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is a vintage 1920s "Walker Gave Us Sunday
Baseball" pin back button handed out during the 1925
mayoral election with Walker taking over as the Mayor of New York
City in 1926. In 1914
Jimmy Walker was elected to the State Senate, and as
Senator, he lobbied successfully for the legalization of
Sunday baseball and professional boxing. In April of 1919 Jimmy
Walker the future Mayor of New York City Pushed through
the legislature a bill legalizing Sunday baseball in
New York state which was signed by Governor Al Smith. On May 14,
1919 the New York Giants play their first legal Sunday game
at home, before 35,000 fans, losing to the Philadelphia
Phillies, 4–3. More than 25,000 turn out for the Robins
(Dodgers) game in Brooklyn
the same day. The Yankees beat the Tigers 7- 0
playing their first New York home game at the Polo
Grounds on June 11, 1919 with the opening of Yankee
Stadium still four years away.
Because of laws written as far back as 1794
prohibiting gambling, and playing sports on
"The Lords Day" it was not legal to play
baseball on Sunday. Further bills were passed during the
19th century reinforcing the law. It was not until 1902 when Chicago,
St. Louis, and Cincinnati permitted Sunday baseball. By
1918 Cleveland, Detroit, and Washington joined in on
Sunday Baseball followed by New York in 1919,
Boston in 1929, and Baltimore in 1932.
It was not until July 3, 1932 that the
Red Sox played
the team's first Sunday game at Fenway, a 13-2
loss to the Yankees. Sunday baseball was approved
in Boston three years earlier, but not at Fenway due to
its proximity to a church. The Red Sox then
played their Sunday games at Braves Field on
Commonwealth Avenue until the law was changed. The first
Red Sox Sunday game actually played in Boston was a 7-3
loss to Philadelphia at Braves Field on April 28, 1929
Find
this pin and other vintage sports memorabilia at:
Vintage
Sports Shoppe
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