Today we welcome back Bill Schaefer with an interesting “review of a review.” Bill analyzes Boston Globe sportswriter Bob Ryan’s “take” of the movie “42,” written in 2013. Bill then adds his own comments as he goes along. Read Bill’s essay, and see if you agree with Bob Ryan and/or Bill Schaefer!…
Our Annual Birthday Tribute to the Great Bambino, Babe Ruth!
We can’t let the day go by without our birthday salute to Babe Ruth, born on this day, February 6, 1895, 129 years ago….
Great Photo of Jackie Robinson and Larry Doby!
Here’s a real neat photo sent to me by a friend. That’s Larry Doby on the left and of course Jackie Robinson on the right. But here’s a real surprise…Who do you think is the player on the far left, sitting on the dugout steps??…
BLACK HISTORY MONTH TRIVIA, Part I
Many thanks to Vince Jankoski for reminding us that February is notable for two reasons – and no, the month’s terrible weather is not one of them!..
Equal Time for the 1939 Reds!
We’ve all read a lot about the great Yankee teams of the 1930s, especially the 1939 team, which many historians consider one of the greatest of all time. That got me thinking about their National League opponents in the 1939 World Series, the Cincinnati Reds…
Bud Harrelson, RIP
Today Vince Jankoski shares with us a tribute to recently deceased Bud Harrelson with an interesting analysis of his career. Vince addresses the question of how the light-hitting Harrelson (.236 career average) could have survived for 16 seasons in the major leagues…
Don Newcombe Retires, January 19, 1961
This past Friday, January 19, 2024 was the sixty-first anniversary of Don Newcombe’s release from the Indians, bringing to a close his remarkable twelve-year major league career…
Vern Stephens: The Most Ignored Great Shortstop
When my son Gordon and I began our Almost Cooperstown podcast nearly four years ago, we set out to put nine players in the Hall of Fame who had not been elected. This was in our very first episode, and Gordon put out Vern Stephens, a player with whom I was completely unfamiliar…
Joe McCarthy’s Boston Years, 1948-1950
Forty-six years ago today, January 13, 1978, Hall of Fame manager Joe McCarthy passed away in a Buffalo hospital at age 90. We’re all familiar with Joe McCarthy’s success as the winningest manager in Yankee history from 1931-1946…
How About a New Generation of Baseball Movies?
Over the holidays this year, I caught up watching some baseball movies that have been around for a while. Several of them I never watched before…
We Know Andre Dawson Was A Great Player, But Did You Know That…
“I always thought that Andre was a renaissance man, but this is taking it to a different level!” – Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson
My Interview with Former Major League Scout, George Biron!
“Jim Bouton once said, ‘All those years I thought I had a good grip on the baseball, but I found out it was the other way around.’ I think I feel the same way about baseball myself.” – George Biron…
Stan Musial and Joe Garagiola Were Teammates and Friends, But Did You Know That…
George Curcio shares with us some interesting information about the friendship between two well-known teammates from the Cardinals’ 1946 World Series championship season, Stan Musial and Joe Garagiola. The story has, to put it mildly, a rather unexpected ending…
Our Annual Tribute to Roberto Clemente: “HE’S GOT IT!!”
“If it was humanly possible for a ball to be caught, Roberto Clemente was going to get it.” –Pirates’ manager, Danny Murtaugh…
Yankee Johnny Murphy Was A Pretty Good Pitcher, But Did You Know That…
As I’ve said many times, whenever you look closely into a major leaguer’s career, you’ll invariably discover something interesting and/or unusual — something more other than just the bare statistical information found on the Baseball Reference website…
The Cubs’ Bill Moisan: The Inspiring Story of a Genuine Baseball War Hero
Bill Moisan was a genuine World War II hero. As long-time major league scout George Biron told me, “It’s an amazing story of determination and perseverance and I felt it should be told to preserve the memory of a forgotten hero.”…
Merry Christmas From Baseball History Comes Alive!
I’d like to take this opportunity to wish all our loyal readers a very Merry Christmas. And to all our Jewish friends, I hope they’ve had a very Happy Hanukkah season…
George Lee Anderson (Who?) Is Traded to the Phillies, December 23, 1958, Did Anybody Notice?
Sixty-five years ago yesterday, the Dodgers traded journeyman minor league infielder George Lee Anderson to the Phillies for Rip Repulski and two minor league pitching prospects. Did anybody notice? Yawn…
My Review of “The Gashouse Gang,” by John Heidenry
Now that we are firming in what I call the baseball “No-Man’s land,” – the time between the last out of the World Series and until we hear the magic words, “Pitchers and catchers report” – it’s a good time to catch up on some unfinished business. So I thought I’d post a review I wrote a few years ago but never got around to publishing. The book is The Gashouse Gang, by John Heidenry. I really enjoyed it and I hope my detailed review stimulates your interest to read it…
KEN MacKENZIE, RIP
Vince Jankoski returns today with an interesting article about a player I’ve never heard of: Canadian-born pitcher Ken MacKenzie. Two things I’ve said many times here on BHCA: One, anyone who makes it to the major leagues is special in our eyes, whether a star or sub; and Two, when you look deep into the career of almost any major leaguer, you’ll invariably find something of interest…
Making the Case: Cecil Travis For the Hall of Fame
Two months ago, Michael Keedy submitted an essay highlighting the career of the Washington Senators’ outstanding shortstop, Cecil Travis. As he did his research for this essay, he became impressed with the accomplishments of a player he had barely heard of. The more he read about Cecil Travis, the more convinced he became that a strong case can be made that this overlooked star belongs in the Hall of Fame…
A Memorable 1969 Day In The Wrigley Field Bleachers!
