Mike Janacek returns today with an interesting essay on the long-forgotten Deadball Era star, Doc White. I was familiar with him as a standout pitcher for the 1906 World Series champion White Sox, but, as I discovered, he possessed many other talents not normally associated with ball players. I always find it enlightening to learn more about the game’s forgotten stars, so I think you’ll enjoy what Mike has for us today.
Lets Recall “The Greatest Game Ever Pitched”: Don Larsen’s Perfect Game!
“This most assuredly was the greatest game ever pitched in the history of baseball!” -Vin Scully
I can’t let the month go by without recalling Don Larsen’s World Series perfect day. It happened 69 years ago last week, on October 8, 1956…
There are Errors…And Then There Are Errors!
The unfortunate throwing error by Orion Kerkering in Game Five of the playoff series between the Phillies and Dodgers brought the Phils season to an abrupt end. As Kerkering is sure to learn the hard way, post-season errors in crucial spots can be magnified and can often tarnish the careers of fine ball players…
Let’s Recall The Last Legal Spitballer, Frank Shellenback!
Today Vince Jankoski returns with an interesting essay on Frank Shellenback, one that we can add to our on-going tribute to baseball’s many overlooked coaches. Shellenback was an outstanding PCL pitcher who never really made it in the majors. His lasting contribution is as pitching coach for the New York Giants, where, among other things, he converted Sal Maaglie from a journeyman reliever into one of the most dominant pitchers of his era. Shellenback also has the distinction of being the last pitcher to throw a legal spitball…
Ty Cobb Pitches in a Game…Against George Sisler!
I think we can safely file this one into the category of “Useless Baseball Trivia!” But we’re baseball fans…so useless trivia is right up our alley!…
“The Giants Win the Pennant! The Giants Win the Pennant!”
I can’t let the day go by without recalling one of the mot memorable home runs in baseball history: Seventy-four years ago today, Bobby Thomson hit his “Shot Heard ‘Round the World”…
Babe Ruth’s “Called Shot”: Did He or Didn’t He?
Babe Ruth’s famous “Called Shot” came in the fifth inning of Game Three of the 1932 World Series – played ninety-three years ago this week – on October 1, 1932, at Wrigley Field. During the at-bat, Ruth made a pointing gesture, which existing film confirms, but the exact nature of his gesture has never been settled…
Harry “The Cat” Brecheen: Pitching Coach Par Excellence!
Boy…If there’s one category of major leaguers overlooked for a spot in the Hall of Fame, it’s coaches. There’s a wing for executives, umpires, and sportswriters…but for coaches, a big fat zero. Mike Janacek returns today with an interesting essay about Harry “the Cat” Brecheen, showing why this blatant oversight should be rectified. I hope you’ll take a few minutes to read Mike’s interesting essay…
The Guardians Late-Season Charge Calls to Mind Other Historic Comebacks, Including 1914 “Miracle” Braves!
Whenever there’s an historic comeback, it usually consists of a phenomenal run by a hard-charging second place team, accompanied by an equally-phenomenal collapse by the presumed-to-be winner, previously coasting to a title. We’re currently seeing a collapse of this magnitude in the race for the American League Central Division title…
Brooklyn Says Good-Bye to the Dodgers and Ebbets Field!
Sixty-eight years ago this week, September 24, 1957, was a sad day in Dodger history. On that day Dodger fans had their hearts broken forever, as the Dodgers played their last game at historic Ebbets Field, their home since 1913…
An Interesting Comparison Of Two “Hermans”: Babe and Billy!
Mark Kolier returns today with an interesting essay comparing the careers of two fine ball players, both with the last name of “Herman.” One is in the Hall of Fame (Billy), and the other isn’t (Babe). Mark asks the question “why is this so?” I think you’ll enjoy Mark’s attempt to find an answer…
Willie Mays Hits His 50th Home Run of the 1955 Season!
What can I say about Willie Mays after I say he’s the greatest player any of us has ever seen? If he could cook, I’d marry him!” –Leo Durocher…
“A good ole Canadian boy makes good!” Let’s Remember George Selkirk
The quote in the tile below is how Mike Janacek described his fellow Canadian, George Selkirk. As Mike relates, there haven’t been a lot of Canadians who made it to the majors, but there have sure been some good ones…and George Selkirk was one of the best…
DAVEY JOHNSON, RIP
The baseball world was saddened to learn of the recent passing of Davey Johnson. Today Vince Jankoski takes a detailed look int this fine ball player and successful manager…
A Unique Day in the Career of Ted Williams!
