Television

From BR Bullpen

The first televised baseball game was a college game between Princeton University and Columbia University on May 17, 1939. The first televised major league game took place on August 26, 1939 in a contest between the Reds and the Dodgers. Red Barber announced the game, which was witnessed by more spectators in the stands than on TV. It was broadcast on NBC. The 1947 World Series was the first such Series to be televised. In 1951, CBS aired the first MLB game in color. Television devastated many areas of baseball, especially the minor leagues. Fans did not turn out to see the local club when they could watch a major-league team on television and most minor leagues folded during the course of the '50s, baseball's dark era. The increased attention on the majors increased the star power of that time's players like Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays and Ted Williams. There have been several TV programs devoted to baseball which did not focus on the game itself, such as Home Run Derby.

Television also helped certain baseball players increase their visibility. Don Drysdale and other players appeared as themselves (as celebrities) in a number of programs in the 1950's and 1960's. Buck O'Neil is perhaps the most notable player who earned his celebrity status from television instead of his performance as an adequate first baseman in the Negro Leagues. Based on his role in the documentary Baseball (documentary) by Ken Burns, some later argued that he belonged in the Hall of Fame, quite an impact.