Photograph

Well before the year 1900, baseball was already known as the American national game. Once a simple pastime for boys, it evolved in the 19th century into a commercialized spectator amusement operated by promoters and played by professionals within a nationwide, monopolistic structure called Organized Baseball. The game's history reflects much of the concurrent history of the United States, and American interest in the game has grown exponentially since its beginnings. In the early 20th century, small town teams often posed for formal team photographs, and such is the case with the Marlborough, NY, team pictured here. Its is interesting to note that they chose to spell the name in a shortened version on their jerseys--"Marlboro" was likely long enough. Even though their britches are more padded than today's version, they are still quite recognizeable.