Today, Ron Christensen pays tribute to Eddie Grant, the first major league player to be killed in action in World War I. Ron also shows Eddie’s connection to the Curse of Coogan’s Bluff, which followed the Giants to San Francisco after their move from New York…
Let’s Remember Vada Pinson!
As a long-time Cub fan, I’m old enough to remember Vada Pinson, especially when he played for the Reds. My recollection is that he was a dangerous clutch hitter with blazing speed and that he was also an outstanding defensive center fielder…
My Review of: “Marse Joe and Me, Recalling Baseball’s Greatest Manager”
Many thanks to author Robert O’Brian for sending me a copy of his interesting book, Marse Joe and Me, Recalling Baseball’s Greatest Manager. In it, Robert details the improbable story of how his then thirteen-year-old father – a paperboy in Buffalo, New York in the 1930s during the grim days of the Great Depression – was befriended by Joe McCarthy and his wife, Babe. It was a friendship that lasted for the rest of their lives until McCarthy passed away on January 13, 1978, at the age of 90…
THE CARRASQUELS, ALEX AND CHICO: A FAMILY OF FIRSTS.
Chico Carrasquel was a man of firsts. He was not only the initial batter in the initial major league baseball game played in Baltimore in half a century, he was also the first major leaguer to get a hit in Memorial Stadium, singling off of Turley in that initial at bat…
Major League Baseball at 150!
Today we welcome a guest essay from Randy Maniloff in which he celebrates the 150th anniversary of the National League’s first game, played on April 22, 1876. Randy also interviewed baseball historian John Thorn for this essay, and John offers interesting reflections on some of the rule changes baseball has seen over the years…
Happy birthday Yogi!
With today being the one hundred and first anniversary of the great Yogi Berra, I thought it would be a good occasion to repost one of my favorite Yogi essays. In this one, I try to put to rest the notion that Yogi was some kind of “lovable dolt.” Believe me, he was far from it, with a keen baseball mind combined with a lot of common sense…
Cubs’ Winning Streaks Recall the Great 1935 Cub Team!
Reading the Chicago Sun-Times yesterday, I learned that the Cubs’ recent consecutive game winning streak (which, sadly, ended last night at ten with a 6-0 loss to the Rangers), combined with an earlier 10-game winning streak, had placed the team in truly historic territory – at least for the Cub franchise…
BLUE LAW BLUES!
Most of us are familiar with the Blue Laws that prohibited sales of alcohol in the early 20th century. But how many know that the Blue Laws also forbade playing baseball on Sundays?…
Lou Gehrig’s Consecutive Game Streak Comes to An End!
Eighty-seven years ago this week, April 30, 1939, was a memorable day in baseball history. On that day, the consecutive game streak of the Iron Horse, Lou Gehrig, finally came to an end…
The Cubs’ Rick Monday Rescues the American Flag!
“If you’re going to burn the flag, don’t do it around me. I’ve been to too many veterans’ hospitals and seen too many broken bodies of guys who tried to protect it.” -Rick Monday…
What Do Sandy Koufax and Chris Sale Have In Common?
Sixty-two years ago yesterday, April 18, 1964, was an important date in the great career of Sandy Koufax. In a game against the Cincinnati Reds, Sandy struck out the side on nine pitches, completing what’s called an “Immaculate Inning”…
Babe Ruth’s Final At-Bat!
oday Ron Christensen returns with an interesting account of the Babe’s disappointing last season with the 1935 Boston Braves, including details of his last at-bat. Ron proves the point that, around here, you can never get enough of the Great Bambino!…
A Significant Date For Both Ty Cobb and Tris Speaker!
Ninety-eight years ago yesterday, April 11, 1928, was an important day in baseball history. On that day, forty-year-old veteran Ty Cobb and 41-year-old Tris Speaker start in the outfield on Opening Day for the A’s, batting second and third, respectively…
Baseball’s Dream Outfield: Bobby Veach, Ty Cobb, Sam Crawford!
Today we welcome back Mike Janacek with an interesting essay about one of – if not the best – outfields in baseball history: the Tigers’ Bobby Veach, Ty Cobb, and Sam Crawford. While much has been written about how great a player Cobb was, Bobby Veach certainly has to rank as one of baseball’s most overlooked and over shadowed stars. I had no idea how good he was until I read Mike’s essay…
Lets Remember the “Belly Ache Heard Round the World!”
