| Oakland Oaks Baseball Season Opens (1918) |
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Has anyone seen this clip? Amazing that something like this is still around for our enjoyment. I wonder were it came from. I'd like to know if there are others like it in an archive somewhere. I dug up some info. If you look close there is a female in a PCL Oakland Oaks baseball uniform. The banner in the film reads "Doraldina" Pitcher and "Pop Anson " Catcher. Doraldina was a well-known dancer of the era. Pop was a well known 20th century ball player, better known as Cap Anson. Also many of the Oakland Oaks are wearing a Red Cross. The Red Cross was a big deal. This was 1918 and WWI was in full swing. The war almost destroyed baseball the year before. Question was, "was baseball vital to the was effort." The general thinking in 1918 was that baseball could be viewed as unpatriotic. These able bodied men should either be in the armed services or building ships to help the war effort. Here you see the Oaks trying to aid in the war effort. The proceeds from the days gum and candy sales were to be given to the Red Cross. Check out the dog, "To Hound the Kaiser". That is funny. Sure there is a story behind dressing up the dog with flags.This is a rare look into what baseball was in the early days. Imagine what this was like to be at a game between the Oakland Oaks and San Francisco Seals. (Source )
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