‘Take me out to the ball game!’

Isn’t this a great old photograph? It’s the members of the 1891 Rose Polytechnic Institute baseball team. The photographer really was creative in his positioning of the coach and players. There’s nice balance and you can clearly see each person’s face. And the men’s ascots are a wonderful touch!

This photo of the Rose Polytechnic Institute baseball team, dated as the 1890s, is vastly different than the previous photo. First of all, it’s obviously no studio photograph. It’s much more casual. Many of the players aren’t even looking at the camera! And the mustache is much bigger!

Both of these images are part of the collection of the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Archives, Logan Library.

Branch Rickey and Terre Haute, Indiana

Believe it or not, but Branch Rickey, noted president and general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers who signed Jackie Robinson to the team in 1945, has a connection to Terre Haute, Indiana. Yes, that Jackie Robinson, who broke the “color barrier” in major league baseball.

Back to Branch. On June 20, 1903, Branch made his professional baseball introduction at Terre Haute’s Athletic Park. He played pro ball only four years before coaching at the University of Michigan while working on his law degree. Eventually, Branch moved to the “suit side” of baseball and introduced many innovative ideas for managing the sport.

You can learn more about Branch Rickey and his influence upon baseball, by checking out this article by Vigo County Historian Mike McCormick. This article is part of the “Wabash Valley Profiles, a series of tributes to hometown heroes who have made a difference,” presented by First Financial Bank. Rickey’s tribute appeared in 1997.

Happy Easter!

This 1921 Easter postcard from Eugene V. Debs to Clytie Peterson of Milwaukee, Wisc., is an absolutely beautiful print. The young children gathering daffodils, holding hands as they walk up a path and holding a bouquet of flowers is very inviting.

The back side of the card is interesting, too. It seems that Debs liked poetry that rhymed. On the reverse side of the card, in what appears to be a child’s handwriting, is the following note: “I send this friendly little rhyme to wish you well at Easter-time.”

This postcard is part of the Special Collections Department at Indiana State University.