General Sports

The 1950s and early 1960s are considered by many to be the Golden Era of Racing at the Indianapolis 500, and photographer Ben Lawrence was on hand taking photos of the Greatest Spectacle for the Indianapolis Times.

During that era, Ben captured many images of the race and race events that surrounded the Indy 500. He was there when Bill Vukovich met his fate in 1955. He photographed the first Indianapolis 500 Parade, which has become an annual event. He captured A.J. Foyt winning his first race at the Brickyard. He was on hand to photograph the breaking of the 150-mph barrier. Then he saw the transition from the front-engined Offenhauser to the rear-engined Lotus-Fords, which ended the Golden Era.

The national pastime began to take root in South Bend in the 1860s when teams like the Hoosiers, Excelsiors, and Rough-and-Readys took the field to the delight of local fans. By 1878, the legendary South Bend Greenstocking had arrived on the scene, winning the mythical Indiana State Baseball Championship and establishing the nickname of choice for South Bend baseball for years to come. The following decades saw the rising popularity of not only minor league baseball but also barnstorming teams, indoor baseball, factory leagues, and men's and women's amateur leagues. This rich baseball heritage is carried on today by the South Bend SilverHawks of the Class-A Midwest League.

From the Indianapolis 500 Motor Speedway to the dirt oval tracks in small Indiana towns, thousands of Hoosiers frequent the raceway of their choice each year. Today, there are an estimated 40 asphalt, clay, and dirt-covered oval tracks in Indiana where race fans cheer local drivers, often navigating jalopies pieced together from junkyard parts, to victory lane. Though many racetracks remain in operation throughout the state, dozens have fallen to the wayside over the past 100 years. Forever in remembrance are the famous and not so famous Indiana-born drivers who thrilled fans at those now defunct tracks. Evansville native Charlie Wiggins won the Gold and Glory Sweepstakes four times. Bob Kinser from Bloomington raced over 40 years and is an inductee of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame, and Tom Cherry of Muncie won the Little 500 four times.

The following men, significant to the game of baseball, share in common only their attendance at the University of Notre Dame: The greatest figure of 19th century base ball; the team president of the home team of the first ever major league game (National Association); the youngest man to pitch a minor league no-hitter and win 20 games in the majors; the first ever Native American in the majors; the only man to ever throw a double-header shout out; the creator of the All-Star game; the minor league executive credited with saving the minor leagues during the Great Depression; the sportswriter who became the general manager of the Chicago Cubs; the star of the 1967 Red Sox "Impossible Dream" season; and the hero of Game Seven of the 1997 World Series. These men and many more from Notre Dame-including a total of 72 (thus far) who have gone on to play in the major leagues-made great contributions to our national pastime.

In 1866, just one year after the end of the Civil War, the first documented female baseball players took to the field at Vassar College.

Those early pioneers paved the way for women who would play baseball as both amateurs and professionals up to the present day. Some were headlining stars on barnstorming teams, while others organized and operated their own teams, and from the 1890s through the 1930s they were known as Bloomer Girls, due to the baggy pants created by Amelia Bloomer. In 1988, the American Women's Baseball Association began play in the Chicago area. With play starting in 1990, the Washington (DC) Metropolitan Women's Baseball League is now the oldest operating women's amateur baseball league in the country. In 2001, a true baseball World Series was held in Toronto, Canada, with women's baseball teams from the United States, Canada, Japan, and Australia. That event will celebrate its fifth season in 2005.

History is made every November in central Indiana when DePauw and Wabash meet to do battle for the Monon Bell.

Relive the classic moments of the oldest college football rivalry of its kind. In this hard-hitting collection, author Tyler James highlights the coaches and players who gained glory capturing the Bell. Deep historical research and personal interviews with players provide an intimate look into the epic games that live on in legend. Along with players and coaches, the fans receive due recognition for their part in this time-honored rivalry. The Bell heists, the songs, the game-day traditions--James recounts fan fervor in vivid, often humorous, detail. Whether readers sport scarlet and white or black and gold, this is a collection no fan should miss.

Baseball exploded in Evansville after the Civil War. Early clubs like the Resolutes, Blues, Brewers, Hoosiers and Blackbirds played, built ballparks, struggled financially and suffered scandals until the early 1900s. A near tragic event fueled the 1915 construction of Bosse Field, now the third-oldest professional ballpark in operation and the host to Major League Spring Training and the filming of A League of Their Own. After World War II, college baseball returned after lying dormant since the 1920s. In the late 1960s, a local entrepreneur attempted to build a third major league. When he failed, the city ascended to the minor leagues' highest level. Join sportswriter and Evansville native Kevin Wirthwein as he recounts baseball's illustrious history in the River City.