Home Base: Photographs of Local Baseball History


Clark University men's baseball co-captains, 1972. Courtesy of Clark University Archives and Special Collections.

When it comes to baseball, we think of Cracker Jacks, mascots, green turf, baseball diamonds, and fans wearing jerseys. But most of all, we think about the teams and players. Baseball teams have been sources of town pride since the sport’s inception—whether in elementary and high schools, colleges, companies, or other community leagues. For Major League Baseball players, their experiences playing for homegrown teams significantly formed the better part of their career.

As part of The Iconic Jersey: Baseball x Fashion, the Worcester Art Museum celebrates local baseball through its community-driven display, “Home Base: Photographs of Local Baseball History.” Reproduction photographs of teams and players from Worcester and greater Massachusetts can be found throughout the Museum, from the 1952 Holy Cross championship team, to Worcester’s Myles Standish team, to the 2002 Jesse Burkett Little League all-star team. As you’ll see throughout this display, playing baseball starts at home.

Share Your Baseball Photos!

You, too, can share in this local history by submitting photographs of yourself, a family member, and/or ancestor playing baseball for a chance to be shared in WAM’s digital gallery or social media platforms!

Please send digital images/scanned photographs of amateur or semi-professional baseball players from New England, dating to any time from 1850s to today. Photos should showcase the jersey prominently, and may feature one or more players. We also welcome any personal stories (at least a paragraph) about the player or team depicted.

To send us a digital version of your image, please contact us via DM on Facebook or Instagram at @worcesterartmuseum or email elizabethfox@worcesterart.org. Submissions will be accepted through September 12.

By sending us your image, you are giving Worcester Art Museum to post that image to Flickr, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or on our website.