Seventy-nine years ago yesterday, September 13, 1946, was a unique day in the career of the great Ted Williams. In a game against the Indians at Cleveland’s League Park, Ted hit his only inside-the-park home run. The run stood up and proved to be the winning tally in the 1-0 Red Sox win. The victory also clinched the Red Sox’ first American League pennant since 1918…
Get A Load Of These Crazy Baseball Trades!
We all can recall some lopsided trades, but absolutely “crazy trades”? In Ron Christensen’s essay today, we learn of players being traded for donuts, for a suit of clothes, in payment for rent…and the proverbial “player traded for himself!”…
Deadball Era Match-up For the Ages: “Smoky” Joe Wood vs. Walter “Big Train” Johnson!
On September 6, 1912 Smoky, Joe Wood faced Walter “Big Train” Johnson in a memorable pitching duel at Fenway Park. Matched pitch-for-pitch, Wood eventually bested Johnson 1-0 for a two-hit complete game shutout, his 30th of the year…
Happy Birthday Maz! Lets remember Bill Mazeroski’s “Homer for the Ages”
With today being Bill Mazeroski’s 89th birthday, I’d like to wish Bill a “Happy Birthday” by saying a few words about the classic 1960 World Series and Bill’s homer in the seventh game – possibly the most dramatic walk-off home run in baseball history…
“It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over!” The Fourteen-Year Feud Between Yogi Berra and George Steinbrenner Finally Comes to An End!
“It’s over…I forgive you, George.” And with those words, the man who famously coined the phrase, “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over,” Yogi Berra, declared that his 14-year feud with “The Boss,” George Steinbrenner, had finally come to an end…
Tippy Martinez Wins One Of the Most Unusual Game Ever Played! – And That’s Putting it Mildly!
Vince Jankoski returns today with details about what is surely one of the most unusual games ever played….with a surprise ending! Tippy Martinez wins the game, but that’s the only hint I’m giving. You’ll have to read to the end to find out the details of what I’m calling “an unusual game for the ages”!…
The Exclusive “Four-Homer Game Club” Gets a New Member!
What happened Thursday night had occurred only 20 times previously in all of baseball history. It’s much rarer than a No-Hitter (326 times), or a Cycle (350 times). In fact it’s even rarer than a Perfect Game (24 times). The only two feats I can think of that are in the same “league” – so to speak – are Unassisted Triple Plays (15 times), and the rare Natural Cycle (14). So what was it?…
Eddie “The Natural” Waitkus Shot by an Obsessed “Femme Fatale”!
Today Mike Janacek returns with a “deep dive” into the shooting of former Cub Eddie Waitkus by stalker, Ruth Steinhagen in Chicago’s Edgewater Beach Hotel. Eddie is believed by many to be the character portrayed by Robert Redford in the movie, “The Natural.” Whether or not you’re familiar with this incident, I think you’ll find Mike’s essay interesting…
Jackie Mitchell: The “David” Who Slew Two “Goliaths!
Jackie Mitchell was the second ever woman to sign a professional baseball contract. What makes Jackie’s tale truly historic is that in 1931 while facing the New York Yankees, seventeen year old Jackie Mitchell struck out Babe Ruth on four pitches and Lou Gehrig on three!
“Rapid Robert” Feller’s Remarkable First Major League Start!
Eighty-nine years ago today, August 23, 1936, a highly touted 17 year-old rookie from Van Meter, Iowa made his first major league start for the Cleveland Indians. He had made his major league debut a month earlier on July 19, a relief appearance against the Senators. His name was Bob Feller…
Baseball Has a “Greek Moment!”
You never know what interesting tidbits of information you might uncover which looking for something else. In doing a little research for my essay the other day about umpire Chris Pelekoudas, I discovered the Jim Campanis (featured above) – the son of Dodger general manager Al Campanis – once described what he called baseball’s “Greek Moment”…
Umpire Chris Pelekoudas Denies Hammerin’ Hank Aaron an Apparent Home Run!
Even though they play a pivotal role in the game, umpires don’t get a lot of positive attention. And if you asked them, they like it that way. When they’re doing a good job, no one notices them. If their name comes up, it means they’ve either blown a call or they’re involved in a controversial call, even if they got it right!…
A “Slide-Off” Victory?? What the Heck Is that!!
