21 Reasons Why Baseball Used To Be Super Weird

Learning about America’s pastime from bizarre and beautiful old photos.

1. Some players would forget to let go of the ball.

William Gleason

Source: digitalgallery.nypl.org

2. Some players had to deal with trainers who only knew how to do one thing.

Dan Casey, Charlie Bastian and trainer

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Harry Lyons with Billy Tailer Trainer

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3. Some players had magical powers.

Jack Clements

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4. Some players’ magical power was “generosity,”

Dan Casey

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5. …for others, it was “working it.”

Jack Clements

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6. Some players played indoors.

Charlie Ferguson and Tommy McCarthy, Philadelphia Quakers

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Tommy McCarthy, Boston Reds

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7. Some players were great at posing for “action shots.”

Deacon McGuire, Philadelphia Quakers

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Jim Fogarty, Philadelphia Quakers

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George Pinkney

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8. Some players modeled their techniques on literature like “Oliver Twist,”

Sid Farrar

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9. …or “Peter Pan.”

Jim Fogarty, Philadelphia Quakers

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10. Some players took the phrase “keep your eye on the ball” way too seriously.

Joe Mulvey

Source: digitalgallery.nypl.org

11. Some players had glorious mustaches.

Jack Burdock, 2nd base

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Wm. M. De Visser

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Tony Cusick, Philadelphia Quakers

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Abner Dalrymple

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Jack Farrell, Philadelphia Quakers, 2nd base

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12. Some players liked to chill in “cool-guy” poses.

Sid Farrar

Source: digitalgallery.nypl.org

George Hall, Boston Red Stockings, 1874, right field (1874)

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Sid Farrar

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Tommy Beals, 1874 Change 2nd base (1874)

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Robert Ferguson, Only player who became president of the league, 1878. (1878?)

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13. Some players even achieved the elusive “double cool-guy” pose.

Ed Andrews, Philadelphia Quakers [1884] and Sam Barkley Toledo Blue Stockings

Source: digitalgallery.nypl.org

14. Some players were clearly scared of the ball.

Joe Mulvey

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15. Some players looked like serial killers.

C. E. Hoover, C., Old Judge Cigarettes

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Joe Hornung

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Ed Andrews, Philadelphia Quakers

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16. Some players helped Rick with the Nazis in Casablanca.

Mike Lehane, Columbus

Source: digitalgallery.nypl.org

17. Some players were actually just Casey Affleck as a time traveler.

Joe Battin, 1874 2nd base (1874)

Source: digitalgallery.nypl.org

18. Some players got to play for this guy, who later built Jurassic Park.

Harry Wright

Source: digitalgallery.nypl.org

19. Some players had heads that were way too small for their bodies.

Harry McCormick

Source: digitalgallery.nypl.org

20. Some players appreciated cool dogs.

Napoleon Lajoie, Cleveland, 1907 (1907)

Source: digitalgallery.nypl.org

21. All players were jealous of A.M. Wood’s boss turtleneck.

A. M. Wood

Source: digitalgallery.nypl.org

22.

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All Photos Via New York Public Library's A.G. Spalding Collection

digitalgallery.nypl.org