NEWS
RELEASE
Oakland Museum of California
www.museumca.org
10TH & OAK STREETS
OAKLAND, CA 94607
For additional information:
Elizabeth Whipple
510/238-3402, M-F, MEDIA ONLY
PUBLIC CALLS: 510/238-2200
ewhipple@museumca.org
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
7 September 2005
“Baseball As America” opens Sept. 17 at Oakland Museum of California
Dynamic public programs offered through run of exhibition
PDFs require Adobe Acrobat Reader
Baseball As America, the first major exhibition to examine the relationship between the national pastime and American culture, comes to the Oakland Museum of California September 17, 2005–January 22, 2006. Organized by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, in Cooperstown, New York, Baseball As America is on a four-year, 10-city nationwide tour. The national tour is sponsored by Ernst & Young.
The museum will support and expand the Hall of Fame’s rich history and iconic objects with programs for all ages, interests (fan or not), and communities. Most of the programs are included with museum admission.
PROGRAMS
Untold Stories: Baseball and the Multicultural Experience
Saturday, September 17, 7–9 p.m.
An evening of stories about baseball figures who overcame ethnic and
racial barriers to succeed. KGO TV’s Martin Wyatt interviews the legendary Negro Leagues
player Buck
O'Neil, age 93. Journalist Marcos Bretón, photographer José Luis
Villegas, and historian Kerry Yo Nakagawa of the Nisei Baseball Research Project
discuss the history of Latino and Asian ballplayers, respectively. Program takes
place at the museum, second level, and includes book signings with O’Neil
and Villegas after. The exhibition will stay open until 10 p.m. $10; $8 members.
Tickets for this event and timed tickets to the exhibition are available at
the museum or online at www.museumca.org/tickets.
Book Talk: What’s My Name, Fool? Sports and Resistance
in the United States
Monday, September 19, 7–9 p.m.
Noted sportswriter Dave Zirin (The Nation, Air America Radio) will discuss
his new book, What’s My Name, Fool? Sports and Resistance in the United States.
The title comes from a famous taunt by Muhammad Ali—a man who epitomizes
the outspoken athlete. Zirin's essays highlight several other courageous and
controversial 20th century sports figures, including Jackie Robinson, Curt Flood,
and John Carlos. Book signing to follow. The lecture is free. Space is limited.
In partnership with the Oakland Public Library’s “Conversations of
Conscience” series.
Pacific Coast League Players'
Reunion
Saturday, September 24, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
In the morning meet former PCL players, including Billy Raimondi. An
afternoon panel discusses the 1949 PCL barnstorming trip to Japan and
the career of legendary
McClymonds High School coach George Powles. Included with museum admission.
Field of Dreams
Saturday, October 1, 12–4 p.m.
The museum gardens will become your field of dreams for a day. Watch
girls' softball pitching demonstrations and get invaluable tips from
the players, test your fastball
speed at the fast-pitch radar machine, have your picture taken in a vintage uniform,
and call the plays in a make-believe announcer's booth. A storyteller from DEAF
Media will explain how hand signals were developed for a deaf batter more than
a hundred years ago. Watch film clips of historic World Series games. Bring in
your baseball memorabilia for appraisal. Treat yourself to “Top Dog” baseball
fare. Included with museum admission.
A Tribute to the Negro Leagues
Friday, October 7, 7–10 p.m.
Listen to fascinating stories of the Negro Leagues with Raymond Doswell,
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum curator, in conversation with baseball
greats Mamie "Peanut" Johnson,
Neale "Bobo" Henderson, and Ross “Satch” Davis. Arif Khatib,
founder of the African American Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame, reviews Oakland’s
history in the Negro Leagues. (Oakland Larks caps will be available.) The Savage
Jazz Dance Company premieres “Barnstormin’,” commissioned for
the occasion. Plus the films Only the Ball Was White, narrated by Paul Winfield,
and There Was Always Sun Shining Someplace, and a videotaped interview with Buck
O’Neil. Negro League memorabilia for sale. With the African American Ethnic
Sports Hall of Fame and the African American Museum and Library Coalition. Included
with museum admission.
Latinos in Baseball
Friday, November 4, 7–9 p.m.
Hear the real stories of Latinos in major and minor league baseball.
Retired SF Giant Tito Fuentes talks with journalist Glenn Dickey and
broadcaster Amaury
Pi-Gonzalez. Bid on Latino baseball memorabilia at a silent auction. Presented
with the Hispanic Baseball Museum. Included with museum admission.
The Globalization of Baseball—More Than Just America's Game
Sunday, November 20, 2–4 p.m.
More talent is coming from Latin America, Asia, Australia, and Europe, as the
number of native-born Americans playing in the major leagues declines. Jules
Tygiel, author of Baseball’s Great Experiment: The Legacy of Jackie Robinson,
and broadcaster Amaury Pi-Gonzalez will be among the guests in a panel discussion
of what this means for the future of baseball. Included with museum admission.
Matty: An Afternoon with Christy Mathewson
Sunday, November 27, 2–4 p.m.
Bring the whole family to see Eddie Frierson’s acclaimed portrayal
of Christy “Matty” Mathewson,
the turn-of-the-century pitching legend whose humor, intelligence, and love of
the game made him a role model for kids. With a lifetime 373 wins, 83
shutouts, and more than 2,500 strikeouts,
Mattewson was among the first players to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of
Fame, in 1936. Included with museum admission.
Facing Baseball's Future—Issues Confronting the Game
Friday, January 6, 7–9 p.m.
Along with baseball’s popularity and increased attendance and media
coverage, the sport faces problems: performance enhancing drugs, threats
of work stoppages,
and the increase in foreign stars and decline in the numbers of Americans in
the pros. Panelists include Alan Klein, author of Sugarball: The American
Game,
the Dominica Dream, and Neil Hayes, columnist for the Contra Costa Times. Included
with museum admission.
Safe at Home: Oaklanders Who Changed the Game
Sunday, January 15, 2–5 p.m.
A tribute to the late George Powles, the McClymonds High School coach
who influenced the lives of Frank Robinson, Curt Flood, and Bill Russell,
among others. The
event includes celebrity greats and family of some of the stars who were guided
by Powles, as well as members of Powles’s family. Included with museum
admission.
Timed tickets to Baseball As America are available at the museum (no surcharge)
or online at www.museumca.org/tickets.
The Oakland Museum of California is located at Oak and 10th Streets
in downtown Oakland, one block from the Lake Merritt BART. Museum hours
for Baseball As America are Wednesday through Friday, 10 to 5; first Friday of the month, 10 a.m. to
9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 to 8; Sunday, noon to 6. Admission is $8 general, $5 for
students with ID and seniors, and free for members and
kids five and under.
Major sponsorship of Baseball As America at the Oakland Museum of California
is provided by the Oakland Museum Women’s Board, with additional funding
from the Wells Fargo Foundation and the Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund. Media
sponsors: KTVU TV, San Francisco Chronicle, KNBR, SF Giants, and Oakland A’s.
Take BART to the show!
Media Advisory
High-resolution images from Baseball As America, The Latino
Baseball Story, Oakland’s Coach, and the public programs are available
at www.museumca.org/press_images/press_baseballimages.html (password
required)
Contact Elizabeth Whipple at 510/637-0177 or ewhipple@museumca.org for
details.
