Often referred to as America's pastime, baseball is filled with traditions and rituals that have been passed down through generations. One of the most peculiar and beloved baseball traditions is the 7th Inning Stretch. Fans eagerly await this moment and loudly sing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” but have you ever wondered how this tradition came to be?
Steve Larson has some of the answers!
The son of Duane and Joyce Larson (who owned Falls Supply Company, later Napa Auto Parts), Steve grew up in Thief River Falls, as did his wife Linda Burger. He graduated from Lincoln High School in 1969, (Linda in 1970), attended Northland for two years, received a Communications and Business Administration degree from Bemidji State University, was a sportscaster for ten years, and owned a photography studio for 35 years in Grafton, ND. Steve began collecting baseball cards as a very young boy and has crafted a unique, nostalgic audio/visual story where “cardboard comes to life” through art, stories, and songs – all utilizing Steve's extensive card collection that features baseball but also includes historic moments and various walks of life.
After baseball became a professional sport in the late 1860’s, baseball trading cards began to appear. These were used by various companies to promote their business, even if the advertised products had no connection with baseball. Typically, a trading card of the time featured an image on one side and information advertising the business on the other. With advances in printing, cards began to use photographs, either in black-and-white or sepia, or color artwork, which was not necessarily based on photographs.
Some early baseball cards could be used as part of a game: either a conventional card game or a simulated baseball game. By early 1886, images of baseball players were often included on cigarette cards with cigarette packs and other tobacco products. This was partly for promotional purposes, but the card also helped protect the cigarettes from damage. Baseball cards became a hit with fans, especially children, who got a bonus piece of chewing gum inside packs starting in the early 1930s.
Baseball teams were formed in northwestern Minnesota– sometimes even before our towns were organized – and the rivalries were hotly discussed in local newspaper columns. There were school teams, amateur teams like the Thief River Falls 'Thieves,' and almost every community had a team that played other community teams in the neighborhood. The Pennington County Historical Society has many photographs in its collection including the 1910 baseball team from St. Hilaire and another captioned “Thief River Falls Ladies Baseball Team Champions of Northern Minnesota 1893.” The town of Thief River Falls wasn't even incorporated at that time!
Steve will present the “7th Inning Stretch” on Wednesday, September 25, at the Lincoln High School Auditorium at 7:00 pm. Doors will open at 6:00 pm to give everyone a chance to view and enjoy an exhibit in the Auditorium lobby. Some of the items include a collection of baseball mitts dating back to the 1940’s. If you have unique sports items or cards to share, we would love to include them. Please contact Faye Auchenpaugh at [email protected], 218-6897636, or Chris Mills at [email protected].
We invite every community and school district in northwest Minnesota to this wonderful event made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Northwest Minnesota Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
The event is free but freewill donations will be taken at the door.
Be prepared for an entertaining trip down memory lane and WEAR YOUR FAVORITE BALL CAP!