For years I’ve been trying to get my good friend Mike Handley (aka: “Budman”) to send me details of the memorable day in September, 1969 when he was in the Wrigley Field bleachers and caught a home run ball hit by the Pirates’ Steve Blass. He finally did it!…
My Review of: Baseball’s Endangered Species, Inside the Craft of Scouting by Those Who Lived it, by Lee Lowenfish
I was recently to review “Baseball’s Endangered Species, Inside the Craft of Scouting by those Who Lived it.” Author Lee Lowenfish is an accomplished, highly acclaimed author, and I was honored to be asked…
A Perfect Game Rarity: What Are The Odds? Who Can Do The Math??
I just finished reading a great book by Lee Lowenfish, “Baseball’s Endangered Species: Inside the Craft of Scouting By Those Who Lived It.” A detailed review of the book will follow in short order. I have to comment about one extremely interesting item I uncovered in the book…
Cincinnati Reds vs. Pittsburgh Pirates: A Rivalry That Has Been Largely Forgotten
It’s less than 300 miles between Cincinnati and Pittsburgh and both the Reds and Pirates have been around for a very long time. Their NLCS clashes during the 1970s remain some of the best and most exciting in baseball history!
Stan Musial Named 1948 MVP!
Seventy-five years ago, December 2, 1948, Stan Musial was named the National League MVP. “Stan the Man” led the league in hitting with a .376 batting average and 131 RBIs, but just missed the Triple Crown by one home run. So let’s take a moment to pay tribute to the memory of one of the true greats in baseball history…
A Historical Look at Umpire Signals and Deaf MLB Players, Part Two
Today we continue with Part Two of Thomas Marshall’s series on deaf players and the development of umpire hand signals. As I mentioned, Part One got a real nice reception from the readers, and I know you’ll enjoy Part Two too. So we’ll pick up where Tom left off…
Such A Deal! Free “Baseball History Comes Alive” Bookmarks!
To celebrate the success (hopefully!) of my new book, “Out From Under the Shadow of the Babe,” I’ve had some custom-made book marks made up. I actually designed these myself, and I have to admit they came out pretty nice. I’m making them available FREE OF CHARGE…
My Review of “Days of Reckoning,” by Author Ron Waldo
Those of us who have read Author Ron Waldo’s previous books know him to be a skilled writer and accomplished baseball historian. With the publication of his latest book, “Days of Reckoning: Players Punching Their Ticket Out of Pittsburgh During the Barney Dreyfus Era,” he now emerges as a top-notch baseball researcher…
Frank Howard, RIP
We’d be remiss in our duties here on Baseball History Comes Alive if we didn’t take notice of the recent passing of the fine ball player Frank Howard in Aldie, Virginia at age 87…
Happy Thanksgiving From Baseball History Comes Alive!
The great American family tradition of “Turkey Day” falls in that “no man’s land” between the last pitch of the World Series and the first pitch of spring training. It’s not exactly our favorite time of the year. But somehow, we manage to make it through year after year…
A Historical Look at Umpire Signals and Deaf MLB Players
After each play, we look to the umpire’s signal to learn the call. Ever wonder how and why those signals got started?…
The Confusing History of Baseball In Washington, D.C!
There’s understandably a lot of confusion about major league baseball in Washington, D.C. Which franchise version are we in now? The second? The third? Were they originally called the Senators or the Nationals? And ust how do the Twins, Rangers, and Expos fit in?…
Another First for Jackie Robinson!
“The way I figured it, I was even with baseball and baseball with me. The game had done much for me, and I had done much for it.” -Jackie Robinson…
“The Little Professor” Gives One Of Our Readers a Real Treasure: An Autographed Ball!
Today we welcome Thomas Healy with a nice little essay about a day he never forgot and a gift he will always treasure: An autographed ball from the “Little Professor,” Dom DiMaggio…
A Genuine American War Hero: All-Star Pitcher Lou Brissie
With this being Veteran’s Weekend, I’d like to repost an essay I wrote seven years ago about a ball player who was severely wounded in WWII. In spite of these debilitating injuries which left him in constant pain for the rest of his life, he overcame incredible odds to fulfill his dream of being a major league pitcher. Lou Brissie may not be a household name, but I hope you’ll take a minute or two to read his remarkable story…
Book Review: Bright Lights Black Stars
“I owe more to Canadians than they’ll ever know. In my baseball career they were the first to make me feel my natural self… “ -Jackie Robinson
IS The100-YEAR PARTNERSHIP OF AM RADIO AND BASEBALL FACING THE SAME FATE AS THE WOOLLY MAMMATH AND THE DODO?
For the over 50 million people in this country who have reached 65 and beyond, the memories of baseball on AM radio is something we will always remember fondly…
Let’s Recall the 1911 World Series and Frank “Home Run” Baker!
The 2023 World Series is in the record books and so we extend a heartfelt congratulations to the Texas Rangers on an exciting win, the first World Series championship in their history…
WHY DID IT TAKE SO LONG FOR THE YANKEES TO MAKE YOGI BERRA THEIR REGULAR CATCHER?
Vince Jankoski returns today with an interesting essay detailing Yogi Berra’s path to becoming the Yankees’ regular catcher. It wasn’t as clear-cut as you might think, as Vince makes clear…