“Hung over, yes, many times…drunk, no.” -Hack Wilson, when asked if he ever played drunk.
“He was built like a beer keg…and was not unfamiliar with its contents!” -Unknown sportswriter, describing Hack Wilson’s physique…
The Indians Clinch the 1948 Pennant 76 Years Ago Today!
Today is the 76th anniversary of a great day in Cleveland Indian history. Under Manager Lou Boudreau, they clinched the 1948 World Series after prevailing against the Boston Red Sox in a one-game playoff…
Legendary Sportswriter, Shirley Povich
Sprotwrtiers play a major role in our enjoyment of the sport we all love. Often the contributions of even the great ones don’t receive recognition due them. Today, Vince Jankoski turns our attention to one of the most legendary sportswriters of all time with an unlikely first name: Shirley Povich…
The 116th Anniversary of the “Merkle Game”: The Day Fred Merkle’s Life Changed Forever
I think all fair-minded baseball fans would never want to see anyone’s life negatively altered by what happens in a baseball game (think: Steve Bartman). Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened to a young 19-year-old rookie named Fred Merkle 116 years ago today…
Frank “Home Run” Baker’s Vintage Yankee Sweater!
My Facebook friend of long-standing, Chris Baker, just posted a great photo of himself at the Babe Ruth Museum in Baltimore. Chris is holding the Yankee sweater of his great-grandfather, Hall of Famer Frank “Home Run” Baker….
Let’s Remember the Dean Brothers On Their Great Day: Dizzy and Daffy!
Ninety years ago today, September 21, 1934, was a memorable day in baseball history. It was also a memorable day for the Dean family. In the second game of a doubleheader at Ebbets Field, 22-year-old Cardinal rookie pitcher Paul “Daffy” Dean became the fifth rookie to throw a no-hitter, beating the Dodgers, 3-0…
Let’s Revist the 1960 World Series!
Today Vince Jankoski takes us on a revisit to the 1960 World Series. Vince takes a deep dive into some of the more subtle reasons the Yankees lost the 1960 World Series to the Pirates despite besting them in virtually every offensive and pitching category…
Baseball’s Forgotten Stars: Herb Score Sets Rookie Strikeout Record!
In a game played at Washington’s Griffith Stadium sixty-nine years ago yesterday, Indians’ rookie left-hander Herb Score fanned nine Senators bringing his season total to 228, setting a new rookie record for strikeouts in a season…
More Fun With Baseball Oddities! Baseball’s Most “Unusual” Trades
Thanks to Paul Doyle for calling my attention to possibly the most unusual trade in baseball history…
More Fun With “Baseball Oddities”: The Single Season Grand Slam Record
I love uncovering baseball oddities…you know…things that happen “between the white lines” that are very rare, some of which may never happen again. And I know you love reading about these things too, because…well…you’re a baseball fan!
Ed Kranepool, RIP
The baseball world was sadden today to learn this week of the passing of the Mets Ed Kranepool (November 18, 1944-September 8, 2024) in Boca Raton, Florida after suffering from cardiac arrest…
Let’s File This One Under: “My, How The Game of Baseball Has Changed!”
One hundred years ago yesterday, on September 6, 1924, something very unusual occurred. St. Louis Browns right-hander Urban Shocker started and completed both ends of a doubleheader against the White Sox at Comiskey Park…
“Claire Hodgson Ruth: The Best Thing That Ever Happened to Babe Ruth,” plus: “Was Claire the Cause of the Babe Ruth-Lou Gehrig Feud?”
We all know a lot about the Babe, but I thought I’d share some interesting information about his second wife, Claire Hodgson. Also, I’ll shed some light on the purported role that Claire played in the storied feud between the Babe and the great Iron Horse, Lou Gehrig.
Baseball’s Forgotten Stars: Luis Arroyo
On September 9, 1961, the New York Yankees celebrated Whitey Ford Day at Yankee Stadium. Ford was in the midst of his greatest season, the only season in which he would win a Cy Young Award. Ford was in the process of being showered with gifts when a car drove up with a giant Life Saver candy package in the rear seat. As the car came to a halt, the lid on the Life Saver popped open and relief pitcher Luis Arroyo emerged…
Great Baseball Photo Collections, Part Three: The Charles Conlon Collection
“Baseball’s Golden Age: The Photographs of Charles M. Conlon,” is the best book of baseball photographs ever published.” -Roger Angell, longtime staff writer for the New Yorker …
A Memorable Baseball Brawl: Carl Furillo Gets 50-Year Old Leo Durocher in a Chokehold!
“Durocher was a dirty manager. He was a dirty player… I hated his guts.” –Carl Furillo…
From The Lighter Side! “How Can You Hit All Those Home runs With Such Scrawny Arms!”
Here we see the great slugger Jimmie Foxx scratching his head, trying to figure out how his young teammate with such scrawny arms named Ted Williams generates all his power!
Another Edition of Baseball’s Forgotten Stars: Lynwood “Schoolboy” Rowe
It’s time for another edition to my ongoing series of Baseball’s Forgotten Stars. “Schoolboy” Rowe fits right in. He’s a great example of a star from days gone by who has been largely forgotten over the passage of time…
Great Baseball Photo Collections, Part II: The George Brace Collection
I think it’s a safe assumption that most of us enjoy looking at old baseball photos, especially those old black-and white collections from the first half of the twentieth century when baseball was at its peak as the national pastime. Great photographers like Charles Conlon, George Burke, George Brace, Leslie Jones, and Barney Stein come readily to mind…
Baseball’s Forgotten Stars: Johnny Blanchard
A few years ago, I wrote an essay about backup catchers, an important team position that is often overlooked. Today Vince Jankoski sets the record straight with an interesting essay detailing the exploits of the Yankees’ backup catcher in 1961, Johnny Blanchard….
