History as a Joke: Baseball

Step up to the plate for History as a Joke: Baseball, an evening program set for Thursday, May 29, from 7 to 8 p.m. Join comedians Johnny B, John J. Murray and Matt Fernandez from the 3 Ugly Mugs podcast, along with the History Center’s Rodney Kite-Powell and baseball historian and author Rick Vaughn, as they swing into one of Florida’s favorite pastimes: baseball.

Explore Florida baseball history, from the early days of spring training to the rise of the Tampa Bay Rays, including legendary stories, scandals and quirky moments that defined the game. Admission is $5.

PHOTO CAPTION: Elisha Matthew “Bitsy” Mott, left, a former Philadelphia Phillies player and instructor, demonstrates the “Hook Slide” as Ben Podolsky of Philadelphia slides into base during a base-stealing lesson in Tampa, Fla., Feb. 20, 1948. Mott later served as a personal security guard for Elvis Presley. (State Archives of Florida)

You may also like the following events from Tampa Bay History Center:

• This November, 14th November, 07:00 pm, The 2025 Tampa Bay History Center Annual Gala in Tampa

Also check out other Workshops in Tampa, Arts events in Tampa, Literary Art events in Tampa.