America's pastime: Historic images of baseball

As baseball season kicks off, a look back at the sport's past. Read on to see historic photographs of amateur players and future Hall-of-Famers.

Bobby Wheelock, Boston Beaneaters, baseball card portrait, ca. 1887-1890

African American baseball team, Danbury, Conn., 1880.

The New York Metropolitans baseball team in 1882 posed for a studio portrait, wearing white uniforms with neckties.

Denton True "Cy" Young wearing a Boston Americans baseball team uniform, 1902

Unnamed baseball player, ca. 1909-1919

Washington Nationals pitcher Walter Johnson, March 1, 1911

Honus Wagner, wearing a Pittsburgh baseball team uniform and glove, poised to catch a baseball, 1911

Unnamed baseball players, ca. 1909-1919

Christy Matthewson and Walter Johnson, New York National League and Washington American League, 1912

Boston (American League) vs. New York (National League) at Polo Grounds during World Series, 1912

Grover Cleveland Alexander, Philadelphia National League, 1912

Hick Cady of the Boston Red Sox wins a foot race with Jack O'Brien (Boston Red Sox trainer, pin shorts, partially obscured) and teammate Buck O'Brien (looking to his right) at Fenway Park, Boston, Sept. 25, 1912

Pittsburgh baseball team, 1907

Charles Ebbets, owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, 1910

Chinese baseball team, Honolulu, 1910

Ty Cobb, Detroit Tigers, baseball card portrait, 1912

Water baseball, 1914

Baseball game, Anchorage, July 4, 1915

Audience at a professional baseball game, ca. 1915-1917

Group of men raising large American flag on opening day of the baseball season, Ebbets Field, April 14, 1914

Babe Ruth, 1919

The Brooklyn baseball club (Brooklyn Dodgers), 1913

Playground baseball game, 1918

Original caption: "Umpire Nallan ready to make the call as Washington catcher Hank Severeid awaits ball while New York Yankee Lou Gehrig slides into home plate during baseball game."
1925 or 1926

Women's baseball

Original caption: Washington fans are strong for "Uncle Nick Altrock" and therefore the War Risks have Dot Meloy in training as a side line entertainer. Nick is teaching her a few of his stunts.
June 10, 1920

Orioles baseball team, 1921

Men playing baseball, 1921

Members of the Republican team of the House of Representatives parading with an elephant before the start of House of Representatives baseball game at American League park, 1926

Original caption: "A million dollar base-ball flesh is represented in these sluggers of the two All- Star Teams which met in the 1937 game at Griffith Stadium today. Left to right: Lou Gehrig, Joe Cronin, Bill Dickey, Joe DiMaggio, Charley Gehringer, Jimmie Foxx, and Hank Greenberg."
Washington D.C., July 7, 1937

Library of Congress/The Sporting News Pub. Co.

Joe DiMaggio, of the New York Yankees, about to kiss his signature baseball bat, 1941

Saturday morning baseball game at the Farm Security Administration migratory farm labor camp, Robstown, Texas, January 1942

Coast Guardsman from the icebreaker Northwind playing baseball in sub-zero sunshine on shore-fast ice in the Bering Sea, 1953