A Winning Trifecta: Baseball, New York, and Italians

During the 1920s, 30s, and 40s, major league baseball games could be heard on selected radio stations. Fans listened eagerly to the announcer’s calls of balls and strikes, double plays, and home runs. During the 1950s, television sets became more common in U.S. households. Televised sporting events added a visual experience to viewers of professional boxing, horse racing, and baseball.

The phrase “America’s Pastime” became synonymous with baseball. Television helped promote the game of baseball to millions of fans who were unable to watch games live in major cities. Baseball’s slow-moving pitcher and batter duels also suited the medium of early television. Home spectators could easily follow the game without having to view all the players on the field. With the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field, the Giants at the Polo Grounds, and the Yankees playing in the “House That Ruth Built,” New York City became baseball’s metropolis. The city showcased superstars Mickey Mantle, “Duke” Snider, and Willie Mays, who became household names and were idolized by millions of fans.

The sons of Italian immigrants who migrated to the five boroughs of New York City had a profound…