Exactly eighty years ago today, Leo Durocher got off one of the most famous aphorisms in the English language: “Nice guys finish last.” You can find it in the current edition of Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations. attributed to Durocher…
Book Review: “One Day in September: Baseball, Brotherhood, and the Birth of the All-Star Game”
The book, “One Day in September: Baseball, Brotherhood, and the Birth of the All-Star Game,” by author Scott D. Reich, gives a vivid account of the life and times of Tim Murnane and the September 27, 1917, Tim Murnane Benefit Game held in his honor at Fenway Park. I had been vaguely aware of Tim Murnane and the benefit game, but until I read Scott Reich’s book, I had no idea of its significance to baseball, momentarily uniting rivals for a good cause, and serving as a precursor to the first All-Star Game…
Baseball at Mid-Season: Let’s Take a Moment to Dream A Little…
With most teams at or approaching the 81-game mark in their seasons, this is a good time to take a quick break and think about something just a bit different. In this post, there’s no historical records to examine, no mention of no-hitters or perfect games, no spotlight on a great player, no anecdotes about Babe Ruth, no talk of who should or should not be in the Hall of Fame. You know, the usual stuff…
A Baseball Marathon: The Longest Game in Major League History
Ron Christensen returns today with an interesting account of the longest game in major league history: a 26-inning affair played on May 1, 1920. I don’t think we have to worry about this record ever being broken!…
Fathers Day Salute to Br. Mathias, Babe’s Mentor and Father Figure!
“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…
The Jackie Robinson Rundown!
Today we welcome a guest contribution from Len Ferman with an interesting essay about the day in 1951 when Jackie Robinson survived a rundown off third base…while trapped by five Phillies players!
Cubs Pete Crow-Armstrong Goes From an Incredible High To An Incredible Low…In a Matter of Seconds!
As readers of my website know, I love commenting on baseball rarities and oddities. In the past, I’ve written about things like unassisted triple plays, four homers in one game, immaculate innings, and perfect games. Those rank right up there with some of the rarest occurrences in baseball history…
Was Lou Gehrig Ever Ejected From a Game? Hard to Believe But the Answer Is Yes!
t actually happened. Ninety-three years ago today, June 14, 1933, umpire Bill Sommers ejected Lou Gehrig from a game after a close call at second base…
Great Footage From the Opening of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, June 12, 1939
Eighty-seven years ago today, the Baseball Hall of Fame opened its doors in Cooperstown, New York, with a dedication ceremony featuring speeches by some of baseball’s all-time greats, including Cy Young, Eddie Collins, and, of course, the great Bambino, Babe Ruth…
More Fun With Baseball Rarities: Bob Gibson Records Four Strikeouts in One Inning!! What Gives??
I always enjoy writing about baseball rarities, you know, like unassisted triple plays, four home runs in one inning, natural cycles, and perfect games. I can now add another one to the list: Four strikeouts in one inning…
A “Deep Dive” Into the Old Reliable Baseball Box score!
Today, Vince Jankoski returns with an interesting “deep dive” into the origins and evolution of the baseball box score. Starting with Henry Chadwick, who first developed the box score in the 1880s, we learn how it has adapted to all the changes that have taken place over the years, and how much more efficient it is than box scores from other sports…
Vern Stephens: The Most Ignored Great Shortstop
Today Mark Kolier features another forgotten star from an earlier era, Vern Stephens. I was somewhat familiar with him from my work identifying ballplayers in the Leslie Jones Boston Public Library Baseball Collection, in which he showed up frequently. After reading Mark’s essay, I now know he was a much better ballplayer than I realized and certainly deserves consideration for the Hall of Fame…
What are the Odds?? Unassisted Triple Plays on Back-to-Back Days!
I always enjoy reading about baseball’s oddities: perfect games, four home runs in one game, hitting for the natural cycle, and five extra base hits in a game. All of these are comparable in terms of rarity, but all require extraordinary effort and skill. Right up there in rarity is the unassisted triple play. The difference, though, is that the unassisted triple play is more a matter of luck than skill…
Memorial Day Baseball Tribute: Eddie Grant and The Curse of Coogan’s Bluff!
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…
