After a long, cold winter, spring returns and with it, baseball. Teams have been playing professionally in New York for more than a century, and we look at the patterns of fandom over the years; the history of the hot dog; the secret history of early baseball; recollections of the Negro Leagues; and vintage audio from the archives.
Compare New York's Baseball Attendance Throughout Time
Monday, April 01, 2013
On Opening Day, we look back at the last 130 years of New York baseball fandom, from the Brooklyn Bridegrooms to John McGraw to the House that Ruth Built to the Amazin' Mets and beyond.
Red Sox Fans in NY Area Get Ready for Another Year in the Evil Empire
Monday, April 01, 2013
Marco Indri, 28, is born-and-bred New Jersey. He grew up just across the Hudson River in West New York, where his family still lives. The tattoos that cover his arms may be the first thing you notice. But it's not what really sets him apart from his fellow New Jerseyans.
Know Your Hot Dog: The Rise of the "Dachshund Sandwich"
Monday, April 01, 2013
With the baseball season upon us, it's hard not to think of the delicious concession that's become synonymous with America's favorite past time: The hot dog. We dug into the WNYC Archives to find out why and how the baloney on a roll became king of the ball field.
The Secret History of Early Baseball
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Baseball historian John Thorn debunks baseball’s creation story and reveals that from its earliest days. He reveals how baseball was a vehicle for gambling, a proxy form of class warfare, that was infused with racism like the larger society, and was corrupted by hustlers and shady entrepreneurs. In Baseball in The Garden of Eden: The Secret History of the Early Game, Thorn traces the rise of the New York version of the game over other variations popular in Massachusetts and Philadelphia, and tells a tale full of heroes and scoundrels, scandal, greed, and glory.
Monte Irvin and Recollections on Negro League Baseball
Tuesday, February 05, 2013
From the WNYC Archives: Vintage Baseball Audio
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
As we gear up for the baseball season to begin, WNYC Archivist Andy Lanset has sent us some fun clips from great moments in baseball history ...
Baseball Gloves: Why Do We Need Them Anyway?
Friday, March 28, 2008
In the days of yore, it was considered a sign of weakness to catch with a glove. Now they’re a necessity. And nobody makes them better than Bob Celvenhagen.