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1919 Spalding Baseball advertisement
1919 Spalding Baseball Ad
"Over there Over Here"

1919 WWI YMCA
Jewish Welfare
1919 WWI YMCA Jewish Welfare Theater Lantern Slide
"Keep The Ball Rolling"
Theater Lantern Slide

1919 Goldsmith Athletic Goods Catalog
1919 Goldsmith Athletic Goods Catalog  Baseball ad
"Official League Baseball" advertisement

1943 Sporting News Baseball Guide & Record Book
1943 Goldsmith No. 97 baseball advertising
Goldsmith No. 97 Baseball advertisement

1944 Toledo Mud Hens
1944 Mud Hens scorecard
Magazine & Scorecard

2016 Memorial Day
Baseball Caps
Boston Red Sox 2016 Memorial Day Baseball Cap

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Baseball Collectibles
and Memorabilia
 KeyMan Collectibles  NEWSLETTER June 2016  
Wartime Baseball Memorabilia & Collectibles
 Steven KeyMan
Steven KeyMan
American History - By Steven KeyMan
Founder of Keymancollectibles.com, and a long time collector, Steven KeyMan has more than 30 years of experience in researching, and cataloging information on Baseball Memorabilia. First used for his own personal collection, and then by helping others find information on their collectibles, the website grew into the largest online resource for baseball memorabilia
 

   Ask Steven: Direct your questions or feedback, about Baseball Memorabilia to Steven KeyMan Steve@keymancollectibles.com You can also Send KeyMan pictures of your personal Memorabilia Display, and get your own Free  Collectors Showcase Room featured on the website..   
 
    Memorial Day is an opportunity to pause & reflect on the Sacrifices of those who have died in service of our great Nation. Before you throw that burger on the grill and watch the Memorial Day ball games, I ask that you repeat the following sentence for all to hear. "In remembrance we celebrate your sacrifice and courage as a free nation. Thank You"
1917-1918 Louisville Slugger YMCA Logo Baseball Bat
  Baseball, the American pastime was considered to be essential to the morale of our nation and to the troops that served abroad. With the onset of the U.S. involvement in WWI in 1917, Washington Senators owner Clark Griffith launched a plan to support our troops by raising money to purchase athletic equipment, mainly baseball gear, to outfit every U.S. military training camp. Inspired by Washington Senators owner Clark Griffith, the effort to donate sporting goods was joined by the YMCA, Hillerich & Bradsby, and Spalding. The Y.M.C.A. shipped 144,000 bats and 79,680 balls to the troops overseas with the money raised by Griffith.
Official National League YMCA WWI Baseball
  Official National League Baseballs, and Bats used by American serviceman stationed in Poitiers, France during the first World War featured an "American - France YMCA" stamp. A number of other sporting goods companies also donate equipment that didn't have the Stamp, as Goldsmith states in a 1919 ad: "The Goldsmith Official League Ball No. 97 is being Furnished by the U.S. Government, the Y.M.C.A., K of C. to our boys at Home and abroad, and is being used constantly in many games 'Everywhere in France'"

The Goldsmith baseball pictured here was part of the shipment of sports equipment that went overseas. Interesting to note the ball inscribed to Edith1918 Goldsmith No. 97 Official League Baseball from our war hero Ray reads "To Germany and Back World War 1918" It was years before WWII so there is no reference to it as being from the first World War.

 On July 11, 1917 the steamship Kansas, carrying outfits for 150 teams with General John J. Pershing's army, was torpedoed by a German U-boat and sunk in the Atlantic.

 Goldsmith Professional Base Ball Fund WWII BaseballSince its inception in 1933, All-Star game profits were funneled to a relief fund benefiting retired indigent ballplayers. In 1941, the profits were sent to the USO, to buy athletic equipment for servicemen. Four days after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, baseball executives established the WWII version of the Bat & Ball Fund, renamed the "Baseball Equipment Fund" Once again Clark Griffith took charge along with National League President Ford Frick.

With $25,000 raised by Major League baseball, contributions by the writers association of America, and all the proceeded generated by the 1942 All-Star game Clark Griffith contacted several Sporting Goods companies. Griffith obtained a discounted price for equipment from Louisville Slugger, Goldsmith, Spalding and the Wilson Sporting Goods Companies.

 The 1943 Sporting News Baseball Guide & Record Book reports that Major1944 Dodgers Yankees Giants Tri-Cornered Baseball Game Program Ticket League Ball Players agreed to take 10 percent of their regular season salary in war bonds. During World War II there were a number of special benefit baseball games aimed at war relief, and war bond sales. Pictured here is a 1944 Dodgers Yankees Giants Tri-Cornered baseball game program & ticket stub. The three way game played on June 26, 1944 was set up to support the war effort with an unusual exhibition game played by the Yankees, Dodgers, and the Giants at the Polo Grounds.
 
1945 Chicago Cubs Scorecard
Regular Season wartime baseball programs with patriotic reminders to buy more War Bonds also featured air raid regulations for the ballparks. Most programs issued between 1943 and 1945 had "Buy United States War bonds" printed on every page, and reminding people to save cooking fats for the war effort. (I believe to make nitro)
Air Raid Regulations
 
    1967 USO Shows Major League Baseball Roundup Tour Flyer Baseball also contributed to the morale of the troops with their involvement in the USO shows. This 1967 USO Shows Major League Baseball Roundup flyer was part of a handshaking tour in Vietnam, involving Yankees, PR Director Bob Fischel, Joe DiMaggio, Jerry Coleman, Cincinnati Reds Pete Rose, and Boston Red Sox Tony Conigliario. The 5 ballplayers traveled to Saigon and met up on the Intrepid in Tonkin Bay, for the 17 day, Vietnam tour. Ernie Banks and Lefty Gomez also joined the tour. Pete Rose commented that they had to carry cards identifying themselves as colonels, because if they were captured and didn't have the ID cards, they'd be considered spies.


In 1991 Topps modified its standard issue baseball card1991 Topps Desert sheild Baseball Cards set, by placing a Desert Shield foil-stamped insignia on baseball cards. They were Intended to be distributed to soldiers serving in Saudi Arabia. It was rumored that just 6,500 sets were manufactured, and the cards distributed in wax packs were in immediate demand, resulting in high prices and hoarding among collectors. Many of the cards, were scooped up by military personnel stateside, and never made it overseas.

 MLB's annual league-wide observance of Memorial Day honor those who lost their lives while serving their country. In 2016 the league also plans to participate in the National Moment of Remembrance at ballparks on Memorial Day, and teams will conduct moments of silence and special pregame ceremonies.

Memorial Day Game used baseThe Memorial Day effort is part of MLB's ongoing recognition of veterans, active military and military families. MLB has committed millions of dollars to Welcome Back Veterans since 2008.


Special Commemorative Memorial Day bases have been used in MLB games, like this one from 2002. This year’s uniforms utilize a new woodland camouflage design licensed by the US Marine Corps.
 
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