Thorn: Ralph Carhart’s ‘Hall Ball’ goes Hawaiian
From SABR member John Thorn at Our Game on May 4, 2017, on SABR member Ralph Carhart:
My friend Ralph Carhart posted this fine story a couple of weeks ago. His story, or rather that of The Hall Ball, was afterwards featured in a segment on CBS Evening News. His trip to Hawaii to depict the ball at Alexander Cartwright’s grave was the culmination of a singular dedication to a project satisfying to him, perplexing to some, and profound to others, myself included. For more, see: http://thehallball.sportspalooza.com/
April 19, 2017– This past Monday, April 17, marked the 197th birthday of Alexander Cartwright, the final Hall of Fame grave that I needed to photograph for the project. I was in Hawaii to take the picture and was asked by the Friends of Alexander Joy Cartwright to talk about the Hall Ball at their annual celebration held at the Oahu Cemetery. The following is the text from that speech.
When I decided 6.5 years ago to take a photograph of a single baseball with every member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, living and deceased, I could not have possibly imagined this moment. Here I am, standing in paradise, with a group of people listening to me tell the story of what brought me to this place, on this day, while those people who love me most stand close by. I just thought it would be a fun thing to collect. I had no idea that this project was going to change my life in such a fundamental way.
Read the full article here: https://ourgame.mlblogs.com/the-hall-ball-goes-hawaiian-e62132e82f38
Originally published: May 4, 2017. Last Updated: May 4, 2017.