Today, Paul Doyle offers us something a bit different: Paul gives us a brief history of baseball and radio broadcasting…
A Salute to the Baseball Boyer Family on the Passing of Eldest Brother, Cloyd
Thanks to our reader, Brian Talley, who alerted me to the passing of Cloyd Boyer, 94, earlier this week in Webb City, Missouri…
New Blog Topic: MLB should create an “MOP Award”: Most Outstanding Player!
The 2021 baseball season, conducted during a global pandemic, has provided some amazing individual performances…
Paul Dean, Jr. RIP
“He’s the hottest thing you ever saw…He’s gonna make ‘em forget me and Paul.” –Dizzy Dean, speaking of his nephew, Paul Dean, Jr….
Another Edition Of “Baseball’s Forgotten Stars!”: Wes Ferrell
I love going through the 1930s-’40s looking for stars who’ve been largely forgotten over the passage of time. And believe me, there’s plenty of them!…
Casey Stengel’s Often Overlooked Playing Career!
“Sure I played, did you think I was born at the age of 70 sitting in a dugout trying to manage guys like you?” – Casey Stengel
“M&M BOYS” HIT HOME RUNS GOOD & PLENTY!
With the overabundance of Home Runs being hit in the majors over the last twenty years or so, we have almost forgotten the 60th anniversary of Roger Maris’ quest to break one of the iconic records in the game-most home runs in a season…
EDDIE STANKY: “THE BRAT”!
Today we welcome back Bill Schaefer with an interesting essay detailing the career of The Brat, Eddie Stanky
A Follow Up To “Immaculate Innings” And The “Big Red Machine”!
Let’s go back to 1975 when the “Big Red Machine” was in its heyday…
More Fun With Baseball Rarities: Two Grand Slams in One Game!
I always enjoy trying to uncover rarities that occur on the baseball field….
Baseball “Goats,” Part Three: Heine Zimmerman and the 1917 World Series
“Who the hell was I supposed to throw to, Bill Klem?”…
How Many of You Know What An “Immaculate Inning” Is?
Reading this morning’s Chicago Sun-Times, I learned that Boston’s Chris Sale threw what’s called an “immaculate inning,” tying Sandy Koufax as the only pitchers in baseball history to have thrown three in the entire history of baseball…
GREAT OLD TIMERS’ FOOTAGE: 1947 Tribute To Babe Ruth!
Many of you know how much I enjoy Old-Timers’ games. I recently came on to what I think is the best footage from an Old Timers’ game I’ve ever seen…
Baseball “Goats,” Part Two: The “$30,000 Muff”
To follow up on my three-part series on the tragedy of Fred Merkle, I’m today starting another series on well-known baseball goats…
The Tragedy of Fred Merkle, Part Three: It’s Time to Right a Historic Wrong!
“I wish I’d never gotten that hit that set off the whole Merkle incident. I wish I’d struck out instead. It would have spared Fred a lot of unfair humiliation.”…
JIM “MUDCAT” GRANT AND A CERTAIN ”MISTER X”
I’ve learned over the years that whenever I write an essay for my website, Baseball History Comes Alive, it goes out to a wide audience. I never know exactly who it might reach or how it might affect someone…
Grover Cleveland “Pete” Alexander Sets the Record Straight About 1926 World Series!
“Less than a foot made the difference between a hero and a bum.” -Pete Alexander, speaking of Tony Lazzeri’s long and barely foul shot during the 1926 World Series, before Alex struck him out…
The Tragedy of Fred Merkle, Part Two: The Warren Gill Game
The game isn’t over until that man touches second base! Why don’t you wait until the game is over, you big fathead!…
New Blog Topic: More on Ty Cobb
As I’ve mentioned, I’m rereading Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty, by Charles Leerhsen and I’m finding a lot of interesting information about the Georgia Peach…
Tribute to Jim “MudCat” Grant
I’m very grateful to Paul Doyle for calling my attention to the recent passing of Jim “Mudcat” Grant on June 11 of this year, aged 85…
The Tragedy of Fred Merkle, Part One
“Strength to overcome adversity…that is the enduring legacy of Fred Merkle’s life.’”…
Another Edition of “From the Lighter Side”: Has A Woman Ever Batted In A Major League Game?
