Longest Thrown Baseball In History

This Kendall Oil ad from 1945 notes the record (at that time) for the longest thrown baseball being over 426 feet. Unfortunately the ad does not give credit the thrower Larry LeJeune. The toss happened in 1910 and stood until 1952 with a toss of 434 feet by Don Grate who broke his own record the following year of 443 feet until the standing record of today being 445 feet set in 1957 by Glen Gorbous.

Read this great article by J.G Preston to learn more.  

"Light Beer...The Proper Drink For Athletes In Training"

Thats according to Charles Ebbetts, owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1902-1925. This 1913 ad for Galveston Brewing Company is loaded with great tag lines. The heading I especially like: "Beer Good For Baseball Players."

Well That Settles It...I'm Going To Start Smoking in 2011

Well if it was good enough for these guys its good enough for me. Mel Ott says "I smoke all I want yet keep in good condition." I wonder if they still make filterless?

"Now Bobby, Just Imagine Him In His Underwear"

I wonder if Manager Leo Durocher gave that advice to Bobby Thomson before he stepped to the plate against Ralph Branca before the famous "Shot Heard 'Round The World."

Branca was known as a very good starter during his years in Brooklyn. Branca debuted on June 12, 1944, with the Brooklyn Dodgers, and put up a 3.04 ERA in 109.2 innings pitched in 1945, his rookie year. A three-time All-Star, he won 80 games for the Dodgers with a career-high 21 wins in 1947. He is best remembered for one infamous relief appearance in a 1951 playoff game against the crosstown rival New York Giants and gave up that famous home run to Thomson giving the Giants the National League pennant.

Branca later learned that the Giants had stolen the signs to the two pitches he threw Thomson.

So was it the underwear advice or the stolen sign?

Say It Ain't So Joe "Camel"

The original Joe "Camel"...sad.

Lefty O'Doul's or City Hotel

Likely to be from the late 1940s to 1950s what was known as a "linen" ad promotes a resturant owned by New York Giant All-Star of the 1920s & 30s Francis "Lefty" O'Doul. What a cool place to hang-out...from the outside it looks like Westfield's famous City Hotel.

Lefty's is still open today http://www.leftyodouls.biz/index.html

City Hotel photo by ScribeGirl

Inspired Artist or Same Artist?

Check out the art work that's 10 years apart. On the left is a 1937 Arrow Shirt ad and on the right an ad from 1947 for Pacific Woolens. Same artist different angle or just an inspired artist with a few tweeks?

Leonardo da Vinci Invented How To Pitch

Based on this ad for Canadian Club thats what it looks like as the graphic design was done in the style of a da Vinci technical drawing.

Maybe It's The Milk!

Ya see...thats all it was. Milk is gooood!

Good Teeth Essential in Winning a Pennant

This ad from 1913 caught my eye for the art work as it reminds me of the cover art of my second book. If I dug deeper I could probably determine it was the same artist. As I looked closer there is a great story attached to the ad regarding the manager of the New York Giants John McGraw and his philosophy on oral health and winning. The following text is from a 1916 publication titled 'Outing'; 

Sound Teeth for Baseball

A few years ago McGraw took a dentist with him to the spring training camp at Marlin, Texas. The dentist wanted a vacation and McGraw wanted his teeth fixed, but hadn't found time for this purpose while in New York. So the deal was made. But a different story swept through the newspapers the length and breadth of the land. The brilliant leader of the Giants, so the public was told, had engaged an official dentist for the club, believing that good teeth were essential in winning a pennant, as they contributed to good digestion and healthy players. Editorial comment was widespread. Dental associations in conference adopted resolutions of approval and the number of brands of tooth brushes and pastes McGraw was invited to recommend would have filled a large basket.

Ray "Slim" Caldwell and His Spitter

This ad from 1914 although does not mention Ray "Slim" Caldwell by name was one of a few MLB pitchers in 1920 that were allowed to continue to legally throw the spitball until his career ended.

In 1920, after 12 years in the majors, Ray had his best year with a 20-10 record. He would retire in 1921. It looks like he used the Piper Heidsiek brand of plug tobacco to make that happen. Is it still around...Pistol Pete of the Wheelmen could use some.

In The 1990s They Called It The "Lively Ball Era"

We were convinced in the 1990s that MLB had introduced some sort of new ball that made home runs fly out of the park at an alarming rate. We had no idea what was really going on. The same thing happened back in the 1920s as well...sort of. This link to an article by David Martinez is a great source to the 1920s home run explosion. This article by Martinez looks like it was written in the late 1990s and does not even broach the subject of PEDs.

Its still a cool ad.

http://www.homerunweb.com/livelyball.html

"Move back the fences!" - Rabbit in the Ad

I Know This Guy

Is that the Hall of Fame 3rd baseman for the Westfield Wheelmen? I think so.

Future Jets Sideline Reporter?

Love this one from the early 1980s. Couldn't they have found a better model for a ball player? She is was ahead of her time.

Beautiful Ad Despite the Obvious

You can't go wrong with a Norman Rockwell unless of course you throw a Yankee in the mix. Although this ad was from 1921 and to that point the Yankees had not won a World Series so I guess its ok. Love the art work. I have never seen this Norman Rockwell before.

Astro Turf

This worked out well didn't it!

Anheuser Busch Started Them Young

This ad was from 1915. Back in 1895, Anheuser-Busch began selling a malt-based health tonic known as Malt-Nutrine, which remained on the market until 1942. Malt-Nutrine was touted in advertisements as "Nourishing, invigorating,appetizing, and strengthening" an "invaluable" aid for invalids, convalescents, and nursing mothers.

This kid is jacked-up while the kid behind wants in!