Ethelbert Miller completes his baseball trilogy. One can watch many baseball games before seeing a triple play. How I Found Love Behind The Catcher S Mask by E. A carefully researched account of O'Rourke's life and career, this biography also provides a behind-the-scenes look at the growth of the national pastime from the Civil War through the deadball era. In those efforts, he attempted to wrest control of the game from the owners and empower the players.

Though the league failed to fully materialize, his Bridgeport Victors did play several games and were one of the few racially integrated teams-a fact emblematic of O'Rourke's efforts to change the national pastime. After his playing days ended, O'Rourke attempted to establish the Connecticut League, becoming the circuit's president, secretary, and treasury. Quick to speak his mind, the outfielder played on nine pennant-winning teams, but his playing career was overshadowed by his work in organizing baseball's first union. From contemporary sources, O'Rourke's own correspondence, and player files available through the National Baseball Library, a rounded portrait of Jim O'Rourke emerges. Nicknamed 'Orator' for his booming voice and his championing of the rights of professional athletes, he was a driving force in making the sport a profession, bringing respectability to the role of professional baseball player. O'Rourke's career paralleled the rise of the game from a regional sport with few strategies to the national pastime. This lore-laden how-to provides all the information needed to play this entertaining, educational, and fast-growing game and to present it properly to the public, covering everything from historically accurate equipment and etiquette to the rules of play and game-day preparations.Īs a player, manager, team captain, umpire, owner and league president, Hall of Famer Jim O'Rourke (1851-1918) spoke for the players in the emerging game of baseball. A unique combination of athletic contest, living history, and outdoor theatre, vintage base ball transports players and spectators alike to that fascinating and innocent time when athletes gathered on the diamond for recreation, exercise, and pure enjoyment.

We only index and link to content provided by other sites.Įvery spring, thousands of ball players across the country step back to the nineteenth century to play vintage base ball using the equipment, uniforms, rules, and customs of the game’s early years. Disclaimer: This site does not store any files on its server.

The Catcher's Mask by Matt Christopher