One hundred one years ago this week, on April 5, 1925, the baseball world learned of the “Bellyache Heard Round the World.” That was the name given to a peculiar malady that felled none other than baseball’s Great Bambino, Babe Ruth…
Loren Babe: The Yankees’ Other Babe
As I’ve said many times, when you look deep into the career of a major leaguer, you’ll always find something of interest that you weren’t aware of. Today Ron Christensen writes about the career of little-remembered Loren Babe, who has a connection to two great Yankee stars: The Great Bambino and Mickey Mantle. I think you’ll find Ron’s essay interesting…
Tribute to Leo Durocher and Willie Mays!
One of my earlier posts talked about Jackie Robinson and Leo Durocher and how things might have been different for Jackie if he had the bold and brash Leo Durocher leading interference for him back in 1947…
We Made It! Happy Opening Day!
For old-time baseball fans like us, if there’s a better day of the year than Opening Day, I’m not sure what it is!
Baseball’s First Professional Championship…Sort Of!
oday Ron Christensen returns with an interesting account of one of the first precursors to the modern playoff series: the Brooklyn Atlantics vs. the Philadelphia Athletics, played in 1866. As you read Ron’s essay, you’ll get the sense of how popular baseball was even back then, as it developed over the ensuing decades into the National Pastime…
![A “Promising Young Rookie” Fills in for Bobby Thomson! [Hint: Initials “H.A.”]](https://www.baseballhistorycomesalive.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/1-aaron5.jpg)
A “Promising Young Rookie” Fills in for Bobby Thomson! [Hint: Initials “H.A.”]
Yesterday was the anniversary of a significant day in baseball history, but it’s safe to say nobody knew it at the time. Seventy-two years ago yesterday, March 14, 1954, a promising 20-year-old from Mobile, Alabama – fresh from the Negro Leagues – started his first game in a Braves’ uniform, filling in for Bobby Thomson, who had broken his ankle the day before…
Cubs Spring Training on Catalina Island!
How many baseball fans are aware that for over 30 years, the Cubs held Spring training on their own private paradise? The spot was Santa Catalina Island, located in the Pacific Ocean, 25 miles off the coast of Los Angeles.
Ted Williams Injured on the First Day of Spring Training, 1954!
oday is the anniversary of an important date in the career of Ted Williams, but one that I’m sure, if he were alive, he’d rather not talk about. I recently learned that on March 1, 1954, seventy-two years ago today, Ted broke his collarbone on the first day of spring training when he stumbled in the outfield shagging a line drive during batting practice. This unfortunate injury, coming after surviving two plane crashes and after flying thirty-nine combat missions during the Korean War, kept Ted out of action for the first four weeks of the 1954 season…
Louis Sockalexis: “Deerfoot of the Diamond”
Wow! File this one into the file marked “Lost Potential.” I had heard of Louis Sockalexis but knew nothing about him. Rod Christensen fills in that gap today with an interesting essay about the first Native American ball player who had the potential to be one of the greatest players ever…
Cubs’ Base-Running Gaffe Recalls the Dodgers’ Babe Herman: The Only Major Leaguer To Double Into a Double Play!
The Cubs’ bizarre spring training triple play the other day brought to mind another equally bizarre base-running gaffe made by the Dodgers’ Babe Herman on August 26, 1926, one hundred years ago this summer…
Bill Mazeroski, R.I.P. Lets Recall Bill’s “Homer for the Ages”
On this the sad occasion of Bill Mazeroski’s passing, I’d like to honor him by saying a few words about the classic 1960 World Series and Bill’s historic homer, ranked Number One by ESPN on its list of the One Hundred Greatest Home Runs of All Time…
Harry Caray Passes Away 28 Years Ago This Week
This week, February 18, 1998, marked the 28th anniversary of the death of Harry Caray. Harry passed away as a result of complications from a heart attack and brain damage. On Valentine’s Day, Caray and his wife, Dutchie, were at a Rancho Mirage, California, restaurant celebrating the holiday when Caray collapsed during the meal. He was rushed to nearby Eisenhower Medical Center, where he never woke up from his coma…
The Rise and Fall of Denny McLain
Today we welcome back Matt Kastel with an interesting essay describing the life and career of Denny McLain, the last player to win 30 games. This essay is a condensed version of Matt’s longer essay for which he interviewed McLain…
Lets Remember the Great Yankee Manager, Miller Huggins!
