All through the summer of 2016 the Baseball Hall of Fame published a special series of artifacts from its collection, to highlight the historical nature of “1927: The Diary of Myles Thomas.” The below links will take you to the Hall of Fame’s online stories.
August 18: A pair of spikes worn by Ty Cobb for the Philadelphia A’s in 1928, the final year of his career. After playing his first 22 seasons with the Tigers, The Georgia Peach played the final two years of his storied career with the Athletics.
For the full story, head to the Hall of Fame’s online Short Stops exhibit.
August 6: A catcher’s mask used by Moe Berg in the 1930s. The Princeton and Columbia-educated Berg may be one of the most intelligent and fascinating people to ever play professional baseball. He was also fluent in at least seven languages, which allowed him to serve successfully as a spy during World War II.
For the full story, head to the Hall of Fame’s online Short Stops exhibit.
July 15: A pair of baseball spikes worn by James Thomas “Cool Papa” Bell. Considered by many to be the fastest player in the history of baseball, Cool Papa Bell dominated the Negro Leagues for over 25 years.
For the full story, head to the Hall of Fame’s online Short Stops exhibit.
July 1: The cover of “Sol White’s Official Base Ball Guide,” also known as “History of Colored Base Ball.” This 128-page book featured photos and stories from baseball’s earliest black baseball stars, such as Andrew Rube Foster and Grant Jackson. The author, King Solomon “Sol” White, was an accomplished minor league player in the 1880s, until the color of skin prevented him from playing. However, in 1907 he was able to publish this book, which has proved to be an invaluable resource about the early history of black baseball.
For the full story, head to the Hall of Fame’s online Short Stops exhibit.
June 10: A ticket to Game 1 of the 1919 World Series, which was played at Cincinnati’s Redland Field. The Reds beat the White Sox 9–1 and won the series five games to three. However, it was later revealed that several members of the White Sox threw the series, in one of the biggest scandals in sports history.
For the full story head to the Hall of Fame’s online Short Stops exhibit.
June 6: The promissory note regarding the sale of Babe Ruth from the Red Sox to the Yankees. This was one of the four payments made to Red Sox owner Harry Frazee, which totaled a then-unheard of $100,000.
For the full story, head to the Hall of Fame’s online Short Stops exhibit.
May 16: The telegram that Miller Huggins sent to notify American League President Ban Johnson of Babe Ruth’s suspension during the 1925 season. Ruth was also fined $5,000 and wound up missing six games due to his “misconduct off the field”.
For the full story, head to the Hall of Fame’s online Short Stops exhibit.
May 1: Bat Babe Ruth used during the 1927 season. There are 28 notches on it, signifying the 28 home runs Ruth hit in the second half of the 1927 season, when he hit a record-breaking 60 homers.
For the full story, head to the Hall of Fame’s online Short Stops exhibit.
April 25: Glove Babe Ruth wore in Game 4 of the 1926 World Series vs. the Cardinals. The Babe hit three home runs and threw a runner out at home in a 10–5 Yankees victory.
For the full story, head to the Hall of Fame’s online Short Stops exhibit.
April 20: Ticket from the Yankees-Athletics game on April 20, 1927. The A’s won 8–5, in what was Ty Cobb’s home debut for the Athletics after 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers.
For the full story, head to the Hall of Fame’s online Short Stops exhibit.
April 13: Ball signed by the 1926 Yankees and Cardinals during the 1926 World Series. Signatures include Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and of course, Myles Thomas.
For the full story, head to the Hall of Fame’s online Short Stops exhibit.
April 11: Jersey Ty Cobb wore during the 1927 season, his first season with the Philadelphia Athletics after 22 seasons with the Tigers.
For the full story, head to the Hall of Fame’s online Short Stops exhibit.
