On the second floor of the National Museum of American History in Washington, DC, is an exhibit called, “American Stories.” According to the museum’s website, in this exhibit, visitors “[f]ollow a timeline of American history through objects that highlight both new and familiar stories.” What makes this exhibit particularly interesting is that at the entrance of the exhibit, is a display case containing a glove, cap, and cleats that Willie Mays wore during his time with the San Francisco Giants. According to the museum’s curator of popular culture and sports:
‘When someone sees these items, there are three things that he or she should take away. That Mays was a great baseball player, that Mays was African-American, and that, with the Barack Obama quote which is included with the exhibit, that Mays was important to many Americans. When President Obama presented Willie Mays with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015, Obama said that it was ‘because of giants like Willie that someone like me could even think of running for president.’’
The artifacts on display in the “American Stories” exhibit are part of a much larger baseball collection maintained by the museum. Though a small portion of the current exhibits at the museum, it is great to see baseball represented – especially when the exhibit includes one of the greats, like Willie Mays!
~ baseballrebecca
The Baseball Sociologist 