May 24, 1935 – A landmark event occurred at the ballpark in Cincinnati, Ohio. President Franklin D. Roosevelt flicked the switch ceremoniously from the Nation’s Capitol and the lights went on for a Major League baseball game for the first time in history!
Despite the neigh-sayers, National League President Ford Frick embraced the technology in a speech while in attendance saying, “One game of course, but the players were not handicapped in any way that I could see and I believe we will have more of it in 1936.”
Very prophetic words indeed as look at the amount of night baseball games played in this era of the sport. The Reds held on to win it 2-1 over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies in front of a crowd of over 20,000. According to a post on OfftheBenchBaseball.com, there are twice as many MLB night games played nowadays as there are daytime versions.
To find more great daily sports history make sure to check out the Sports Jersey Dispatch and Pigskin Dispatch.
More From Sports History Network
The Most Unlikely Super Bowl Champions in NFL History
Most of the NFL’s Super Bowl Champions are winners that you could see coming.
Total Sports Recall – The Return
Welcome to the Total Sports Recall podcast. I’m your host Harv Aronson and this
1981 San Fransisco 49ers: First Super Bowl Victory
The San Francisco 49ers franchise began in 1946 in the All-American Football Conference. The
Monday Night Football Early Years (1985 – 1991)
Before we jump into Monday Night Football from 1985 thru 19991, if you haven’t
Jets vs Bills: Comparing Season Stats Before Week 18
Week 18 puts a familiar AFC East matchup under a different lens. Buffalo plays
Which Team “Could” Have Beaten the 1972 Dolphins?
The 1972 Miami Dolphins established a standard that has not been equaled since. They
Monday Night Football Early Years (1979 – 1984)
Before we jump into Monday Night Football from 1979 thru 1984, if you haven’t
Monday Night Football Early Years (1974 – 1978)
Before we jump into Monday Night Football from 1974 thru 1978, if you haven’t