for making this...this is real baseball

[mrbaseball444]

everyone says that Ruth and Hank Aaron and them were the best... no way... the real ballplayers were the players that played with the dead ball and still hit .366 and .400. they didn't need a lighter ball to hit excellent. the real ballplayers were Cobb,Hornsby,Speaker,Wagner, etc. The ones in this video.

[mrbaseball444]

this is THE best video on youtube! this is what baseball is all about. the time when there was no salaries or long balls and when you would have to bunt for a base hit, hit the guy over, and sacrifice bunt as the runner on third would try to steal home. scrapping out 2 or 3 runs per game. when no one hit homers. (which is the most overrated thing in baseball) if you truly love this game, and i mean truly, when you think about baseball this video should come to mind and not homeruns

[CNRpictures]

classic! im basically speechless.....

[rubysoho09]

i was about to cry

[TextMessageNAh]

Wow.. That's pretty scary. i think our baseball is amazing, this looks like war. :D

[xNxAx]

[mrbaseball444]

You are an idiot TextMessageNAh. this is REAL baseball

[benny586]

this was baseball at its finest, before free agents, before massive pay rolls, before egos and tv fame, this was people playing for the love of the game

[jimmieblood4]

Talk about ignorant. You must know nothing about the reserve clause...or just the clause that allowed the MLB owners to sign players to continual contracts. The era when the players were tied to a team for however long that team wanted them on the team.

[JohnnyMill]

great video. i love these times from old classic baseball. wut song is this?

[mlb07theshow]

Awesome video!

[acegold1187]

Those were great baseball times I wish I could have seen it I love this game....

[CarolynZoe]

I loved this on Baseball. I am learning all the time about this game and this video is WONDERFUL! Thanks for creating such a great memory of such a great game.

CarolynZoe

Roanoke, VA

[iagd]

Nice, could somebody tell me, where could I get this song?

(what is the title of this song???)

kindly let me know, TQs. Hope to get some respond.

[aljigger]

a True Baseball Video.

[Vasquez77]

yeah the good old days. empty stadiums, segregation. I wish I was back there too. Too bad I wouldn't have been allowed to play. morons.

[furgee]

other than the segregation those truely were the good old days of baseball. no steroids, no interleague play, no espn to ruin sports. i wish i could go back and see what it was like and also be in charge and let black folks play just to see how different things would be now.

[jimmieblood4]

I agree with you on going back and watching everyone get a chance to play on the same field.  Baseball's record books might have been quite different than it looks today. (Josh Gibson and Babe Ruth hitting bombs with equal power)

[Dharoksfreak]

dude i'm a huge baseball fan and that was awesome!

[yankeesrock05]

This is defintely a great video of the good old days of baseball. And Dante15 you're right, baseball today has become so many sad things like steroids and things like the minor league manager snapping for an example. That kind of stuff is rediculous. Why don't people just play for the love of the game anymore?

[JROB1989]

This is great. Thanks to whoever posted this vid. Who can't love baseball? It's the greatest game ever created. I love it. Great music also from The Natural.

[Dante15]

You know, it's truly sad to see what baseball has become in many ways...It still holds the traditions, and there are players who love the game, but not like this. There wasn't any steroid use, or people playing just for the money. They had a genuine love for the game, I would give anything to go back then and play.

[Hardball723]

The good old days i wish i could have been there.

[Lava1964]

Great collection of vintage baseball photos. Baseball has the best history of any sport. No other sport really comes close. Terrific comments from other like-minded fans here too.

[HassiumOsmium]

This is baseball at its finest.

[herbiesnerd]

Thank you.  Great stuff.

[vlombardi20]

there was also a couple of The Babe

[jlinzy]

Oh Man I hate videos with just pictures....but this is the best video ever. And to answer someones question that is Honus Wager...again..nice Video

[heiankyo794]

Was that Honus Wagner at 3:13?

Great collection!

[lothaire23]

Beautiful !

[meemy15]

cool video..luv it!=P

[jojodancerfd43]

If you love the game, you can't help but get chills. Alot of times music from The Natural is over-played. I thought it fit the slide show perfectly.  Great job....Great video

[wrigleyfieldwest]

VERY well done!! bravo!

[cubfan31]

damn cool video

[dopchief]

Bravo!! Very nicely done. Is the music from The Natural?

[couch13]

ya its the music from the natural (favorite baseball movie)

[samuelbecket1977]

Absoultly great. Where did you get these shots?

[Ranger337]

Wow!!! This is when baseball was a gentlemans sport. Did you notice how far the outfeild walls were from homeplate? This is when baseball was baseball, not a game of over paid pumped up players.

[MacGirvan]

When sluggers were really sluggers. No juiced up baseballs or players. That was real Baseball!

[108stitchesiowa]

Very nice work..."Play Ball!"

[yankees46]

Nice work on this video. Where did u get the sweet music?

[pudgesfan]

that was sweet dude

[xxStephy]

That was beautiful, man!

Nice to see the Babe on the mound!

[DAGUY]

Since it's called the "dead ball era", it could be about the current cubs.lol

[generalbullmoose]

I like it!! It's what baseball was all about...bunt for a hit, hit & run, steal a base. Base Ball was meant to be a thinking man's game. The home run is SOOOOOOOOO overrated!

[joeya2006]

The photos for this came from the American Memory site at the library of Congress, many from the Chicago Daily News collection (1902-1933). Others were from the Panoramic Photos collection.

In terms of the "fire" -- it's actually smoke in the background at the Exposition Park in Pittsburgh (site of the 1st World Series in '03).

[Jinder221]

o i saw the fire thing it was 2:15 in the thing

[Jinder221]

woh honus wagner was in this. but who was that guy at the end

[eshy27]

it showed cubies when we were domninent

[justenoughrope]

The ball was dead but the basepaths were alive. This is why I love this game so much, the nostalgia, all the statistics, the history, the different eras from back when men were dinasours to the primadonna's of today. Cool slideshow.

[suprherotrainee]

it would be nice to think that in 50 or 60 years, we'll be able to look back on our sports heroes with this kind of respect and nostalgia, but thanks to all the big money and steroids, i don't thin that'll happen.

[TheRealDimplemonkey]

Did anyone else notice the fire burning in the background in one of those shots? It may have been a cloud but it looked to black to be a cloud. Overall, these were all cool photos! Nice music, too. Was that Field of Dreams?

[dizparks]

The music is from The Natural.