Question: “Has a woman ever batted in a major league game?” Answer: “Well, sorta’…”
You’ll have to read on to see what I mean!…
J.R. Richard, RIP
The baseball world was saddened yesterday as we learned of the passing of one of the great pitchers from the recent past, J.R. Richard…
Ty Cobb, Part Two: My Review of “Ty Cobb, A Terrible Beauty”
When I posted my essay about Ty Cobb here the other day, I also posted it on Facebook, as I usually do. A number of readers mentioned the biography of Cobb by Charles Leerhsen which came out a few years ago and caused quite a stir. It was called, Ty Cobb, a Terrible Beauty…
1912: Ty Cobb Sets Another Record!
Sportswriter: “Ty, what do you think you’d hit against today’s pitching?” Ty Cobb: “Only .300, but you’ve got to remember – I’m seventy-three!”…
Stan Musial Strikes Out Three Times!
Here’s something to really think about. It should wake up anyone who doesn’t think the game has changed drastically over the years…
Another Edition of Baseball’s Forgotten Stars! Bill “Swish” Nicholson!
Let’s shine the spotlight on Bill “Swish” Nicholson…and remember the unusual “gift” he received in 1944…
The Indians Change Their Name To The “Guardians”!
Regardless of how you may view the appropriateness of the decision, I’d have to say that all of us who love the game of baseball and respect its storied history and traditions were somewhat saddened to learn that the Cleveland major league baseball franchise will change its name…
1930: The Year Offense In Baseball Went “Off the Charts!”
1930 was a good year to be a hitter in the major leagues…but definitely not a pitcher!…
Joe DiMaggio’s 56-Game Streak Comes To An End: July 17,1941!
Even though I’m a couple days late on this, I couldn’t let the week go by without mentioning the 80th anniversary of Joe DiMaggio’s incredible 56-game hitting streak coming to an end…
Baseball “Babes,” Part Six: Ballplayer-Turned-Umpire, Babe Pinelli!
“Kill the SOB, Carl! Kill ’em!”- Umpire Babe Pinelli to Carl Furillo, who had Dodger manager Leo Durocher in a chokehold during an on-field melee in 1953…
We’re Contacted By “Acquaintance” of 1930s-40s Star Dolph Camilli!
“Dolph Camilli was a quiet, gentle man but he was as strong as an ox. Nobody knew how well Dolph could fight because, quite frankly, nobody had ever wanted to find out”…
Subscriber Matthew Clifford Creates A New Art Form: “Baseball Fence Art!”
Back in 2016, life-long Cub fan and avid baseball history fan Matthew Clifford bought a home on a half-acre of land in the rural northern Illinois town of Leland. The property came with a rickey-rack six-foot fence enclosing his backyard…
New Book By Our Subscriber, Adam Rothstein!
As I mentioned many times, we’re always happy to “plug” books written by our subscribers and/or contributors…
Baseball “Babes,” Part Five! A Trade of the “Babes”: Babe Dahlgren for Babe Phelps!
In recent days, I’ve written about Babe Ruth, Babe Dahlgren, Babe Herman, and Babe Adams. I thought I’d go for a “clean sweep” with a few words about another “Babe,” Babe Phelps…
A Baseball Babe “Four Bagger!” Babe Adams
In recent days, I’ve written about “Babe” Ruth, “Babe” Dahlgren, and “Babe” Herman. Thanks to one of the readers who suggested I make it a Babe “Four Bagger” by including “Babe” Adams, the rookie hero of the 1909 World Series…
Another Baseball “Babe”: Babe Herman!
Dubbed “The Headless Horseman of Ebbets Field” by Dazzy Vance for his various base running misadventures, Herman was one of the great power hitters of the 1930s..
The Cubs’ Recent “Combined No-Hitter” Calls to Mind 1917!
I’m sure most of you heard that the Cubs recently threw a combined no-hitter. When I heard about it, my baseball history antenna immediately went off…
BILL SCHAEFER’S TWENTY MINUTES WITH WILLIE MAYS!
“He can hit. He can run. He can field…If he could cook, I’d marry him!” -Leo Durocher, speaking of Willie Mays…
“The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat,” World Series Style: Part III
Today in Part III of this series, I’ll do away with the “Defeat” and just concentrate on the “Thrill.”…