This is one of my favorite Bloomington pieces. On June 30, 1939 the Pittsburgh Pirates stopped in Peoria (IL - about 35 miles west of Bloomington) for an exhibition game against the Bloomers. Look at the Hall of Famers on the Pirate roster! And a couple of all-time greats in the dugout. It’s probably the closest I’ll get to a Honus Wagner card. The game was played at Woodruff Field - and while the stadium is gone, the LF wall is still there!

Another piece from my Bloomington, IL player collection. Fred Beck played a couple of games for the Bloomers in 1905, and then spent most of 1906-08 with the Bloomers. His best season in the Big Leagues was 1914 with the old Chicago Whales of the Federal League. Anyone know where the Whales played their home games?