ObscureBall Small League Productions

In the mid-late 19th century, people were playing a few different bat and ball games. Baseball eventually emerged as fan favorite and this is the story of how that happened.
 
This episode played out over a two and a half year period. Through conversations, research, and some field work, Origins tells three different stories in a single episode.
To support future ObscureBall stories, please consider making a donation.
DONATE 
INSIDE THE EPISODE
How Baseball Happened by Tom Gilbert
21st Century Townball
21st Century Townball Podcast
Duke Homestead
Wyhteville Statesman In the News
Some Bio on Abner Doubleday
MUSIC
Blue Dot Sessions
Storyblocks

As work on new episodes continue, here's an episode from a show I produce for Castos called Audience. My work with castos takes me behind the scenes of all different kinds of cool audip projects and a while back I got to profile a really cool podcast called Northwoods Baseball Sleep Radio.
So with the permission of Castos, I'm sharing that episode with you here. It was first published on August 4, 2022 and was produced, narrated and editied by me. 
If you enjoy behind the scenes looks at creative work, then Audience is worth checking out. Full spidoes can be found at the link below
 
audiencepodcast.fm
sleepbaseball.com

Today the World Series is one of the most recognizable institutions in all of sports. When it debuted in 1903 it was met with widespread acclaim from sports writers and baseball fans all over America.
For all of its successful, the World Series was almost dead on arrival. Petty grudges, cut throat business practices and difficult personalities almost derailed the whole thing.
LINKS
Support the Show 
Don Jensen's McGraw Bio for SABR
"Called Out" A Novel of Baseball and America in 1908 by Floyd Sullivan
Cindy Thomson's Website
Audience by Castos
MUSIC
Blue Dot Sessions
Storyblocks
 Sources
https://newspaperarchive.com/waterbury-evening-democrat-oct-07-1904-p-9/
https://newspaperarchive.com/boston-post-oct-14-1903-p-5/
https://web.archive.org/web/20061206071020/http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/B/Brush_John_T.stm
https://archive.ph/20080617183524/http://www.athomeplate.com/alforms.shtml
https://thisgreatgame.com/1902-baseball-history/
https://thisgreatgame.com/1904-baseball-history/
https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/june-28-1902-little-napoleon-vs-the-czar-john-mcgraw-suspended-by-ban-johnson-after-outburst/
 
https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/frank-farrell/
https://newspaperarchive.com/oneonta-daily-star-feb-11-1926-p-1/
http://www.sportsology.com/not-how-you-start-yankee-beginnings/
https://newspaperarchive.com/new-york-tribune-aug-01-1904-p-18/
https://newspaperarchive.com/new-york-times-oct-04-1904-p-6/
https://newspaperarchive.com/new-york-times-oct-07-1904-p-7/
https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1919/06/21/issue.html
https://newspaperarchive.com/savannah-morning-news-sep-18-1904-p-16/

On April 29, 1904 Barbados Joe Walcott and Dixie Kid met for what was a historically significant boxing match. It was only the second time two black fighters competed for the Welterweight title. For 20 rounds, spectators watched as the two fighters duked it out. 
Then Referee Dick Sullivan did something that was truly baffling...
 
Links:
Knuckles and Gloves 
Patrick Connor on Twitter 
ObscureBall on Twitter 
Obscureball Websites 
Storyblocks
 
Sources:
http://boxrec.com/en/boxer/21091
https://boxrec.com/en/referee/569900
http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/walcott-j.h
http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/dixiekid.htm
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-07-08-sp-2705-story.html
https://www.thefightcity.com/the-barbados-demon/
https://newspaperarchive.com/new-york-sun-may-01-1904-p-13/
https://newspaperarchive.com/bakersfield-daily-californian-apr-30-1904-p-5/
https://epdf.pub/hitters-dancers-and-ring-magicians-seven-boxers-of-the-golden-age-and-their-chal.html
https://newspaperarchive.com/san-francisco-call-apr-30-1904-p-11/

 

 

Coming soon:
 
Support the Show
 
obscureballpod.com

On August 30, 1904 32 runners set off to compete in the Olympic Marathon in St. Louis. Only 13 would finish. This poorly planned event would be one of the worst sporting events of all time. Cramps, dehydration, wild dogs, hallucinatios, stomach hemorrrages, car wrekcs and scandal all took place that afternoon.
In fact, it was just one of several sporting events in 1904 marked by scandal and trechary. And in this three part serires we'll explore three of those events.
In this episode Dr. Peter Kastor, Author and Professor of History and American Cultural Studies discusses how the legacy 1904 World's Fair, how white supremecy influenced the event and the legacy it's left. David Gunn shares his epxerience running in marathons juxtaposed with the 1904 race.
Support the Show 
 
Sources:
Sports-Reference
https://web.archive.org/web/20200417171704/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1904/ATH/mens-marathon.html
Jon Bois Video Essay
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4AhABManTw
Abott Kahler (Karen Abbot) Smithsonian Article
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-1904-olympic-marathon-may-have-been-the-strangest-ever-14910747/
 
The 1904 Anthropology Days and Olympic Games 
edited by Susan Brownnell