stLouISTNew Missouri History Museum exhibit celebrates everything from the Cardinals and Browns to corkball, neighborhood ballgames, and more.
If you’re a regular reader of Cork & Fuzz, chances are you already know there’s a whole lot more to baseball in St. Louis than the Cardinals. Sure, we’ve got a long and storied major league history, but we’ve also got our own homegrown versions of the national pastime, from corkball and fuzzball to bottle caps, Indian ball, sandlot baseball, and just about anything else involving a bat, a ball, and a few people looking to have some fun.
Well, here’s something that ought to be right up our alley.
The Missouri History Museum in Forest Park has just opened a new exhibition called St. Louis at Bat: 100 Moments in Baseball History, and it looks like a real treat for anyone interested in the history of baseball in our fair city, especially those of us who appreciate the game’s less celebrated, grassroots traditions.
The exhibit opened October 3 and runs through September 7, 2027. Best of all, admission is absolutely free!
More Than Just the Cardinals
The exhibit was put together to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Cardinals’ first World Series championship in 1926, but it reaches well beyond the Redbirds. In fact, it covers more than 165 years of baseball history in St. Louis, going all the way back to the city’s first known baseball game in 1860, when the Cyclones and Morning Stars squared off at Fairground Park.
There’s plenty of major league history, of course, including the old St. Louis Browns, the Cardinals’ many championship seasons, and some of the legendary players who helped make this one of America’s great baseball towns.
But there’s also a much broader story being told here, one that includes the St. Louis Stars of the Negro Leagues, women’s baseball, neighborhood ballfields, local sporting goods manufacturers, and the generations of ordinary folks who’ve played the game in one form or another.
And that’s where things get especially interesting for Cork & Fuzz readers.
Corkball Gets Its Due!
One of the things I’m most excited about is that the exhibit includes the history of corkball, our very own St. Louis variation of baseball.
For those unfamiliar with the game, corkball is played with a small ball and a narrow bat, traditionally without baserunning. It’s been a fixture of St. Louis neighborhoods for generations, particularly on the city’s south side, where backyard and alley games eventually gave rise to organized leagues and dedicated corkball courts.
It’s the sort of game that could only have developed the way it did through people improvising with whatever space and equipment they had available. And that’s a big part of what makes these local bat-and-ball traditions so fascinating.
The exhibit also features the Skibbe Wiffleball League, which got its start in a Manchester backyard and has grown into what is recognized as the country’s longest-running Wiffleball league.
These are exactly the kinds of stories I love seeing preserved. They may not have the name recognition of Stan Musial or Bob Gibson, but they’re an important part of our local sporting heritage just the same.
And while I haven’t seen confirmation that fuzzball, bottle caps, or Indian ball are specifically represented in the exhibit, they’re all part of that same wonderful tradition of adapting baseball to whatever circumstances happen to present themselves.
A Whole Lot of Baseball Memorabilia
Naturally, there’ll be plenty of historic artifacts to check out, too. Among the items on display are a championship pin awarded to Browns pitcher Dave Foutz in 1886, a jersey associated with the legendary St. Louis Stars, Bill White’s 1964 World Series championship ring, and even a piece of the jersey David Freese wore during his unforgettable Game 6 performance in the 2011 World Series.
There’s also material covering the contributions of St. Louis-based Rawlings and The Sporting News, both of which played major roles in shaping the game nationally.
The exhibit includes photographs, archival materials, uniforms, bats, gloves, baseballs, and other memorabilia that help tell the story of how baseball became such an important part of life here.
Baseball Belongs to Everybody
What I especially like about the whole idea behind this exhibit is its recognition that baseball history isn’t just about professional athletes, big stadiums, and championship trophies.
It’s also about the kids playing ball in vacant lots, the neighborhood corkball leagues, the backyard Wiffleball games, and the adults who still get together on weekends to play a little sandlot baseball simply because they love the game.
That’s something I’ve always appreciated about these oddball variations of baseball. You don’t need nine players on each side, expensive equipment, or even a proper baseball diamond. Sometimes all you need is a broomstick, a homemade ball, a few friends, and a little imagination.
And those games have histories worth remembering, too.
It’s encouraging to see the Missouri Historical Society giving some of these traditions the attention they deserve alongside the more familiar stories of professional baseball.
Here’s the Scoop
St. Louis at Bat: 100 Moments in Baseball History
Where: Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., in Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri
When: October 3, 2026–September 7, 2027
Admission: FREE!
Museum hours:
- Tuesday–Wednesday: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
- Thursday: 10 a.m.–8 p.m.
- Friday–Sunday: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
- Closed Mondays (check for holiday exceptions).
More information: Missouri Historical Society — St. Louis at Bat
The museum also offers special programs and events associated with its exhibitions, so be sure to check its website for the latest schedule before heading over.
Whether you’re a diehard Cardinals fan, a student of baseball history, an old corkball player, or somebody who just enjoys knocking a ball around with a stick every now and then, this sounds like an exhibit well worth checking out.
I’m especially glad to see some of our local backyard and neighborhood games getting a little recognition. After all, baseball has always been about more than what happens inside a big-league ballpark.
Sometimes the best games happen in an alley, a backyard, or an empty lot with a handful of friends.
Play ball!
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