“If it was humanly possible for a ball to be caught, Roberto Clemente was going to get it.” –Pirates’ manager, Danny Murtaugh…
“Shoeless” Joe Jackson’s Incredible Three-Year Span, 1911-13!
This month marks the seventy-fourth anniversary of Shoeless Joe Jackson’s passing at age 64 (December 5, 1951). Let’s use the occasion to recall the career of one of the greatest natural hitters the game has ever seen…
Merry Christmas!
On behalf of all of us here at Baseball History Comes Alive, I’d like to extend to all our readers a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! And to all our Jewish friends, a blessed Hanukkah season…
Another Edition of “Baseball’s Forgotten Stars!” – Phil Cavarretta
With this week being the 15th anniversary of Phil Cavarretta’s passing (December 21, 2010), I thought this would be a good time to repost my tribute to this overlooked star that I first wrote nine years ago…
Dave Bancroft: A Shortstop of “Beauty!”
I’ve always said it’s much harder for middle infielders to make the Hall of Fame, as they characteristically lack the power numbers that ensure automatic selection. Such was the case for Dave ‘Beauty’ Bancroft, always considered a controversial selectee. And so today Ron Christensen does a deep dive into his career, making a strong and convincing case for his HOF inclusion…
The Wit and Wisdom of “El Goofo,” Lefty Gomez!
With all the “heavy writing” we do around here, it’s fun sometimes to step back and turn our baseball spotlight on some of baseball’s zany characters. Mike Janacek returns today with a fun piece highlighting some of the most “memorable” quips of one of the game’s great personalities, “El Goffo,” Lefty Gomez. I think you’ll enjoy it!…
Cardinals Trade Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown to the Cubs, 1903!
Brock for Broglio? Yeah, that was a pretty good deal…for the Cardinals, that is. Not so good for us Cub fans, however! But how about getting Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown from the Cardinals almost for free?? Now that’s a deal!!…
A Young Kid Meets Rogers Hornsby!
And you’ll never guess who that young kid was…that’s right, me!…
Boston Red Sox Fenway Park Clubhouse, Vintage 1928!
My recent post from the 1912 New York Giants spring training workout showing them on what appears to be a cow pasture, got me thinking about other baseball facilities from bygone eras that – shall we say –are not quite up to modern standards…
It’s Time for a Quiz! Let’s Test Your Knowledge of 1930s Baseball!
It’s time to put on your thinking caps! Or, as I used to hear back in grade school: “OK class, close your desks and take out a piece of paper. We’re having a pop quiz!” But don’t worry…you won’t be graded!…
Minnie Minoso Returns to the White Sox, December 6, 1959!
Sixty-six years ago yesterday, December 6, 1959, the Indians traded fan-favorite Minnie Minoso, along with three other players, back to the White Sox. Minnie’s return made Opening Day at Comiskey Park, April 19, 1960, a special day in White Sox history…
Wilbert Robinson & John McGraw: A Complicated Relationship!
In the long history of baseball, their have been many notable feuds. Ones that come readily to mind involve Johnny Evers and Joe Tinker; Yogi Berra and George Steinbrenner; and Leo Durocher and Carl Furillo, to name only a few. Today, in Ron Christensen’s essay, we learn of another friendship involving baseball icons that eventually went sour: John McGraw and Wilbert “Uncle Robbie” Robinson…
