Reading's Big League Exhibition Games

by Brian C. Engelhardt

Overview

While Reading may be known today for the Fightin' Phils, it has also been the site of 72 games played by 17 major—league franchises and barnstorming teams since 1874. Among the teams that have played in these exhibition games are the Philadelphia Phillies, Philadelphia Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Giants, and St. Louis Cardinals, along with appearances by baseball greats Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Mike Schmidt, Ernie Banks, and Rogers Hornsby. Reading fans have looked on as both the 1906 Phillies and A's tried to catch a bunny on the field mid—game, cheered for Christy Mathewson's shutouts, sang Happy Birthday to Pete Rose, and watched Shoeless Joe Jackson hit a home run.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467133807
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	08/10/2015
Series:	Images of Baseball
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 6.40(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Brian C. Engelhardt is a Reading historian and regular contributor to the Historical Review of Berks County, as well as publications from the Society of American Baseball Research. He has gathered photographs from the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Berks County Historical Society, the Reading Fightin' Phils, and other private collections.

Table of Contents

Foreword 6

Acknowledgments 7

Introduction 8

1 When Dinosaurs Roamed the Base Paths 13

2 If You Build It, Some of Them Will Come (If You Have a Good Team) 37

3 Let George Field Do It 69

4 If You Build It, Maybe Someone Will Move a Team Here 75

5 All Phillies, All the Time 87