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Bart Kaufman Field is Indiana University's current and most recent baseball stadium.  This stadium began its construction in March of 2012 and was dedicated in honor of donor Bart Kaufman was April 27, 2013.  The stadium has a capacity of 2,500 people and has hosted two NCAA Tournaments regional quarterfinals. This entry contains a digital exhibit of Indiana University's baseball history created by students in IU professor Ke Chin-Hsia's course. 

Prior to taking this trip to the south, the team had a pretty good idea of what Eddie Whitehead would face if he would go on this trip with the IU Baseball team. At this point in time, the Gary Post Tribune reported that, “...four Indiana Schools- Indiana, Notre Dame, Butler and Purdue- agreed on a policy of refusing to play any teams which require racial or religious segregation" (“Hoosiers Answer Dixie's Curbs," 1956). Despite this agreement, IU decided to follow-through on their contracts, which they already made, for this Florida baseball trip. In Florida, the law “barred games between amateur teams of mixed races” (“Hoosiers Answer Dixie's Curbs," 1956), forcing IU to exclude Eddie Whitehead. It should be noted that Florida State University had previously played against, “negroes of other colleges away from home” (McGrotha, 1956), according to the Indianapolis Times. Still, they refused to play against Whitehead on their home turf for fear that they might upset politicians because they are a state institution. Despite the unequal treatment that Eddie Whitehead would face, coach Ernie Andres claimed that he was with Whitehead everywhere he went. When Whitehead was forced to eat in the hotel dining room kitchen in Tennessee, coach Andres said, “I ate in the kitchen with him” (Hudson, 1997). In Florida, Whitehead was forced to stay in a dormitory at Florida A&amp;M, a Historically Black College, and practice with their team. While the rest of the IU baseball team stayed in, “one-time Air Force barracks” (McGrotha, 1956), at Florida State University, Whitehead stayed in a new dormitory at Florida A&amp;M. Whitehead agreed saying, “It is a nice dormitory. Very much like the quad where we stay back at Indiana” (McGrotha, 1956). According to that same Indianapolis Times article, “...before the game, he worked out with Florida A&amp;M…and while his teammates opened their baseball season…Eddie Whitehead sat across the stands of Centennial Field watching Florida A&amp;M play Alabama A&amp;M,” (McGrotha, 1956). IU baseball coach Andres said, “we thought it would be better for Eddie to work out with A&amp;M rather than come here and just watch” (McGrotha, 1956). This article does state that Whitehead was there by choice, despite all of the unequal treatment that he received. At some point during Indiana baseball’s trip to the south, president Herman B. Wells came out against the policy of the southern schools they were playing against of barring African-American players from participating in the game. Herman B. Wells stated that, “it’s outrageous the indignities now being suffered in the south by Eddie Whitehead" (Dr. Wells Calls Treatment of Negro Outrage, 1956). President Wells also stated that it would not have been possible to cancel the southern trip and still get the team some practice before the regular season began. President Wells was not alone in supporting Whitehead and voicing his outrage to the southern school’s policy of segregation. Days before Wells spoke to the paper, the Indiana University chapter of the N.A.A.C.P. sent a letter to his office urging the university to boycott the, “conscious act of discrimination” (Bash, 1956) that they were going to be involved in by playing against these teams that did not allow African-American players to play. Included in their letter, the IU N.A.A.C.P. chapter mentioned the resolution unanimously passed the night before at their meeting. This resolution again urged Indiana to, “refuse to engage in any athletic contests in which discrimination is practiced” (Bash, 1956). They additionally urged the athletic department to cancel the baseball games in Florida and Georgia as a result of the discrimination they knew would take place.Not everyone was supportive of Herman B. Wells speaking out against the discrimination faced by Eddie Whitehead during Indiana baseball’s trip. President Wells received letters from various different types of people from the south who wanted to voice their outrage with Wells speaking out in support of Eddie Whitehead. A few days after Wells spoke out, a business man from Jackson, Mississippi sent him a letter disparaging him for condemning the south for their practices. Towards the end of the letter, he brought up how few Black university presidents as well as professors there are in the state of Indiana. He suggested to Dr. Wells that he should look inward for change rather than trying to tell southerners how to live. President Wells also received a postcard signed only from the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). The KKK referred to Dr. Wells as a, “cheap negro loving son of a bitch” (KKK postcard) and went on to tell him to keep his team out of the south. It was a short postcard, disparaging Wells for only wanting to be in the news, not actually caring about the Black athletes at IU. Throughout the trip, Whitehead was faced with unequal treatment and the trip as a whole brought unneeded backlash to the team and the University.

