Throwback Broadcasts

Baseball fans were supposed to be enjoying the 2020 MLB season by now. Home openers for teams including the Cleveland Indians had been scheduled for last week before COVID-19 put all sports on hold.

MLB Network and Sports Time Ohio have been showing classic games and baseball-themed programs to fill the airwaves and give fans their fix. Depending on your age, you might have seen some of the games when they were originally broadcast. But younger fans could be seeing them for the first time.

If you’re stuck at home — and if you’re practicing social distancing you should be home a lot — you can listen to games from wayyyyy back while you tackle all those items on your to-do list that you haven’t had time for.

The Internet Archive has put radio broadcasts of Major League Baseball games online and you can listen to them for free. The available broadcasts all aired before 1974. Broadcasts from games played after that are not yet in the public domain.

The oldest broadcast is the 1934 All-Star Game, played at New York's Polo Grounds. No spoilers here, but among the players in that game were Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx and Carl Hubbell, all Hall of Famers.

The most recent broadcast is Game 7 of the 1973 World Series between the Oakland A’s and New York Mets. This series closed out Willie Mays’ career. 

In between are other World Series, League Championship and All-Star games, the first-ever Mets game broadcast from 1962, the 1951 New York Giants-Brooklyn Dodgers playoff game featuring “The Shot Heard ’Round the World” and the 1948 World Series, the last one our Indians won.

We don’t know when the 2020 baseball season will begin, but it’s safe to assume it won’t be in April. These radio broadcasts, which many (or most) of us have never heard before, could help fill the void. 

Family Trees

What do you do when your blog is about free and low-cost ways to have fun in Northeast Ohio and the whole state shuts down because of a global pandemic?

It’s a challenge. Last week I didn’t post anything as I tried to figure out how to adapt CLE on the Cheap to fit these unprecedented circumstances. I’ve come up with some ideas that I hope will carry us through until social distancing is a thing of the past.

With St. Patrick’s Day and the 2020 U.S. Census on my mind, I came across something interesting on the Cuyahoga County Public Library’s website. The library system is offering the library edition of Ancestry.com for at-home use. All you need is your library card number and a PIN. If you don’t have a Cuyahoga County Public Library card, you can get one online.

I found the site to be really user-friendly. There are census results and birth, marriage and death records for starters. My great-grandparents died long before I was born, but I found my mother’s grandparents’ marriage license from 1884. You can see it here. I was thrilled to find a record of two people I never knew but am connected to nonetheless.

The 1900 Census shows information about my great-grandparents Michael and Julia Joyce and eight children, some of whom I never met or barely remember. My mom’s uncle Ray, a relative I knew and liked, was 4 months old when the census was taken. The 1910 Census shows Michael, Julia and 12 children, ranging in age from 5½ to 25, living in Youngstown, Ohio. I at least know of most of them, but there are a couple of names I don’t recognize. 

Both Michael and Julia emigrated from Ireland before they were married, although Michael was born in England. Michael’s parents, whose names I don’t know, were born in Ireland, according to the records. I’m going to do more digging to see if I can find out something about them.

Since we’re spending more time at home now, this would be a good time to research your own family tree. If relatives from older generations in your family are still living, ask them about their families and other ancestors. This is also a good time to fill out the 2020 Census.     

   

Schedule Change

I had two posts ready to go, one for Friday about Cleveland's St. Patrick's Day parade and the other for next Tuesday about voting on Election Day.

Now that the parade has been canceled because of COVID-19, I'm consolidating those posts into this brief message: If you live in Ohio, please consider voting by mail in the March 17 primary election. Applications for mail-in ballots must be postmarked by noon Saturday, March 14, so there's still time to send yours in.

You can print an application from your county Board of Elections website or pick up a paper application at a local library. The only cost is for postage.

Racial Equity on Film

The Racial Equity and Inclusion Series starts tomorrow night at the Capitol Theatre in Cleveland’s Gordon Square neighborhood. The free film series begins at 6:30 p.m. with “Queen and Slim.” In this drama, a black man and woman on their first date somewhere in Ohio become fugitives after the man kills a police officer in self-defense.

Although admission is free, a $5 donation is suggested. A post-film discussion will take place down the street at XYZ the Tavern with free food and a cash bar. 

The other films in the series are “Always in Season,” which will be shown on April 14, and “Just Mercy” on May 13. 

“Always in Season” looks at the history of lynching through the true story of Lennon Lacy, a black teenager found hanging from a swingset in North Carolina in 2014. “Just Mercy” is based on a true story and stars Michael B. Jordan as a defense attorney fighting for his client’s life while battling racism.

Both of those films will also be screened at 6:30 p.m. followed by a discussion at XYZ the Tavern. Advance tickets for the series are available at the Capitol’s box office or online.

All Things Irish

We gained a day last month and we’re losing an hour Sunday morning. Still, it’s important to make time for fun.

The All Irish Boutique is returning to Rocky River this weekend. Admission is free for this event, which will include a variety of vendors. You’ll find items to show your Irish and/or Cleveland pride, including mugs, glasses and handmade signs.

You’ll also find vendors selling baked goods, tea, shirts, art, accessories and home decor. One vendor is selling sauces and condiments that are sugar free and gluten free. Another is selling dog biscuits.

The event is taking place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at Rocky River Memorial Hall, 21012 Hilliard Blvd. Remember that 11 a.m. will arrive an hour earlier on Sunday than it will on Saturday because we’re “springing ahead” at 2 a.m. 

Entertainment on Saturday will feature performances by dance troupes beginning at 11 a.m. You’ll be sure to see some Irish dancing.

I went to this event last year and bought a few gifts and some delicious scones and jam. I was surprised by the number of vendors and the wide variety of goods for sale. The event was well attended but not overly crowded, at least when my friend Tonya and I were there. 

Parking might be a challenge. Memorial Hall shares a parking area with a few other buildings, including the rec center, the police station and the senior center. Be patient as you look for a spot. People will be coming and going all day. 

Follow the Facebook page to learn about the vendors who will be at this year’s event.