President Grover Cleveland Baseball Related Quotations by Baseball Almanac

Baseball Players Who Made it to the Major Leagues

Grover Cleveland was at the White House one day in 1885 and the Chicago White Stockings were in town to play ball. President Cleveland was close friends with Pud Galvin and followed the game a little so he invited Cap Anson's team to visit. The quotes below and letter from Kelly are all that exist from that visit.

"What do you imagine the American people would think of me if I wasted my time going to the ball game?" - Grover Cleveland

Quotations From Grover Cleveland

"How's my old friend Jimmy (Pud) Galvin? You know, he and I were good friends when I was a sheriff and mayor of Buffalo."

"What do you (Cap Anson in 1885) imagine the American people would think of me if I wasted my time going to the ball game?"

Quotations About Grover Cleveland

"The president's hand was fat and soft. I squeezed it so hard he winced. Then George Gore did the same and (Oyster) Burns and (Abner) Dalrymple did likewise. The president's right hand was almost double in size and he was glad when it was all over. He would rather shake hands with 1,000 people than a ball nine after that day. He impressed me as being a charming, courteous, gentleman who has considerable backbone, and democratic enough to be a Democratic president of our glorious country." - letter from King Kelly

Quotations From & About Grover Cleveland

Did you know that hall of famer Cap Anson and President Grover Cleveland were actually good friends at one point during their lives?

President Grover Cleveland loved the game of baseball, but felt a strong civic sense of duty and never attended a single Major League game while in office.

President Grover Cleveland had John Heydler personally read Casey at the Bat to him in the Oval Officer during a visit to the White House.

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