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Baseball's Influence on the development of Springfield still evident today

Late 1800s baseball team photo
University of Illinois Press
Ballists, Dead Beats and Muffins — Inside Early Baseball in Illinois by Robert D. Sampson
book cover
University of Illinois Press

Historian and author, Dr. Robert D. Sampson, discusses early baseball in Illinois. The epidemic growth immediately follows the Civil War, where local teams and civic ambition went hand in hand, and the game mirrored many of society’s ills. Sampson is the author of Ballists, Dead Beats, and Muffins — Inside Early Baseball in Illinois.

Randy Eccles enjoys talking with community members and joining them in becoming informed citizenry. Please reach out at randy.eccles@nprillinois.org.
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