In 1956, the Indiana University baseball team took a trip to South Florida with plans to play Florida State, Florida and Georgia Teachers. This six-game road trip was a chance for IU to get prepared for the season but the trip didn't allow the team's first African-American player, Eddie Whitehead, to participate. Instead, Whitehead was forced to stay in a separate dorm at Florida A&M, practice with a different team, and was denied service at restaurants along the way. Despite knowing that Whitehead would not be allowed to participate with the team, coach Ernie Andres and president Herman B. Wells agreed to let Whitehead take the trip. Ultimately, this decision would lead to some backlash from alumni, people in the south, and even the Ku Klux Klan. This treatment that Eddie Whitehead endured as a college baseball player came nearly ten years after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball.  

Eddie Whitehead poses for a photo in 1956. Whitehead would face racism head on as he traveled with the IU baseball team on their trip to the south for Spring Break.

IU Baseball Spring Trip to Florida 1956

In the early 1940s, the United States decided to enter World War II after an attack on Pearl Harbor. This meant a lot of well bodied men were forced to go to war. However, President Franklin D. Roosevelt said that keeping Major League Baseball afloat was good for morale around the country. Games were cheap and didn’t take more than a few hours. At the time, the American people were starting to work longer and harder hours so they needed a few hours for recreation.Although Major League Baseball was instructed to continue, some things were definitely different. Not only were Major League stars like Ted Williams, Stan Musial, and Joe Dimaggio not on a roster due to war service time; but MLB Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis and US Director of Defense Transportation Joseph Eastman decided they needed to find ways to preserve war resources. This meant less travel through the train system. The solution was to have each team host the 1943 Spring Training close to their home cities above the Mason-Dixon Line. This led to a bundle of teams contacting Indiana University about using their facilities for Spring Training in 1943. During a Athletics Committee meeting on January 11, 1943, IU Athletic Director Zora Clevenger mentioned that seven teams had reached out to him. Those teams were the Indianapolis Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cleveland Indians, Brooklyn Dodgers, Montreal Royals, Toledo MudHens, and the Cincinnati Reds. It was decided that Clevenger and IU Head Baseball Coach would work together to provide facilities for the Indianapolis Indians and one other team. It was only five days, on January 16, when IU President Herman B. Wells wrote a letter to Thomas Cousen approving the Indianapolis Indians and Cincinnati Reds to use the University’s facilities. The Cincinnati Reds were the first to arrive on campus in late February. According to the IDS, campus morale definitely spiked upward once they arrived. Reports of hundreds of male students were in attendance each day to watch them practice. Not only was a Major League team being on campus excited for students, but the Reds were just two years removed from their 1940 World Series Championship. The Reds roster also included 1939 MVP Bucky Walters, 1940 MVP Frank McCormick, and HOF Manager Billy McKechnie.The Indianapolis Indians arrived a few weeks later on March 27. However, their first practice was canceled due to weather. This was not uncommon during the few years Spring Training was hosted on campus. The weather was not the same as what they’d be used to in Arizona or Florida; as it was generally cold or windy causing two games to be canceled throughout the 1943 Spring Training schedule.The Reds and Indians used multiple facilities around campus during their 1943 Spring Training visit to IU’s campus. That included Jordan Field, which is now the IMU Parking Lot, The FieldHouse, Graham Hotel, and the 10th St Stadium. At the time, IU’s facilities were considered top of the art and were a main reason the Indians decided to return in 1944 according to a letter written by team owner Donte Bush to IU President Herman B. Wells later in the year. Indiana University was not the only location in Indiana hosting Major League teams throughout World War II. The majority of the teams that contacted Athletic Director Zora Clevenger in January found homes throughout the Hoosier state along with a few other professional teams. That included the Syracuse Chiefs in Bedford, the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox in French Lick, the Detroit Tigers in Evansville, Columbus Redbirds in Terre Haute, the Cleveland Indians in West Lafayette, and the Pittsburgh Pirates in Muncie. The nine teams came together to create The Limestone League for Spring Training. The Limestone League as a whole was a major key to helping Major League baseball stay afloat during WWII due to a lot of the cities being close and limited travel through the railroad system. Indiana doesn’t currently have a Major League team but the state will always have some history due to The Limestone League.

