Sports and Recreation

Topical Reference Page
Postal hockey team jersey

Albany District Dutchmen hockey jersey

The National Postal Museum proudly celebrates the rich legacy of American sports including its athletes, events and accomplishments through a variety of online resources. Explore the links below to discover how stamps and postal history objects showcase this important thread of the American cultural quilt.

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1962 World Cup First Day Cover from Chile
Object Spotlight

/object/npm_0.245704.4Beginning in 1934, and continuing into today, host nations have had the honor of issuing World Cup themed stamps. The 1930 inaugural competition in...

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Olympic Volleyball stamp
Mexico Via Airmail - 1968 Olympic Games
Exhibition
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2010 World Cup Soccer Championships souvenir sheet
2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa
Exhibition

This virtual exhibition highlights a great sports tradition, featuring stamps from several of the countries that have previously been honored with hosting the tournament.

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3-cent American Turners single
About U.S. Stamps - American Turners Issue
Exhibition
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18-cent Babe Zaharias stamp
Women on Stamps: Part 2 - Athletes
Exhibition
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Painting of three people running a race
Art of the Stamp - Athletics
Exhibition
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33-cent Roberto Clemente stamp
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage - Athletics
Exhibition
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Joe DiMaggio stamp art
New York City - Baseball
Exhibition
New York City once had three major league teams: the New York Yankees, the Brooklyn Dodgers, and the New York Giants. Fourteen World Series match-ups have pitted New York City teams against one another, and the famed Yankees have won the World Series 27 times. When a New Yorker (James Farley) became Postmaster General, he approved the issuance of the first baseball stamp in 1939 commemorating the baseball centennial.
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3-cent Baseball Centennial sandlot baseball game single
About U.S. Stamps - Baseball Centennial Issue
Exhibition
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Illustration of the museum entrance
Baseball Hidden Image
For young learners: Get excited for our upcoming exhibition "Baseball: America's Home Run" with this fun hidden image game! Can you find all ten objects in the picture of the museum?

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Baseball: Americas Home Run
Baseball: America’s Home Run
April 9, 2022 - January 5, 2025
Exhibition

From fan letters and post office baseball teams to the worlds of stamp and baseball memorabilia collecting, Baseball: America’s Home Run / Béisbol: el Jonrón de los EE.UU. explores our national pastime through a unique, postal lens.

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screenshot of four people participating in an online program
Baseball: America’s Home Run - Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Roberto Clemente
Exhibition
Join the National Postal Museum for a reading of the children's book Clemente! by the book's author, Willie Perdomo. Hear the Q&A with Perdomo and with Roberto Clemente, Junior, the son of the legendary Pittsburgh Pirate Roberto Clemente. Explore museum objects related to Clemente from the Postal Museum's exhibition Baseball: America’s Home Run.
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Baseball card woth illustration of Honus Wagner wearing a Pittsburg jersey
T206 Honus Wagner, PSA 5 Baseball Card
05.12.2022

A T206 Honus Wagner baseball card, graded a 5 on a scale of 1 to 10 by third-party sports grading service, Professional Sports Authenticator (“PSA”), is featured in Baseball: America’s Home Run. The card is the second highest graded example known and one of the most important pieces of sports memorabilia in existence.

Learn more About T206 Honus Wagner, PSA 5 Baseball Card

Lou Gehrigs New York Yankees road jersey, 1937
Lou Gehrig 1937 New York Yankees Road Jersey and 1939 New York Yankees Team Jacket
04.06.2022

Gehrig’s meteoric rise to fame, abrupt decline, and death at the age of 37 has made him somewhat of a mythical hero. His illness and how he handled himself are better remembered than all he accomplished playing 17 seasons for the New York Yankees.

Learn more About Lou Gehrig 1937 New York Yankees Road Jersey and 1939 New York Yankees Team Jacket

Yogi Berra 1951 New York Yankees road jersey
Yogi Berra 1951 New York Yankees Road Jersey
04.06.2022

Ypgi Berra became a folk hero, and sportswriters and commentators loved him as much for his uncanny way of mangling the English language as for his play.

Learn more About Yogi Berra 1951 New York Yankees Road Jersey

Roberto Clemente Pittsburgh Pirates home uniform
Roberto Clemente 1966 Pittsburgh Pirates Home Uniform
04.06.2022

Two Puerto Rican players reached the big leagues in the early 1940s, but the doors flew open in the 1950s. Baseball fever in Puerto Rico reached unprecedented heights, and the island’s greatest star was Roberto Clemente.

Learn more About Roberto Clemente 1966 Pittsburgh Pirates Home Uniform

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42 cent Baseball Players stamp with illustration of a baseball player

Baseball-Related Objects in Smithsonian Collections

America's “greatest pastime” as captured in these Smithsonian Institution museum collection objects.

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