Baseball on the Map

Insurance companies used Sanborn maps to determine a property’s fire liability, but the maps also provide a detailed view of community organization and how baseball has fit—quite literally—into city life. This map depicts Griffith Stadium (1911–1965), home of the Washington Senators (now Texas Rangers) and the Negro League’s Homestead Grays, tucked into an urban environment. In the early years, fans in the wildcat bleachers, set on rooftops outside the stadium beyond right field, gathered to enjoy games at no cost.