When it became time for President Franklin D. Roosevelt to make a decision on the United States to join World War II, he also had another decision to make. Should Major League Baseball continue? FDR was a huge baseball fan and believed the game should continue even though a lot of high quality players would be serving overseas. Eventually he gave MLB Commissioner the right to decide. Commissioner Landis decided the game would continue, however there would be a few changes to the travel schedule; and this is where Indiana University comes into the picture.

Spring Training at IU in 1943

According to the IU Archives the field was located in the southwest corner of the old campus. Malcom McDonald, the father of baseball, is the focus of the first baseball related photograph in the IU Archives Photograph Collection. He is wearing what appears to be athletic clothing as it does not meet the specifications of a jersey. One if its defining characteristics is, “The front panel has identifying indicia from one member of a group comprising a plurality of members. The back panel has identifying indicia from another member of the group.” (Lee, 2004) The front panel of his attire does not include a team name. His socks do however contain a pattern similar to candy stripes which will appear on uniforms in the future. The championship team of 1892, won the title in an early jersey design which included a dress collar.This is indicative of the times as the coach can be seen wearing a suit as opposed to today’s managers who are dressed much more casually. The material is baggy, similar to the suit which is a looser fit comprised of thicker material than today’s suits. In 1895, we still see the I and U across the chest. This can also be attributed to fashion trends as the sweaters display the same insignia. In 1897, we see a hybrid between the earlier 1887 jersey and later 1920 jersey. Over time, the suits worn by the coaches are slimmer. The photographs were taken mainly for yearbooks or as documentation of baseball related events. As jerseys are a defining aspect of team representation, these photos are a way of showcasing the team and its uniform. The photos are clearly staged, except for the photograph of the championship game. A decision was made to wear the uniform in order to display the latest look and represent the team.By 1920 we see evidence of an increase in funds as the team stands in front of an on top of bleacher seating. In the 1892 championship, the field provided standing room only. The uniforms are also worn by every player and appear to be much cleaner. In 1887, the team can be seen wearing a variety of clothing. Not all players are shown in the uniform. Even the jerseys pictured are different. Some have a more prominent collar and buttons while others are laced up. The only identical article of clothing worn by every player is a hat.These images provide a clear example of investment into the program. Over time, the equipment improves along with the jerseys. Once established, the team eventually gained funds to put toward improving the program and consequently the jerseys. The team grew since its early days at Seminary Square. The team became Indiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association Baseball Champions in 1892 after its genesis years before. Performance leads to more investment. Since Malcom McDonald introduced baseball the team saw improvements in performance which led to the improvement equipment. The equipment improvement, specifically the jerseys, underwent changes over time as the progression of fashion made an impact as well.

Seminary Square is an important location in Indiana Baseball history as Indiana won the Indiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association Baseball Championship there in 1892. A photograph taken at the game captures the earliest image of the team in action contained in the IU Archives Photograph Collection. The championship team wore a primitive version of the uniforms seen today at Bart Kaufman Field. After Malcom McDonald brought baseball to Indiana University, the uniform saw various changes until reaching a more familiar look in 1920. These changes were caused by the progression of the program and by current fashion trends.

Malcom McDonald is known as the Father of Baseball at Indiana University and is picture wearing athletic clothing. 

Entries on This Tour

Bart Kaufman Field and Indiana University Baseball History

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