San Antonio is a unique city for many reasons – especially in that it predates America. There’s a history here that is unlike anywhere else. And history and tradition mean more in San Antonio than other big cities—especially those in Texas. The city has worked hard to preserve this distinctive trait, according to local author David King: “If something is 50 years old in Dallas, it gets torn down. It’s not just that San Antonio has kept these historical features (dating back to the Spanish Missions), they’re using them. You go to any city and they have old buildings . . . but a lot of them are falling down and nobody knows what to do with them.”

Much like San Antonio, the sport of baseball belongs to history. It’s a sport that is uniquely American. The players and the records that have been set through the years are a significant part of our shared cultural heritage. “People appreciate history,” says King. “Baseball predates a lot of these other sports so it has more tradition and more of a footing in American history.”

Read all of writer Ari Temkin’s report on the interwoven history of our city and Americas favorite past-time in the March 2015 Issue of San Antonio Scene magazine.