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In 1909, Pittsburgh Pirates president Barney Dreyfuss began construction on a new facility for his team in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh.

Dreyfuss decided to call his palace - the first concrete and steel facility built in the National League - Forbes Field, after the British general John Forbes, a hero in the French and Indian War. Opened on June 20, 1909, Forbes Field was a hit from the onset; the venue hosted large crowds that came to watch the Pirates win in their first World Series against the Detroit Tigers that year. As the years went on, Forbes Field became synonymous with the greatest sports memories in the city's history. Patrons saw the trials and tribulations of the Steelers as well as some of the greatest collegiate football teams in the history of the game. The University of Pittsburgh won three collegiate football national championships, and Duquesne University and Carnegie Tech also fielded many winning teams while calling Forbes Field home. Alongside football, boxing was a constant event at the famed facility, hosting some of the most memorable pugilists this city has ever produced. Above all else, it was a baseball mecca. While the field is no longer in use, the wall remains intact, reminding Pittsburghers of the field's rich history.

Though renowned as the "Birthplace of Little League Baseball" and the host of the annual Little League World Series, the city of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, has also been heir to a minor-league legacy that few cities of comparable size possess. In this engaging tribute to the memories of Williamsport's halcyon professional baseball era, discover an integral part of the city's civic identity and social fabric during the past century. Williamsport's Baseball Heritage includes the city's landmark ballparks, including Athletic Park, the West Third Street Field, and Bowman Field, and features rare snapshots of prominent players and influential boosters. A charter member of the old New York-Penn League in 1924 (later renamed the Eastern League), Williamsport enjoyed one of the longest periods of affiliation with the league, despite its small size relative to other member cities. Historic Bowman Field, constructed in 1926 and once considered the gem of the of the Eastern League, remains the second-oldest operating minor league ballpark in the country. It has been visited by countless barnstorming Major League and Negro League teams, Hall of Fame players such as Jim Bunning, and famous baseball personalities such as Connie Mack, Branch Rickey, and Casey Stengel. An authoritative and comprehensive view of the era, Williamsport's Baseball Heritage will rekindle fond memories among fans and players alike. Images in this collection were culled from The Grit, formerly Williamsport's longest-running Sunday newspaper, the D. Vincent Smith and Putsee Vannucci photograph collections, and the private collections of many Williamsport residents.

Dubbed ""America's Game"" by Walt Whitman, baseball has been enjoyed in our nation's capital by young boys playing street stickball and Presidents throwing each season's inaugural pitch.

Just 13 years after Alexander Cartwright codified baseball's rules, the Washington Nationals Baseball Club formed and in 1867 toured the country spreading the ""baseball gospel."" By 1901 the team became one of the first eight major league teams in the newly formed American League. Players such as Walter Johnson, probably the greatest pitcher of all time, and other Senators under the stewardship of owner Clark Griffith successfully led the club in 1924 to what many consider to be the most exciting World Series in baseball history.

Later, the Homestead Grays played at Griffith Stadium and fielded a team featuring legendary Negro League greats such as Josh Gibson and Buck Leonard. The powerhouse Grays, during a ten-year span, won nine Negro League World Championships, a record that may never be equaled in any team sport again.

When the Grays disbanded, the original Senators left for Minnesota in 1960, and the expansion Senators of the 1960s relocated, the city was left without a professional baseball team. While many feared that baseball in D.C. was over, a spirit remained on the diamond and is still felt today as children and adults team up in one way or another to play the national pastime in the nation's capital. Hopes for a new professional team linger, and those remembering baseball's heyday will enjoy this extensive and unusual collection of historic photos that celebrate a time when the crowds roared and Washingtonians believed that the summer game would never end.