“There’s a battle outside
And it is ragin!
It’ll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin’.”
~ Bob Dylan, from “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” 1963

            Vietnam . . . Student Demonstrations . . . Freedom Marches . . . Women’s Liberation . . . Hallucinogens . . . Flower Power . . . Free Love . . . The 1960s and 1970s were tumultuous and volatile decades in American history, a period of extraordinary political, social, and cultural change. As the standard-bearer for American values, organized baseball was not immune from the winds of change; in fact, it was an appealing target for those seeking to challenge established structures and traditional authority.
            The Baseball Reliquary returns to Burbank, California with an exhibition, “The Times They Were A-Changin’: Baseball in the Age of Aquarius,” to be presented at the Burbank Central Library, 110 N. Glenoaks Blvd., from October 4-October 29, 2004.
            The exhibition will spotlight the impact that the issues of free speech, racial unrest, economic grievance, and player unionization had on the national pastime from 1960 through 1976. Through artifacts, artworks, photographs, and text, “The Times They Were A-Changin’: Baseball in the Age of Aquarius” will examine how the relationship between players, management, and fans was profoundly changed during this transformative period in baseball history. Ballplayers to be featured include those who critiqued the baseball establishment and assaulted its conservative image: Dick Allen, Bo Belinsky, Jim Bouton, Dock Ellis, Curt Flood, Bill “Spaceman” Lee, Joe Pepitone, and others. Also to be highlighted are owner Charlie Finley and union leader Marvin Miller. In addition, the exhibition will explore the relationship between baseball and popular culture, including style and fashion, music, the counterculture, and the sexual revolution.
            “The Times They Were A-Changin’: Baseball in the Age of Aquarius” is presented by the Baseball Reliquary, a Southern California-based nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering an appreciation of American art and culture through the context of baseball history.
            Burbank Central Library hours are Monday through Thursday from 9:30 AM to 9:00 PM; Friday from 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM; Saturday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM; and closed Sunday.
            For further information on the exhibition, contact the Baseball Reliquary by phone at (626) 791-7647 or by e-mail at skpubs@earthlink.net. For directions, contact the Burbank Central Library at (818) 238-5600.
            This exhibition is supported in part by a grant from the Los Angeles County Arts Commission.