Thursday is the 77th anniversary of one of the most momentous
nights not just in baseball history, but in the cultural life of
the United States, and eventually the rest of the world. On this
night in 1935, the first Major League night game took place at
Cincinnati's Crosley Field, as the Reds beat the Phillies, 2-1.
The game had been scheduled for May 23, but it was postponed
because of rain and cold. The official attendance was 20,442 but
the crowd was estimated to be around 25,000, the third-largest
crowd of the season in Cincy (the game on May 22 was played in
front of 2,000 fans), including National League president Ford
Frick and American League president Will Harridge. All were
watching a game lit by 632 light bulbs. The contest also
featured President Franklin Delano Roosevelt switching on the
flood lights from Washington, D.C.. Much significance was made
of the fact that the game was errorless, and Phillies manager
Jimmie Wilson told the AP that the low hit total (10 combined)
had nothing to do with