Baseball in Columbus (OH) (Images of Baseball)

In the spring of 1865, the first spring after the end of the Civil War, three baseball clubs were founded in downtown Columbus. This local enthusiasm for the game reflected the national trend during the post-war era, when baseball, or "base ball" as it was called, was spreading rapidly throughout the United States. Baseball in Columbus begins with these earliest baseball pioneers and tells the story of the national pastime in the capital city right up to the present-day Columbus Clippers of the International League. Columbus first made the "big leagues" in 1883 with the Columbus Buckeyes of the American Association, and local fans have embraced the city's teams and players ever since. Several of baseball's greats once wore a Columbus uniform during their minor league careers, including Enos Slaughter, Joe Garagiola, Harvey Haddix, Willie Stargell, Derek Jeter, and Bernie Williams.

Author James R. Tootle, Ph.D., is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) and its 19th Century Committee. He is active in the Vintage Base Ball Association, Thurber House, and the Ohio Historical Society. A lifetime Columbus resident and longtime assistant dean at The Ohio State University.