In July of 1859, seventy-five young New Orleanians came together to form the seven teams that comprised the Louisiana Base Ball Club. They played their games in the fields of the de la Chaise estate on the outskirts of New Orleans near present-day Louisiana Avenue. As America's population grew through immigration, so did the popularity of what the largest newspaper in New Orleans, the Daily Picayune, called in November of 1860 "the National Game." Baseball quickly replaced cricket as the city's most popular participant sport.
In 1887, local businessmen and promoters secured a minor league...
In July of 1859, seventy-five young New Orleanians came together to form the seven teams that comprised the Louisiana Base Ball Club. They played thei...
On a brisk January morning in 1888, nine young men from Tulane University faced off against nine young men from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge to play base ball. Tulane won 22 to 8 in what was Louisiana's first intercollegiate sporting event, and thus began one of the great sports rivalries in the state's history, a tradition that continues more than a century later. As baseball's popularity grew across America, the game thrived at Tulane, which produced numerous conference champions, scores of professional players, and one president of the American League. Experiencing increased...
On a brisk January morning in 1888, nine young men from Tulane University faced off against nine young men from Louisiana State University in Baton Ro...