Dayton Baseball in Action…

Daytonians were no strangers to baseball. Over the years, the city has been home to many teams, both amateur and semi-professional. Back in the day, not only did every school have their own team, but so did most of the larger corporations and factories. Factories like National Cash Register, Dayton Metal Products, Frigidaire, and the Gebhart Folding Box Company all had company teams that played throughout the city. Organizations like the Y.M.C.A., the Dayton State Hospital and the Buz Fuz Club all fielded teams that would practice and play against each other throughout the summer months as well. At the professional and semi-professional levels, teams like the Dayton Gem City’s, Dayton Indians, Dayton Ducks, Dayton Marcos (Negro National League), and more recently the Dayton Dragons have called our fair city home. Pictured here is an unidentified outfielder, sporting a pin-striped uniform, as he jumps to catch a ball in flight. Signs along the fence row advertise local businesses like Anchor Paints, Olt Bros. Brewing Company and Coca-Cola, dating this photograph to the early 1900s. This photograph is from the William Preston Mayfield/Marvin Christian Collection at Dayton History.

To see other historical images from our collection, search our Digital Photo Archive.