In Talinn in 1919

From Protoball
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Pre-pro Baseball
Magnolia-ball-club.png

Add a Ballgame
Add a Predecessor Game
Add a Field
Add a Club
Add a Player
Add a Game Official

Base Ball Firsts
Add a Base Ball First

About Pre-pro
Waff's Game Tabulation
Bob Tholkes RIM Tabulation

Awaiting Review
Date of Game 1919
Location Talinn, Estonia
Description

U.S. Army Lt. John Thors  first introduced
baseball to Estonia back in 1919. In his memoirs An American Epic (1961), former U.S. President
Herbert Hoover writes: “The only bit of humor from the Baltic was provided by Lieutenant John
Thors who had charge of child relief in Estonia. He reported that upon the arrival of our ship the
Lake Dancey, the captain asked for a field for his crew to determine whether the sailors or the
fire-men had a better baseball team. Thors had a field marked out and decided that he would
charge the Estonians admission to this strange performance. He borrowed a band from the
town and saw to it that full publicity appeared in the press. The sailors and firemen donated
cigarettes to be sold for 1.50 marks a pack – say 25 cents – a reduction of about 80 per cent of
the current price. The band, cigarettes, and baseball game proved a huge success. Lieutenant
Thors counted up 3,200 marks for the Children's Relief.” 

In August, 1923, the crew of the USS Pittsburgh even got a chance to play a game of baseball against a local 
Estonian team, defeating them by a score of 6 to 1. 

Sources

Herbert Hoover, "An American Epic" (1961)

Comment Edit with form to add a comment
Query Edit with form to add a query
Found by Bruce Allardice
First in Location Estonia
Players Locality Non-local



Comments

<comments voting="Plus" />