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
2. Some players had to deal with trainers who only knew how to do one thing.
Dan Casey, Charlie Bastian and trainer
Harry Lyons with Billy Tailer Trainer
3. Some players had magical powers.
Jack Clements
4. Some players' magical power was "generosity,"
Dan Casey
5. ...for others, it was "working it."
Jack Clements
6. Some players played indoors.
Charlie Ferguson and Tommy McCarthy, Philadelphia Quakers
Tommy McCarthy, Boston Reds
7. Some players were great at posing for "action shots."
Deacon McGuire, Philadelphia Quakers
Jim Fogarty, Philadelphia Quakers
George Pinkney
8. Some players modeled their techniques on literature like "Oliver Twist,"
Sid Farrar
9. ...or "Peter Pan."
Jim Fogarty, Philadelphia Quakers
10. Some players took the phrase "keep your eye on the ball" way too seriously.
Joe Mulvey
11. Some players had glorious mustaches.
Jack Burdock, 2nd base
Wm. M. De Visser
Tony Cusick, Philadelphia Quakers
Abner Dalrymple
Jack Farrell, Philadelphia Quakers, 2nd base
12. Some players liked to chill in "cool-guy" poses.
Sid Farrar
George Hall, Boston Red Stockings, 1874, right field (1874)
Sid Farrar
Tommy Beals, 1874 Change 2nd base (1874)
Robert Ferguson, Only player who became president of the league, 1878. (1878?)
13. Some players even achieved the elusive "double cool-guy" pose.
Ed Andrews, Philadelphia Quakers [1884] and Sam Barkley Toledo Blue Stockings
14. Some players were clearly scared of the ball.
Joe Mulvey
15. Some players looked like serial killers.
C. E. Hoover, C., Old Judge Cigarettes
Joe Hornung
Ed Andrews, Philadelphia Quakers
16. Some players helped Rick with the Nazis in Casablanca.
Mike Lehane, Columbus
17. Some players were actually just Casey Affleck as a time traveler.
Joe Battin, 1874 2nd base (1874)
18. Some players got to play for this guy, who later built Jurassic Park.
Harry Wright
19. Some players had heads that were way too small for their bodies.
Harry McCormick
20. Some players appreciated cool dogs.
Napoleon Lajoie, Cleveland, 1907 (1907)
21. All players were jealous of A.M. Wood's boss turtleneck.
A. M. Wood