Baseball as America

Eddie Gaedel's uniform, from the Baseball As America Travelling Exhibit

As you gentle reader are probably aware, despite the rabid Astrosification I have undergone in my lifetime, I haven't ever taken that final step, and actually taken up residence in East Texas.

Because of that now, though, I am in a position to make a recomendation to the residents of Houston.

I had gone to see the travelling Baseball As America exhibition when it pulled into St. Petersburg, Florida just about 15 months ago, and thought it was fabulous.

A taste of Cooperstown is what it is, with all kinds of epic trinkets and memorabilia on display, like the Honus Wagner T-209 baseball card, and the first ball used in Game One of the First World Series, and a ball from Roger Clemens' second 20 strikeout game, and Yogi Berra's glove from the Don Larsen perfect game and Tom Seaver, the screenprint by Andy Warhol, and the "Green Light" letter from Roosevelt to Landis suggesting that it might be OK to play baseball during World War II.

And a whole bunch more.

Although the incredible George Sosnak hand-inked baseballs which were on display in St. Petersburg did not travel on with the exhibit, I really cannot recommend the show highly enough. And get the National Geographic book that is sold as the show's companion: it is absolutely gorgeous.

The show resides at the Museum of Fine Arts until August 14: given the way the Astros are playing, it'll be well worth your while to skip a Sunday matinee at some point this summer, and head over to the Museum.