Ninety-five years ago today, on February 15, 1931, the Yankees renamed their spring training facility, Crescent Lake, to Miller Huggins Field in honor of their late manager, who passed away at the end of the 1929 season…
Carlos Beltran For the Hall of Fame…Yes or No?
When Vince Jankoski set me an essay discussing Carlos Beltran’s qualifications for the Hall of Fame, I was hesitant to post it. I have a rule that anything after about 1970 is too modern for Baseball History Comes Alive. But when I read the essay, I discovered that Vince puts Beltran’s stats in historical perspective, comparing him to some of the great center fielders of the past. OK Vince…it’s a go! Anyway, I think you’ll enjoy Vince’s deep dive into Carlos Beltran’s merits for the Hall. Then you can make up your own mind!…
1942 Baseball Game With Dom DiMaggio’s All-Stars Halted by… a Prison Break??
We’ve all heard of baseball games being suspended for various reasons. Rain, snow, fog, swarms of insects, medical emergencies…even earthquakes. But there was a game played on February 8, 1942, eighty-three years ago today, at the Folsom Correctional Facility in California that was halted because of a prison break!…
Len Koenecke: A Remarkably Bizarre and Unusual Tale
I’ve said many times whenever you look deeply into the live and career of a former major league player you’ll find something of interest about him. However, as Ron Christensen accounts today, this story about the unusual demise of Len Koenecke is off the charts! This is one of the most bizarre stories involving the death of a major leaguer I can remember…
Who Actually Were the Boston “Bees”?
Ninety years ago this week, Judge Fuchs, the owner of the Boston Braves, sold the team to new ownership who thought the time was right for a new name to help to change the Braves’ losing image…
We Uncover a Bit of Baseball History In Photos of Hall of Famer, Sam Thompson!
OK…Today we’re really going into the weeds! This one is for the real baseball history nerds out there! I was recently contacted by two SABR members asking my opinion on whether or not a player in an 1880s photo found on eBay from an Ohio estate sale was nineteenth century Hall of Fame ball player Sam Thompson…
Lets Recall the 1939 Hall of Fame Class!
There have been some questionable Hall of Fames inductees over the years, but you certainly can’t quibble with the Class of ’39. Eighty-seven years ago yesterday, January 24, 1939, the Hall enshrined Eddie Collins, George Sisler, and Wee Willie Keeler.
We Can Thank The St. Louis Browns For The Modern Pitching Coach!
We welcome back Vince Jankoski today with another interesting essay on coaches. This time he highlights the evolution of the modern pitching coach. As I’ve said before, there’s no group in baseball more neglected than coaches. Fortunately for us, Vince is attempting to right this obvious wrong…
Baseball History Comes Alive Celebrates Its Tenth Anniversary!
This week marks the tenth anniversary of Baseball History Comes Alive. I’d like to thank all our loyal followers, especially those who have been with me from the beginning. To celebrate the happy occasion, here’s a repost of my very first essay, posted on January 20, 2016, along with a nice photo gallery highlighting the life and career of the great “Flying Dutchman,” Honus Wgner…
Wilbur Wood, RIP
The baseball world was saddened this week to learn of the passing of Wilbur Wood, age 84 (October 22, 1941-January 17, 2026).
A few years ago, I wrote a detailed essay about Wilbur’s career in which I termed him “Baseball’s Rodney Dangerfield.” Although I meant that in jest, I was not far off the mark. Wilbur, like most knuckleballers, gets little respect from the baseball world…
The 1935 Bismark Churchills: A Team Ahead of Its Time!
On Martin Luther King day, it’s fitting that we salute the Bismark Churchills, a ground-breaking team that almost no one has ever heard of. I was familiar with the rich history of baseball in Bismark, North Dakota, including Satchel Paige’s participation, but until I read Ron Christensen’s essay, I had no idea of the role the Churchills played in breaking down baseball’s racial barriers…
Willie Mays Name “Player of the Decade” for the 1960s!
Fifty-six years ago yesterday, on January 17, 1970, The Sporting News named the Giants great center fielder, Willie Mays, as its “Player of the Decade” for the 1960s, narrowly beating out two other great contenders, Hank Aaron and Roberto Clemente. Let’s take a look at what Willie accomplished from 1960-1969…
Back into the Deadball Era we go! “Colby Jack” Coombs
I always love learning more about the Deadball Era, and today, Mike Janacek returns with an interesting essay on the career of one of the DBE’s best, “Colby Jack” Coombs. For a three-year period (1910-12), he was one of the best in the business….
