Take Me Out to the Ball Game!
Summer is here, and America’s favorite pastime is in full swing! With Little League and College seasons wrapping up and Minor and Major League seasons taking off, it’s a good time to highlight some of the interesting baseball-related artifacts in our collection.
First up to the plate is a leather baseball glove owned by Edmund F. Ball. Ed was the founder of Minnetrista Museum & Gardens and the son of Edmund B. Ball, Vice President of the Ball Brothers Company.
Ed Ball’s baseball glove, c. 1920s-1930s
In the on-deck circle is a small, wooden bat used to promote Republican nominee Wendell Willkie’s 1940 presidential candidacy. The bat is stamped with lettering reading “BAT FOR WILLKIE” and “ELWOOD, IND.” Willkie was born in Elwood, Indiana and attended Indiana University Bloomington and the Indiana School of Law. He was defeated in the 1940 presidential election by Democratic incumbent Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Promotional bat for Wendell Willkie presidential candidacy, 1940
The most bizarre addition to our roster is this quart, wide mouth, clear glass Ball fruit jar filled with vegetables. Look closely and you’ll see how the vegetables have been arranged to depict a Mets baseball player. This food art was created by home canner Walter H. Jones, likely for the California State Fair. Jones won numerous prizes for his artistic canning abilities and donated most of the jars to churches, charities, and friends. In the 1970s, Ball’s West Coast commercial vice president Phil Goetz acquired twenty jars from Jones and sent them back to the Muncie headquarters for their collection of jar-related rarities and oddities. When the corporate headquarters left Muncie in 1998, this collection was donated to Minnetrista.
Canned food art depicting Mets baseball player, c. 1960-1975
Batting cleanup is a real heavy hitter! “Darktown Battery” is a cast iron mechanical bank depicting three African American figures playing baseball. Designed by James H. Bowen, this controversial and highly desired collectible was first produced in 1888 by J. & E. Stevens Company of Cromwell, Connecticut. While some collectors see it as a tribute to the formation of the National Colored Base Ball League in 1887, others criticize the heavily stereotyped appearance of the figures. The term “Darktown” could also be a reference to the bestselling series of caricatures Darktown Comics created by Currier and Ives in the 1870s. Beyond the controversy, this is a much sought after piece by mechanical bank collectors due to its sophisticated operation and the rarity of having three moving characters. When a coin is placed in the pitcher’s right hand, it is thrown towards the catcher. The catcher lifts his mitt, and the coin deposits into the bank below. The batter lifts his arms and turns his head as he watches the pitch go by.
“Darktown Battery” mechanical bank, c. 1888
Closing out our lineup is a series of photographs from our archives depicting baseball players and fans in Muncie throughout the first half of the 20th century.
Good luck to our local Ball State Cardinals as they head to the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Baseball Championship in Avon, Ohio on May 22nd!
