The New York Yankees held the first ballpark celebration to honor their former colleagues, the first being in 1939 in honor of Lou Gehrig. A tradition was born - The Old-timers Game, a celebration to give the fans an opportunity to cheer on there heroes from the past.
From 1982-1985, an Old-Timers Classic was sponsored by Cracker Jack, being played at RFK Stadium, Washington DC. The inaugural game was played on July 19, 1982, featuring players that included Hank Aaron, Warren Spahn, Luke Appling, Johnny Mize, Stan Musial, Don Newcombe, Enos Slaughter, Bob Feller, Ralph Kiner. The tradition old-timers day as started by the Yankees was a 2-inning event where the players had fun, and provided an exhibition for the fans. the Cracker jack game, was a 5-inning game following the traditional rules. The games were broadcast on ESPN
The game had the support of the Association of Professional Ball Players of America, but not from Major League Baseball. Players were simple American or National uniforms without any MLB logos
Subsequent games were played on July 18, 1983; July 2, 1984 and July 1, 1985
Marty Appel
