The Largest Single Game Crowds in Amateur BaseballHistory

The Los Angeles Dodgers own several major league attendance records, including the largestcrowds to ever watch a regular season game (1958), a World Series game (1959), and an exhibitiongame (2008). However, until the late 1950s, it was games played at Clevelands early 20th centuryBrookside Stadium and at two Olympic sites that drew the largest number of spectators.

Telling's Strollers vs. Hanna's Cleaners, Brookside Stadium, 1914

In 1910, a group of Cleveland business owners formed the Cleveland Baseball Federation to promoteadult baseball. Their efforts were highly successful and by the outbreak of the First World War theOhio City was unofficially recognized as the sandlot baseball capitol of the world.

In September, 1914 two Cleveland teams, Tellings Strollers and Hannas Cleaners, met in a threegame series at Brookside Stadium for the right to advance to the national finals. The teams split thefirst two games. Prior to the third game, the Cleveland Plain Dealer announced that the final gamewould draw "the greatest crowd...ever assembled for any event in Cleveland," predicting that 50,000to 70,000 spectators would attend.

The Plain Dealers estimate may have been conservative. If post-game reports are to be believed,90,000 to 100,000 watched the Strollers defeat Hannas Cleaners 8-3. Unfortunately, the actual sizecould never be accurately determined since admission to the game was free and no attempt wasmade to make an actual head count.

Omaha Lexus vs. Clevelands White Autos, Brookside Stadium, 1915

The baseball attendance record lasted only a year. On October 10, 1915, an Omaha team sponsoredby Krug Brewery of that city met a Cleveland team sponsored by White Motors in the nationalamateur semi-finals, the winner to advance to San Francisco. The error-plagued Nebraska nine lostto the Ohio club 11-6 in a game that the Plain Dealer in a front page story the following day claimeddrew a crowd of 100,000 to 115,000.

Like the game the year before, the attendance figure was only a guesstimate. However, photos atthe Library of Congress of the 1914 game and the 1915 contest leave no doubt that the crowds werehuge. Perhaps, as big as the audiences for two Olympic exhibition games decades later.

The 1936 Berlin Olympics

In 1936 baseball appeared as an Olympic demonstration sport and was to originally feature a gamepitting the United States against Japan. However when the Asian team withdrew, a substitute gamewas arranged between two American squads called the World Champions and the U.S. Olympics.The two teams were organized by former major league player Les Mann.

On August 12 the teams met in a seven inning game in front of more than 90,000 spectators inBerlins Olympic Stadium. The World Champions won the game 6-5 when Les McNeese hit a walk offhome in the bottom of the final inning.

The 1956 Melbourne Olympics

Baseball was revived as a demonstration sport two decades later when the Australian organizers ofthe games suggested a contest between a U.S. team and one made up of Australian players. For theAmerican team, promoter Bill Schroeder decided to choose military personnel who were serving inthe Pacific. The Aussie group consisted of that nations best players, many of whom also excelled atcricket.

On December 1, 1956, the teams squared off at the Melbourne Cricket Ground which also was thevenue for the track and field events. The Americans prevailed 11-6 in a game shortened to sixinnings. Although only a few thousand fans were present at the start of the game, by its end thecrowd had increased to 114,000.

This figure is still the attendance record for a single amateur baseball contest. Unfortunately, therecord must be accompanied by an asterisk since most of the 100,000 plus later arrivals had actuallycome to watch the track events that immediately followed the game.

Sources: Omaha World-Herald, June 20, 2008Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 3, 2007Baseball-reference.com

http://suite101.com/the-largest-single-game-crowds-in-amateur-baseball-history-a251577