We take baseball on TV for granted these days. In fact, I’m watching a game on TV as I write this post. For much of the 20th century, baseball was a radio game. Baseball on TV became popular in the 1960’s and flourished with cable TV and other media.
So when did “baseball on TV” start? The answer is 1939. It was a game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Brooklyn Dodgers. By the way, Red Barber called the game and Brooklyn won 5-2.
The game was broadcast from New York City’s Empire State Building, completed just eight years earlier, and could be seen in homes up to 50 miles away.
