Baseball and Softball

Resources are listed in alphabetical order. More information can always be found by using our website search bar, or contacting a member of our staff.

Articles

A small selection of Pages from our Past articles written by Bill Kemp

8 items

Bloomers had some success against big league clubs

On Jun. 23, 1916, the minor league Bloomington Bloomers hosted the major league Chicago White S...

Article

Bloomers photo features bevy of big leaguers

A single photograph can open a door into a lost world. This Bloomington Bloomers team photo, fo...

Article

Bloomington’s Cliff Carroll 19th century baseball standout

With Major League Baseball’s spring training well underway in the warmer, sunnier climes of Flo...

Article

Catcher’s mitt tells story of big leaguer ‘Butch’ Henline

The collections of the McLean County Museum of History include some 20,000 objects, and everyon...

Article

Cuban ‘Chico’ Hernandez star of 1938 Bloomers

Well before Jackie Robinson broke the Major League Baseball color line in 1947. Latin Americans...

Article

Indoor baseball once popular winter pastime

Part of baseball’s attraction as the National Pastime is the sport’s inextricable connection to...

Article

Thrilling World Series captivated nation back in 1926

Football, it’s been clear for several decades now, is the national pastime, having assumed the ...

Article

‘Pop’ Dillon of Normal found baseball success in LA

Bloomington-Normal’s ties to the national pastime are long and deep. Most famously, National Ba...

Article

Biographies

4 items

Cheney, Owen Lee

Owen Lee Cheney (1846-1911) was a quixotic man in his quest for fame, fortune, and new experien...

Biography

Fischer, Melinda

Melinda Fischer’s career as a nationally renowned softball coach mirrors the broader trajectory...

Biography

Kirkpatrick, Charles

Much of the information about Charles Kirkpatrick’s life comes from an autobiographical intervi...

Biography

Radbourn, Charles "Old Hoss"

Charles Radbourn was born on December 11, 1854 in Rochester, New York. He was the son of Charl...

Biography

Blog

10 items

Cooksville Ball Club 1908

Back in the early 20th century baseball was not only the National Pastime but the National Obse...

Blog Post

Fans Field, South Bloomington Aerial, 1938

This photo recalls the Bloomers, Bloomington’s professional minor league team that played in th...

Blog Post

I beg to differ … Waterloo v. Bloomers, July 6, 1938

From 1901 to 1939, Bloomington was home to the Bloomers of the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League. He...

Blog Post

McHistory: Baseball ban a dark day for some in Bloomington

McHistory goes back in time to explore big moments and small stories from McLean County history...

Blog Post

McHistory: Bloomington’s Unsung Baseball Great

McHistory goes back in time to explore big moments and small stories from McLean County history...

Blog Post

Normal Sanitary Dairy baseball uniform donated to Museum

The Museum recently received a Normal Sanitary Dairy baseball uniform worn during the late 1930...

Blog Post

Photo of the Week, 15: Play Ball!

Seen here is the Junior American League baseball team sponsored by J. Stern Furniture Co,. som...

Blog Post

Photo of the Week, 41: We’re Number One!

Museum to Sell Replica Redbird Cap from 1969 Championship Season On June 6, 1969, Illinois St...

Blog Post

Photo of the Week, 69: Ready, Set, Go!

Bloomington High School baseball team, 1947The district champions charge off the bench for a wa...

Blog Post

Play Ball! Cooksville, 1909

McLean County’s smaller communities, including the Village of Cooksville, once fielded competit...

Blog Post

Finding Aids

5 items

Baseball Collection

View the finding aid for our archival baseball collection...

Finding Aid

Charles (“Old Hoss”) Radbourn

Charles (“Old Hoss”) Radbourn was born in Rochester N.Y. December 11, 1854. In 1855, the Radbou...

Finding Aid

Floyd, Arthur Softball Collection

Arthur Floyd (1900-1988) was an insurance agent for the Industrial Casualty Co. In private life...

Finding Aid

Pistole, Richard

Richard “Dick” Pistole was born in Heyworth, IL. After graduating from Heyworth High School, Pi...

Finding Aid

Softball Collection

The collection includes yearbooks, programs, scorebooks, schedules, and other items relating to...

Finding Aid

Videos

2 items

Ballists, Dead Beats, and Muffins: Inside Early Baseball in Illinois

Video

Charles “Old Hoss” Radbourn performed by Rhys Lovell

Video

Working for a Living

Digital Exhibit

1 item

Entertaining the Crowds

A few of McLean County residents used their creative energies to provide entertainment to a bro...

Digital Exhibit