by senior contributor Brendan Kownacki
Photo credit: Brendan Kownacki
“There comes a day in every man’s life — and it’s a hard day but there comes a day — when he realizes he’s never going to play professional baseball.”
~Josh Lyman, The West Wing
Thomas Tull, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Tulco and Founding Chairman and Former CEO, Legendary Entertainment
The above quote from TV’s The West Wing might be a character’s reflection on growing up, but the reflection on the quintessential American pastime is a worthwhile one, and if there has ever been a person who found a useful alternative to playing professional baseball to embrace the sport it was Thomas Tull. Most people might know Tull as founder, Chairman and CEO of Tulco and founding Chairman and former CEO, Legendary Entertainment. As a movie executive, Tull and Legendary launched the Hangover franchise, blockbusters like Jurassic World and of course the Dark Knight series among many other successes. Tull himself though has maintained another personal interest along the way though, curating one of the most extensive and unique collections of baseball artifacts, and now in the name of sharing his passion with the world he has donated a number of rare pieces of memorabilia to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
John Gray, Director of the National Museum of American History
“Our mission is clear, we help people understand the past in order to make sense of the present and shape a more humane future,” said John Gray, Director of the National Museum of American History, noting that our American sporting culture is one of the things that binds us together as a people and in tense political times, baseball is still one of the things that many people can unite on as part of our “distinctive American culture.” The Smithsonian’s sport collection includes more than 6,000 extraordinary pieces and these 14 additions will help to further define the legacy of baseball and sports for our American history.
The donated artifacts from Mr. Tull included a bat and glove used by New York Yankee Berra in the 1950s, a glove and bat used by Hank Aaron from the Milwaukee Braves, uniform pieces from Willie Mays from San Francisco, and of course, a pinnacle item of the bunch, a baseball signed by the 1927 New York Yankees including Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.
Eric Jentsch, Curator, National Museum of American History
“[These] players who not only impacted their sport but also their communities and the eras in which they played. These objects will help researchers and visitors explore the connections between baseball and America’s history and cultural life,” said Eric Jentsch, Curator of the National Museum of American History, explaining just how sport has become so integrated and important in our American life over time.
Tull explained that growing up outside of Cooperstown, New York, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame that he has had a “lifetime love affair with baseball” and called it an “honor and a privilege” to be able to give some of his collection to the Smithsonian so that these historic items can be seen and enjoyed by millions and that the stories they represent might be passed on.
“All I can say is that I hope all our board members have the kinds of collection that you do and can donate to the national collection,” joked John Gray as he closed out the donation ceremony. For the sake of American history, we have to agree.
