On this episode of Dave Does History, we saddle up for one of the strangest spectacles ever to grace the American sporting landscape: Donkey Baseball. That is right. In towns across the country during the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, people paid good money to watch their neighbors try to play ball while riding reluctant, ornery donkeys.
What started as a Depression-era gimmick turned into a fundraising sensation and a cultural curiosity that left laughter in its wake. Today, we are revisiting this dusty corner of small-town Americana to explore how it worked, why people loved it, and what it tells us about a generation that found joy in the absurd.
It is the story of stubborn animals, brave volunteers, shredded uniforms, and community spirit wrapped in slapstick chaos. So grab your glove, mind the hooves, and get ready for a wild ride into the wonderfully weird world of Donkey Baseball.