Today I stumbled upon some interesting information that proves that two of my personal baseball axioms are true:
My two personal axioms: Just when you think you know everything about this game, you suddenly realize that actually you don’t – no matter how many years you’ve been following it; and whenever you look closely into the career of almost any major leaguer, you’ll find something of interest. Lets see what I learned today…
Baseball’s Demon Barber: Sal Maglie
I’m pleased to post Ron Christensen’s essay on Sal Maglie today. Sal was not only one of baseball’s most complex characters, he was also a great pitcher, as Ron vividly details. When his teams were in a must-win game, Sal was the one they wanted on the mound…
The Phillies MVP Reliever, Jim Konstanty
You may be wondering why we are featuring Phillies’ reliever, Jim Kostanty today, a player most of you have probably never heard of…unless you’re a baseball history nerd like me! Vince Jankoski, in his third and final installment on the evolution of relief pitchers, shows how pivotal Jim was in the development of today’s the modern reliever…
The Great Baseball Tune, “Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio” Debuts 84 Years Ago!
Nineteen forty-one was one of the most notable years in baseball history. Ted Williams hit .406 that year, the last player to hit over .400. The great Lou Gehrig passed away on June 2. And the Dodgers won their first pennant since 1920. But without doubt, the crowning event that will always mark 1941 as a special year in baseball history was “Joltin’ Joe” DiMaggio’s amazing 56-game hitting streak…
SELLING OUT THE HARTFORD DARK BLUES!
C’mon now…be honest! How many of you are aware that one of the original teams in the National League was the Hartford Dark Blues? That’s what I thought! Today Ron Christensen gives us a little refresher course in the early days of the National League and the role played by the Hartford Dark Blues. We always look for ways to enchance our knowledge of baseball’s early days,. I found Ron’s essay enlightening and I think you will too…
More Fun With Baseball Rarities: Cubs Andrew Kittredge Throws an “Immaculate inning”!
I had never heard of an “immaculate inning” until Chris Sale threw his on August 26, 2021. With many years of Catholic education under my belt, I was of course familiar with the term, “Immaculate Conception.” But an “immaculate inning”? What gives here? Was it something to do with the Pope? Was he in attendance at the game? Did it have something to do with Holy Water?…
The Cubs Fire Manager Rogers Hornsby in the Middle of the 1932 Pennant Race!
“The worst decision I made in all my years in baseball was hiring Rogers Hornsby to manage the Cubs” – Cub President William Veeck Sr….
Another Edition of Baseball’s Overlooked Stars! Eppa Rixey Jr.
It seems like a contradiction to say that a Hall of Famer is a forgotten star, but I think the term applies in the case of Eppa Rixley. I’d venture to guess that the vast majority of baseball fans have never heard of him. And does he belong in the Hall of Fame? Mike Janacek returns today with a detailed and interesting look into his career. You can decide for yourself the answer to the question…
Who Else Besides Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson Were Reinstated on May 13th? The Case For Shufflin’ Phil Douglas!
Amid all the media hoopla given to the recent reinstatements of Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson, it’s easy to overlook that a total of seventeen players were given a reprieve by Commissioner Rob Manfred. One of the players reinstated was Sufflin’ Phil Douglas, a long forgotten ace pitcher from the early decades of the twentieth century…
I’ve Uncovered the Rarest Baseball Feat Of All! (Read on to find out what it is!)
I always enjoy trying to uncover rarities that occur on the baseball field. In the past, I’ve written about perfect games, unassisted triple plays, four home runs in a game, natural and reverse natural cycles, and the extremely rare “immaculate inning.” These are some of the rarest feats in the game…
“Schoolboy” Johnnie Taylor No-Hits the Satchel Paige All-Stars!
Ron Christensen returns today with an interesting essay about one of the unsung heroes from the Negro Leagues, Johnnie Taylor, shown in the featured photo with Satchel Paige. In one memorable matchup with the acclaimed Hall of Famer, he out-dueled Paige and even pitched a no-hitter! I always welcome the opportunity to enhance our knowledge of the Negro Leagues and it’s many stars, so I think you’ll enjoy reading what Ron has for us today…
The Sad Passing of Lee Elia: Always Be Careful About What You Say – Your Words May Come Back to Haunt You!
A very poignant lesson can be learned from the life of Lee Elia: One bad moment – usually involving a loss of self-control – can stay with us forever and sully our reputation. How many of us would like to have the worst moment of our lives serve as our epitaph? Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened to Lee Elia…
Let’s Remeber Bucky Harris: Grandfather/Godfather/Inventor of the Modern Relief Pitcher!
Vince Jankoski returns with another installmetn in his series on the evolution of relief pitchers. Today, he highlights the role that HOF manager “Boy Wonder” Bucky Harris played in the development of the modern relief pitcher…
The Ferrell Brothers Involved in a Unique Game in Baseball History!
Ninety two years ago yesterday, brothers Wes and Rick Ferrell were involved in a game played at Fenway Park between the Red Sox and the Indians in which something unique occurred. To my knowledge, it had never happened before and may never happen again.