The St. Louis Browns Last Game: September 27, 1953 Part Three
Today Matt Kastel concludes his three-part series on the St. Louis Browns with an interesting account of the Brown’s last game. In a fitting conclusion to their 51-year run in St. Louis and their well-earned reputation for ineptitude, they ran out of balls in the last game!…
What Are the Odds??
Here’s something crazy that happened sixty-seven years ago this past week in a game between the Phillies and the Giants…
Great Baseball Photo Collections, Part One: The Leslie Jones Boston Public Library Collection
I was honored this past weekend to give a PowerPoint presentation at the annual SABR convention in Minneapolis highlighting the Leslie Jones Boston Public Library Baseball Collection…
“The St. Louis Browns’ Last Game,” Part Two: Enter Bill Veeck
Today we continue with Part Two of Matt Kastel’s three-part series on the St. Louis Browns. Today’s essay is titled: “Enter Bill Veeck”…
BOB KUZAVA – WAS CASEY STENGEL A GENIUS…OR JUST PLAIN LUCKY?
Today Vince Jankoski returns with an interesting essay addressing the age-old baseball question of whether Casey Stengel was a genius – as many baseball fans think – or just lucky. His decisions in the seventh game of the 1952 World Series will leave you scratching your head…and with good reason!…
Stealing for the Cycle!
This one goes into the “You learn something new about this game every day” file!…
The St. Louis Browns’ Last Game
Today we welcome back Matt Kastel with the first of a three-part series on the not-so-successful history of the St. Louis Browns, certainly the most overlooked franchises in baseball history…
How Bad Can a Baseball Season Get? White Sox Challenge Post-1900 Record of 1916 Philadelphia A’s For Futility
Here in Chicago, we’re in the midst of a stunningly bad baseball season…
Frank McCormick’s an MVP You’ve Not Heard Of
Comparing merely great players to Hall-of-Famers is a subjective exercise. Two-time MVP winner HOFer Hank Greenberg born in 1911 is remembered as a no-brainer choice for Cooperstown…
The Day Yogi Berra Had A Real-Life “Deja Vu Moment!”
“It was déjà vu all over again!” -Famous quote attributed to Yogi Berra
It happened on September 28, 1951…
Yankee Stadium. Yankees vs. Red Sox. First game of a doubleheader. Two outs, top of the ninth, Yankees ahead 8-0. If they can sweep the twinbill, they win their third pennant in a row…
The Remarkable 1950 Boston Red Sox!
Today we welcome Vince Jankoski back with an interesting essay on the remarkable 1950 Boston Red Sox. This was all new to me, and I suspect it will be to all but the most ardent Sox fans. I think you’ll enjoy what Vince has on tap for us today….
First White Sox Immaculate Inning Since “Sloppy” Thurston in 1923!
This week, White Sox Michael Kopech tossed the second “Immaculate Inning” in team history, the first since it was last accomplished by Hollis “Sloppy” Thurston back on August 22, 1923…
A Look Back At The First All-Star Game! July 6, 1933
As we get closer to the All-Star break, I thought it’d be a good idea to revisit the first All-Star game, played before 49,200 fans at Comiskey Park on July 6, 1933…
Another Edition of Baseball’s Forgotten Stars: Eddie Yost
Today Vince Jankoski returns with an eye-opening look at the career statistics of forgotten star Eddie Yost. How can I call a career .254 hitter a forgotten star? It’s because he played 18 years in the Bigs with a .394 on-base percentage, leading the league twice in the category (.435 in 1959 and .414 in 1960). Read Vince’s essay and see if you agree with me…
Roger Bresnahan, A Baseball Life, by John R. Husman, Reviewed by Gary Livacari
If you asked most baseball history students what they know about Roger Bresnahan, you would likely hear something like this: “Isn’t he the guy who invented shin guards? Isn’t that the reason he’s in the Hall of Fame?”…
Another Edition of Baseball’s Forgotten Stars: Jack Quinn – The Oldest Pitcher To Hit a Home Run!
Ninety-four years ago this week, on June 27, 1930, Philadelphia A’s pitcher Jack Quinn — just nine days short of his 47th birthday — became the oldest pitcher in major league history to hit a home run…
Joe McCarthy’s Odd Choice of Denny Galehouse To Start the 1948 Playoff Game!
Vince Jankoski returns today with an interesting essay on the choice of Denny Galehouse to start the one-game playoff between the Indians and the Red Sox, the winner advancing to the 1948 World Series. The choice didn’t seem to make sense then and still doesn’t all these years later!…
HOFer Max Carey Gets Two Hits in One Inning – Twice in the Same Game!
There was a memorable game played at Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis between the Cardinals and the Pirates, 99 years ago yesterday, June 22, 1925. In that game, future Hall of Famer Max Carey got two hits in the first inning and then again got two hits in the eighth innings,..
Tribute to Willie Mays (1931-2024), RIP
“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, speaking of Willie Mays…
Happy Father’s Day!
“It was at St. Mary’s that I met and learned to love the greatest man I’ve ever known…He was the father I needed. He taught me to read and write, and the difference between right and wrong.” -Babe Ruth, speaking of his father figure and mentor, Brother Mathias