After a five-year hiatus, the Alameda Museum welcomes the Alameda Sports Project back to its gallery for the fourth Alameda Sports Exhibit. The exhibition, which will run through Sunday, July 31, features photos and memorabilia that highlight various aspects of the Island City’s sports history with alumni and teams from Alameda, Encinal and St. Joseph Notre Dame high schools. This year, Alameda High School (AHS) football historian Shirley Sachsen (AHS class of 1974) contributed a display on the early years of football at AHS.

Back again, and substantially expanded, is a display of photos and programs from the storied Alameda Elks Charity All-Star baseball game. The contest pitted major and minor league stars every October from the 1930s through the 1950s. Rarely seen photos of the DiMaggio brothers, Dick Bartell and dozens of other major leaguers representing the Alameda Elks will also be on display.

Since the last exhibition in 2011, a new team called Alameda home. In the summer of 2013, the 34th America’s Cup, an international sailing regatta and the third-most-watched worldwide sporting event, played out on San Francisco Bay. The various racing syndicates established base camps at local waterfront locations. Most were in San Francisco, but the Swedish contender, Artemis Racing, had its base camp at Alameda Point.

The team was deeply embedded in the Alameda community with about 150 team members and their families living in town for nearly two years. Their children attended local schools. They were among us and one of us. They got involved in community groups, and patronized local restaurants and watering holes. The design and fabrication teams along with various administrative groups, are still here.

When one of their racing yachts capsized, tragically taking the life of crewmember Andrew “Bart” Simpson, the Island lived up to the banner hung from the hangar next door to Artemis Racing: “We are all Swedes Today.” Artemis Racing has kindly loaned a couple of items to this year’s exhibition, including skipper Paul Cayard’s racing helmet. Cayard is a Bay Area native who had Alameda connections decades before his association with Artemis. As a youngster he participated in youth races at the Encinal Yacht Club.

“I am always happy to help put this exhibit on to showcase the island’s rich sports history to the larger Alameda and Bay Area community,” said one of the event’s coordinators Dewey St. Germaine.  I encourage everyone to come out and enjoy a little slice of Alameda sports history and to support the local museum. 

For more about Alameda sports history, visit www.alamedasportsproject.com. The Alameda Museum is located at 2324 Alameda Ave. (between Park and Oak streets). The museum is open Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.