Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Vintage Photo of Pregame Festivites of a Navy Relief Game at Ebbets Field


In addition to the photo I shared last week (a Sandy Koufax Hickock Belt photo), I also added a photo from 1942 featuring the May 8th exhibition Baseball game between the Dodgers and Giants to my collection.

As you know, our country was embroiled in WWII, and this game (along with many others throughout the country) was organized to generate funds for the care of returning injured servicemen.  This particular game was to help the Navy Relief Fund.  All attendees payed an admission ticket price; including all participating ballplayers, coaches and umpires.  Then, all proceeds from the game were donated.  In all, they were able to collect $60,000. A photo of a used ticket stub from the event is shown on the right.

In the vintage press photo you can see they are in the midst of the pregame flag raising ceremony.  Per the description attached to the reverse of the photo:
General view during flag-raising ceremony which preceeded today's Navy Relief twilight game between the Dodgers and Giants at Ebbets Field.  Members of the home team stand at attention in foreground.  Some 40,000 fans, all paying an admission price, saw the game.
BTW, the photo is a ACME News Pictures/NEA Type I press photo.  Also, this particular game is notable, besides its assistance to the Navy, for several reasons.  It was the first twilight game in Baseball in 24 years, and it marked the debut of soon-to-be long-time Ebbets Field organist Gladys Gooding.  Gladys was the second organ player ever in a Major League stadium, and would quickly become an important part of the team.

As for who won the game, it was the Dodgers.  They defeated the Giants 7 to 6 on a 7th inning home run by Dolph Camilli.

Below is a scan of the reverse of the press photo.

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