WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - The Old Ballgame: Let There Be Light

Episode Date: February 1, 2024

A look at baseball's first night games.

Welcome to the old ball game, where we talk about the past of America's favorite pastime. I'm Tate Christensen. Today we talk about the first night game played in the MLB. In 1935, the Cincinnati Reds were a struggling team. They could hardly draw a crowd, averaging about 2,000 fans per game. The idea was presented to bring lights to Cincinnati's Crawley Field in attempt to bring more fans to the game. They thought that bringing in these lights would help the games to be played in the evening or at night so that people could come when they were off work.

On May 24, 1935, a crowd of 20,422 fans gathered to watch the game between the Reds and the Phillies. From Washington, D.C., Franklin D. Roosevelt flipped the ceremonial switch, and lights turned on in Cincinnati, and the game was played. The Reds beat the Phillies 2 to 1 that night, and later in 1935, seven more night games were held in Cincinnati. Night games were later expanded to other teams in other cities. This has been the old ballgame on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM.