First Pitch At Cardines On July 4 Packs More Than Memories

NEWPORT, RI - From U.S Naval War College: The Newport Gulls in close collaboration with Naval History and Heritage Command and Naval War College will honor a historic baseball game that took place on July 4, 1918 between U.S. Army and Navy service members by throwing out a symbolic first pitch.

The first pitch, similar to that originally thrown by King George V at Stamford Bridge in London a century ago, will kick off the Gulls’ game at the historic Cardines Field in downtown Newporton July 4 at 6:30 p.m. The actual baseball, signed by King George V, can be viewed at Newport’s own Naval War College Museum.

In addition, the original baseball program as used by Adm. William S. Sims during the historic Army-Navy game in London will be on display along with an inscribed commemorative pocket watch, as presented to Machinist Mate First Class John “Jack” Egan by King George V on the 4th of July 1918. For the first time in the century since the ballgame of 1918, these important artifacts will appear together at the Naval War College Museum.

The first pitch will be thrown by Dr. Nat Sims, the grandson of Adm. William S. Sims, who at the time served as commander, U.S. Naval Forces in Europe and was the driving force behind the establishment of baseball games during that period of time. The effort was to bring together various groups of people to focus on the enemy.

In addition to Dr. Sims, two other grandchildren of the Navy baseball players will participate in the ceremonial first pitch. Great grandson of the Navy catcher, Ensign Charles Fairchild Fuller, Mr. Fuller Cowles, will stand in to receive the first pitch from Dr. Sims. The great-grandson of Navy left fielder, Petty Officer John “Jack” Egan, Mr. John DeGraff, will also participate in the ceremonial first pitch.

In anticipation of the 4 th of July 2018 centenary ballgame, the Naval War College Museum will open a display about the centenary of the historic Army-Navy ballgame of 1918 in the Newport Visitor’s Center adjacent to Cardines Field. Among the oldest ballparks in the United States and which is named after U.S. Army Private Bernardo Cardines who was killed in action in September of 1918.

Background:
As the United States mobilized for the First World War, baseball loomed large in the American effort on the domestic front and abroad. Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces in Europe, issued orders for Navy warships to establish baseball teams to play Army teams on the western front to rally Anglo-American collaboration in Europe.

"Admiral Sims was a very creative strategic thinker," observed Dr. David Kohnen, Director of the John B. Hattendorf Center for Maritime Historical Research and the Naval War College Museum."Many British viewed the American forces with skepticism and American troops were sometimes portrayed in British newspapers as an invading force."

For this reason, Sims used the Anglo-American Baseball League to demonstrate the uniquely American "national pass time" of baseball. "Not only did baseball provide a diversion from the horrors of war," Kohnen observed, "but baseball also demonstrated a unique American identity through baseball.”

Notably, King George V took great interest in American baseball. He referred to the game as being symbolic of the reconstitution of transatlantic relations. Given British enthusiasm for American baseball, Sims unleashed his Navy baseball team of major league “ringers” during the Anglo-American Baseball League series against Army in the spring of 1918. “Typical of the Navy,” Naval War College Museum Director Ryan Meyer noted, “tradition runs deep and baseball is one of our greatest American traditions, which King George V clearly understood on the 4th of July in 1918.”

Navy dominated the series -- earning gold watches inscribed to mark their victory and a signed baseball from King George V. The signed baseball, later given to President Woodrow Wilson, is on display at the Naval War College Museum. Visitors may see the original King George V baseball, the inscribed pocket watch presented to Petty Officer Jack Egan, and the original baseball scorecard kept by Adm. William S. Sims at the Naval War College Museum, which will be open daily between 10:00 and 4:30.

You can find out what’s new at the Naval War College Museum on Facebook and by following their blog – Soundings in Narragansett Bay’s Naval History. One of nine official Department of the Navy Museums, the Naval War College Museum collects, preserves, and exhibits artifacts and documents dating from the 1500s to the present day to interpret the naval history of Narragansett Bay, the Naval War College, and the history of naval strategy. For more information, visit www.usnwc.edu/museum or call 401-841-7276.

Image via U.S. Naval War College