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Independence, MO —
Harry and Bess loved baseball.
But the husband and wife enjoyed America’s pastime from different perspectives. Bess Wallace was an athletic child who enjoyed playing third base.
Harry did not share in his wife’s athletic prowess. The closest the future U.S. president got to the baseball field in his youth was as an umpire.
But many years later, during Truman’s presidency, he believed the beloved sport “could help ease Americans into a time of peace after the turbulent years of World War II,” reads the introductory message to “Presidential Pitch: Harry Truman and Baseball,” an exhibit running at the Truman Library and Museum through Sunday, as part of the local tourism efforts toward tonight’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
Museum Curator Clay Bauske’s favorite item on display in the exhibit is a baseball autographed by then-actor Ronald Reagan and Doris Day as part of their 1952 movie “The Winning Team,” in which Reagan portrayed legendary pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander, whose widow also signed the baseball.
Letters from Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson, to Truman, also are displayed, as well as a handful of photographs, ball caps and cartoons that showcase the Truman family’s admiration for baseball.
At age 69, on June 13, 1953, Harry Truman signed a contract with the Kansas City Blues minor league club. He was given a $1 check for his community support, but Truman never played for the Blues, nor did he deposit the check, as it also is part of the exhibit.
Harry didn’t make the record books for his athletic abilities, but his attendance and participation at Major League Baseball games did set records for the U.S. presidency. It is believed that Harry Truman attended more professional baseball games than any other U.S. president, according to the Library and Museum, which is mostly attributed to Bess’ strong love for the sport.
Truman was the first president to throw out two opening pitches – one as a leftie (his dominant hand) and one with his right hand.
He was the first president to attend an evening baseball game and was the first president to watch a game on the Fourth of July.
When once asked to describe the importance of baseball, Harry hand wrote the following message, which also is on display at the Library: “The great American Game, baseball, is more than a sport or a show. It furnishes enjoyment to millions from the sandlot to the Big League Stadium. It is a part of our heritage. May it long continue as a school for freedom and fair play. I salute Baseball as our greatest sport.”
Harry and Bess loved baseball.
But the husband and wife enjoyed America’s pastime from different perspectives. Bess Wallace was an athletic child who enjoyed playing third base.
Harry did not share in his wife’s athletic prowess. The closest the future U.S. president got to the baseball field in his youth was as an umpire.
But many years later, during Truman’s presidency, he believed the beloved sport “could help ease Americans into a time of peace after the turbulent years of World War II,” reads the introductory message to “Presidential Pitch: Harry Truman and Baseball,” an exhibit running at the Truman Library and Museum through Sunday, as part of the local tourism efforts toward tonight’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
Museum Curator Clay Bauske’s favorite item on display in the exhibit is a baseball autographed by then-actor Ronald Reagan and Doris Day as part of their 1952 movie “The Winning Team,” in which Reagan portrayed legendary pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander, whose widow also signed the baseball.
Letters from Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson, to Truman, also are displayed, as well as a handful of photographs, ball caps and cartoons that showcase the Truman family’s admiration for baseball.
At age 69, on June 13, 1953, Harry Truman signed a contract with the Kansas City Blues minor league club. He was given a $1 check for his community support, but Truman never played for the Blues, nor did he deposit the check, as it also is part of the exhibit.
Harry didn’t make the record books for his athletic abilities, but his attendance and participation at Major League Baseball games did set records for the U.S. presidency. It is believed that Harry Truman attended more professional baseball games than any other U.S. president, according to the Library and Museum, which is mostly attributed to Bess’ strong love for the sport.
Truman was the first president to throw out two opening pitches – one as a leftie (his dominant hand) and one with his right hand.
He was the first president to attend an evening baseball game and was the first president to watch a game on the Fourth of July.
When once asked to describe the importance of baseball, Harry hand wrote the following message, which also is on display at the Library: “The great American Game, baseball, is more than a sport or a show. It furnishes enjoyment to millions from the sandlot to the Big League Stadium. It is a part of our heritage. May it long continue as a school for freedom and fair play. I salute Baseball as our greatest sport.”
With thousands of visitors in and around the Eastern Jackson County area for tonight’s game, Bauske said the Truman Museum and Library has experienced more foot traffic in recent days, since it’s one of the most prominent tourism sites in Independence. In fact, Director Michael Devine provided a tour of the library Monday afternoon for the owner of the Washington Nationals major league team.
“Mostly, it’s just a fun thing we wanted to do as a tie-in to the All-Star Game,” Bauske said of the temporary exhibit right inside the museum’s front doors. “We looked around in the collection to see what we had relating to baseball. It’s kind of an interesting hodgepodge of materials.”
