New York Yankees and Cincinnati Redlegs: Impeccable Patriotism or Overreaction?

April 9, 1953 will live in infamy as long as baseball is played for some Americans. On that day, the Cincinnati Reds management declared that the Reds would no longer be the Reds.

The Cincinnati team was originally the Red Stockings, which became Redlegs and eventually Reds. They would now be the "Redlegs." General manager Gabe Paul didn't give the reason for the change, but it was obvious.

During the years following the Second World War, the American people were frightened into believing that the Communists were attempting to take over the country. The American public was taught to refer to communists as "Reds."

Individuals who were suspected of communism were associated with being traitors. Those who even associated with communists or even alleged communists were almost as bad.

Today, the "War on Terror" has produced similar reactions. In both the 1950s and today, due process and proof are frowned upon, not only by the resident of the White House, but by a majority of Americans.

During the communist scare, just as today, some Americans wondered if a government that would allow such unconstitutional practices were serving them or if they were its subjects.

The Cincinnati Reds didn't want to be associated with the "Red Scare." Few things could be more ridiculous, but it was part of  a psychological operation that successfully, at least for a while, made Americans believe that no area was safe from the Red threat.

Some baseball writers justified the Reds' action and attempted to explain that changing Cincinnati from the Reds to the Redlegs was a good thing.

What if after the Reds trounced the New York Yankees, the newspaper headlines read, "Red Destroy Yankees" or even something worse?  Of course, the Reds and Yankees were in different leagues and there was no inter-league play. The American public must never think, even for a second, that the United States are anything but the best.

Baseball has always been linked with patriotism. Before a baseball game is played, a patriotic song is played. Following the events of September 11, 2001, Major League Baseball attempted to "heal" Americans despite the fact that those who suffered the most on that day were beyond healing.

The Yankees, of course, were at the forefront. "God Bless America" replaced "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh inning stretch, but Yankees management, always sensitive to tradition and fans, decided to play baseball's national song following the Kate Smith recording.

Within a short amount of time, the Yankees no longer would stand for any apparent patriotic disrespect.

Prior to the playing of the "The Star-Spangled Banner'' and ''God Bless America," police persons, security guards and ushers turn their backs to the American flag in center field and tell fans they must not move. Chains block the aisles.

The Yankees claimed that the majority of fans were upset at other fans' disrespect. According to Chief Operating Officer Lonn Trost, ''The fans were telling us it was a disgrace that when the song was being sung people were not observing it with a moment of silence,'' Trost said.   

Many believe that the Communist threat after WW II was as great as the threats we face today. Baseball, the great national pastime, reacted much more mildly during the late 1940s and 1950s than it has during the last 10 years.

Some fans do have questions, especially the few who no longer attend Yankees games.

They wonder if someone as revered as Ben Franklin could have been mistaken when he said, "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

Reference:

Red stockings become redlegs in cincinnati. (1953, Apr 10). New York Times (1923-Current File), pp. 26. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/112858857?accountid=46260