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.
Tim Raines – A HOFer Whose Career Stats Don’t Tell the Whole Story
Mark Kolier returns today with a deep dive into the career of Tim “Rock” Raines. Mark views Raines as an underrated HOFer, and after you read Mark’s essay, you’ll understand why!…
A Possible Contributory Factor To the Offensive Explosion in 1930!
Over the years, I’ve written numerous times about the offensive explosion that occurred in 1930. There has never been a season in modern baseball history to match the offensive bombardment of this year…
Another Edition of Baseball’s Forgotten Stars: Larry French
“He’s destined to become one of the greatest hurlers in the National League.” – Lefty Grove, speaking of a young Larry French…
Steve Blass: One Kid’s Home-State Hero!
Ron Christensen returns today with a detailed account of his youthful hobby of collecting baseball cards…and his discovery that pitcher Steve Blass was from his home state of Connecticut. Even though a Yankee fan, this started Ron off on a lifelong connection to the Pirates’ ace. Ron shares an interesting story to which – in many ways – we can all relate. -GL
A Sad Baseball Milestone: Last Two Surviving Members of the St. Louis Browns Pass Away
The last two surviving members of the St. Louis Browns have recently passed away: Ed Mickelson, on June 27, 2025, age 98; and Billy Hunter, on July 3, 2025, age 97. This brings down a sad final curtain on one of the original American League franchises…
A Look Back At The First All-Star Game!
Ninety-two years ago today, July 6, 1933, the first All-Star game was played in front of 49,200 fans at Comiskey Park. The American League won the game 4-2,..
THE EVOLUTION OF THE RELIEF PITCHER
Today we welcome back Vince Jankoski with an interesting essay about the early evolution of the relief pitcher from Firpo Marbeerry in the 1920s to Jim Konstanty in the 1950…
Let’s Recall Baseball’s Most Eloquent Moment: The Lou Gehrig “Luckiest Man” Speech, July 4, 1939
Amidst all the Fourth of July celebrations today, all baseball history fans (like us!) should take a few minutes to reflect upon the anniversary of one of the most memorable – yet saddest – days in baseball history. It occurred 83 years ago today on “Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day,” at Yankee Stadium between games of a Yankees-Senators doubleheader: Lou Gehrig’s “Luckiest Man” Speech…
The Heart-Warming Story of Hall of Fame Slugger Roger Connor and a Little Orphan Named Cecilia
With all the “heavy writing” we do around here on Baseball History Comes Alive, it’s nice every once in a while to step back and simply enjoy a story that, while it has a baseball connection, has nothing to do with anything that happened between the white lines. And so we will today…
Baseball’s Forgotten Stars: Frank ‘Noodles’ Hahn
Many of you may have heard of the early twentieth century ball player, Noodles Hahn. Besides having one of the greatest baseball nicknames of all-time, Noodles Hahn was quite a pitcher over his injury shortened career, as Mike Janacek tells us today…
Here’s a Streak From 1941 You Probably Aren’t Aware Of! (And no, I’m not talking about DiMaggio!)
The 1941 baseball season is considered by many baseball historians to be one of the greatest ever. As we all know this was the year of Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak. It was also the year of Ted Williams’ .406 average, the last time a player hit over .400. In addition, the Dodgers won their first pennant since 1920, and faced the Yankees in the Fall Classic. But there was another memorable steak that year that often gets overlooked…
“WILD BILL” DONOVAN: THE MOST SUPERSTITIOUS MAN IN BASEBALL!
We all know ball players are superstitious, but today, Ron Christensen tells us about possibly the most superstitious player of all, “Wild Bill Donovan. He’s off the “superstition charts”! It’s a great story that all baseball history fans will enjoy…
More Baseball Oddities: Career Home Run Record Holders!
Since 1895, 130 years ago, there have been only four players to hold the career home run record! Three of the names are easy to come up with: Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, and Barry Bonds. But the fourth? Any guesses?…
