A Call to Arms: Welcome to Goshen & Giddings
Baseball has been a part of Visalia's heritage since 1879. Professional, affiliated baseball has been here since 1946. But no one has really taken the time to compile a collection of Visalia baseball...
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Irish Eyes, the Wild West, and Two Orphans: How Baseball in Visalia Began
Two unidentified members of the Empire Baseball Club of Visalia pose for an 1879 photograph (Click picture for larger version)It might be a stretch to say that baseball in Visalia has its roots in...
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Team Photos: 1947 Visalia Cubs
Click picture for larger versionQuestion: Of all the people in this picture of the 1947 Visalia Cubs, which went on to have the longest Major League career? Hint: it wasn't any of the players.This was...
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Programs from the Past: 1947
This was the front cover of the 1947 Visalia Cubs gameday program. We're not sure who designed the creature that served as the team's mascot for its first few years; it sure was cute, though. Sort of...
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Featured Photo: Intlekofer, Bryson, and Safety Pins
There's a degree of irony in this 1947 picture, but it takes a little research to uncover it. We'll get to that in due time. Meanwhile, do you notice anything strange in the photo? Go ahead, click on...
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Random Gems: Wild Goose Chase
Click image for larger versionWe're not sure exactly what year this picture was taken. It appears to be from the 1950s, and it's certainly no later than 1962 (the last year of the old wooden...
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Programs from the Past: 1948
Click image for larger versionThis was the program for the 1948 Visalia Cubs, and it presents a great array of old-time ads.The dreaded mini-Mouse-Bear makes its return, and is joined by an unnamed...
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Random Gems: Ski Lessons
Click image for larger versionThis 1957 picture shows ski lessons taking place behind the left field wall of Recreation Park. The snowpack was a little light, apparently, but these ladies still seemed...
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Programs from the Past: 1949
Click image for larger versionThe cover of the 1949 Visalia Cubs program features a baseball with an aerial shot of Visalia superimposed on it, which is fairly impressive. The Mouse-Bear has apparently...
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Recreation Park and the The Lavatory of Doom
Click image for larger versionLadies: it's time to play an exciting round of "Would You Use This Restroom?"This was the ladies' room at Recreation Park in 1962. As far as we know, there was no award...
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Visalia's Original Field of Dreams
Click image for larger versionThis is not Recreation Ballpark; it's Athletic Park, and it was Visalia's first enclosed baseball diamond. This picture is not precisely dated, but it appears to be from...
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Programs from the Past: 1950
Click image for larger versionThe cover of the 1950 yearbook is a dramatic shift in style from previous editions, and while it may seem a little boring at first, it's actually an impressive piece of...
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Team Photos: 1949 Visalia Cubs
Click image for larger versionThe 1949 Visalia Cubs won few beauty contests and even fewer ballgames; they lost 98 out of 140 contests, finishing last in the California League. But if you can look at...
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Hawk Harrelson and the 1961 Visalia Athletics
Click image for larger versionEditor's Note: We've been going a bit chronologically with some of our initial posts, but I want to make sure we don't get locked into that as an obligation. So, after...
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We're Famous! Sort Of. Oh, and Happy Holidays.
Click image for larger versionBefore we sign off for 2009, a couple of blogs have linked to us over the last couple days. The boys at Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness gave us a shout-out at the bottom of...
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Random Gems: Baseball Camp at Rec Park, 1950
Click image for larger versionThis terrific shot was taken during the Summer of '50, and features a small flotilla of Visalia kids being instructed on the finer points of pitching by Dom Conteras, who...
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Poppa's Got An Old-School Drag
Click image for larger versionWe don't exactly know the date of this picture. This much is clear: It's definitely Rec Park (see the distinctive light tower in the background?) and it's definitely...
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Vada Pinson and the Big Redleg Machine
Click image for larger versionThe 1957 Visalia Redlegs were, by most objective measures, one of the best teams ever to grace Recreation Park. They featured two future Major Leaguers, one big league vet...
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Programs from the Past: 1951
Click Image for Larger VersionThis was the cover of the Visalia Cubs' 1951 official program. It's interesting to contemplate the fact that baseball was already celebrating 75th anniversaries in the...
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I Love the 80s
Click image for larger versionWell, with posters like this, who wouldn't?I highly recommend clicking on this brilliant image and enjoying it in full, large format. Make sure to take note of every...
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