Gary Livacari | Baseball History Comes Alive

Another Edition Of: Do You Have a Funny Caption For This Photo?

Now that we are in the "lull" between Christmas and New Years Eve, I thought it was a good time to have some fun with another edition of "Do you have a funny caption for this photo?"...

Posted on: December 28, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 20 Comments

Merry Christmas From Baseball History Comes Alive!

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....

Posted on: December 24, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 13 Comments

Michael Keedy’s Top Ten Greatest World Series Catches, Number One: Sandy Amoros and the 1955 World Series!

We've finally reached the culmination of Michael Keedy's Top Ten Greatest World Series Catches...

Posted on: December 23, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 19 Comments

Michael Keedy’s Top Ten Greatest World Series Catches, Numbers Two and Three: The Miracle Mets and the 1969 World Series

Michael Keedy’s Top Ten Greatest World Series Catches, Numbers Two and Three: Today, Michael Keedy continues with his countdown of the Top Ten Greatest World Series Catches with catches number two and three...

Posted on: December 16, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 10 Comments

Curt Simmons, RIP; Let’s Recall the 1950 World Series (Link Corrected)

The baseball world was saddened to learn of the recent passing of Curt Simmons (May 19, 1927- December 13, 2022) at age 93. Simmons was the last surviving member of the 1950 "Whiz Kids"...

Posted on: December 15, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 4 Comments

Another Edition of: Do You Have a Caption For This Photo? Let’s Have Some Fun!

The reason I love this photo is because it reminds me that after watching baseball for over 65 years, I still can't understand the signals the catcher puts down for the pitcher!...

Posted on: December 14, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 20 Comments

The Sad Demise of Hack Wilson

“Hung over, yes, many times…drunk, no.” -Hack Wilson’s response when asked if he ever played drunk...

Posted on: December 10, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 18 Comments

The “Amazin Mets!” 1962-69

"The Mets have shown me more ways to lose than I even knew existed." -Manager Casey Stengel

Posted on: December 9, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 22 Comments

The Heart-Warming Story of Babe Ruth and Little Johnny Sylvester

“I'll knock a homer for Wednesday's game. Babe Ruth” –Inscription on baseball scrawled by Babe Ruth during the 1926 World Series and given to little Johnny Sylvester, recovering from a near-fatal illness....

Posted on: December 3, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 7 Comments

Michael Keedy’s Top Ten Greatest World Series Catches, Number Four: Willie Mays, “The Catch,” and the 1954 World Series

"Part of the charm of the Polo Grounds…is that a man pitching a game can, without turning his head, listen to fans in the right-field stands ask each other for matches."...

Posted on: December 2, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 14 Comments

GIANTS, DODGERS AND A BRAWL FOR THE AGES

“Baseball fights can be more dangerous than hockey fights, where two players square off, because you’ve got guys running all over the place and people throwing punches at you that you don’t see half the time”...

Posted on: November 30, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 19 Comments

Frank Robinson Wins the 1961 MVP Award!

This past week marked the sixty-first anniversary of Frank Robinson's first MVP award...

Posted on: November 27, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 2 Comments

Michael Keedy’s Top Ten Greatest World Series Catches, No. Five: Dwight Evans and the 1975 World Series!

The very mention of "Game Six" is almost certain to evoke sharp visions of Carlton Fisk's walk-off homer in the 1975 World Series...

Posted on: November 25, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 8 Comments

Happy Thanksgiving From Baseball History Comes Alive!

As some of you may remember, I always try to find some connection between our national holidays and baseball history...

Posted on: November 24, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 4 Comments

Here’s one Red Sox fans will remember: Jackie Jensen Wins 1958 MVP Award!

Sixty-four years ago today, on November 19, 1958, Jackie Jensen was selected as the American League Most Valuable Player. With his selection, Jensen broke the four-year dominance of Yankee MVPs (Yogi Berra, 1954-'55, Mickey Mantle, 1956-'57)...

Posted on: November 19, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 3 Comments

Do You Have A Funny Caption For This Photo?

I thought it might be fun to start a new ongoing series that I'm calling: "Do You Have A Caption For This Photo?" I'll be asking you guys for help. If you stumble on to a baseball photo that we could have some fun with coming up with a humorous caption, please send the photo to me at: Livac2@aol.com...

Posted on: November 17, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 14 Comments

Let’s Recall the 1940 “Cry-Babies Incident” and the Principal Player Involved, Hal Trosky!

Today marks the 82nd anniversary of the "Cry-Babies Incident," when Indians owner Alva Bradley finally fired unpopular manager, Ossie Vitt, who had referred to his players as "cry-Babies"...

Posted on: November 16, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 15 Comments

Reflections on Chicago Baseball in the 1950s

To those of us who cut our baseball “teeth” in the 1950s in Chicago, we initially had very little awareness that we were living in the Golden Age of baseball—The Fifties—and that New York, with its great three teams was the center of the baseball universe...

Posted on: November 15, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 20 Comments

Annual Veteran’s Day Tribute to Baseball and the Military: 1917 White Sox In Military Formation!

Here's a repost of one of my favorite "baseball and military" photos. It's part of my annual Veteran's Day tribute to baseball and the military...

Posted on: November 11, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 1 Comment

Another Edition of Baseball’s Forgotten Stars: Billy Pierce

On November 10, 1948, the White Sox acquire left-hander Billy Pierce and $10,000 from the Tigers for All-Star catcher Aaron Robinson...

Posted on: November 10, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 10 Comments

Let’s Recall the Classic 1955 World Series!

"The Yankee Stadium clock reads 3:45 on Tuesday, October 4, 1955, freezing for all time the greatest single moment in Brooklyn Dodger history."...

Posted on: November 4, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 11 Comments

Michael Keedy’s Top-Ten Greatest World Series Catches, No. 6: Mickey Mantle, 1956

Anybody who followed big-league baseball in the 1950s and '60s remembers Mickey Mantle, who had to be God's gift to the sport...

Posted on: November 4, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 15 Comments

THE TURBULANT LIFE OF HARRY “THE HAT” WALKER

Harry Walker won the National League batting crown with a .363 batting average, in 1947...

Posted on: October 30, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 12 Comments

Michael Keedy’s Greatest World Series Catches, No. Seven: “Back-Back-Back In Time!” Al Gionfriddo and the 1947 World Series

If ever any American alive in the first half of the twentieth century were surprised to discover a team from New York in the World Series, he couldn't have been much of a baseball fan...

Posted on: October 26, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 5 Comments

New Book by Pete Aman: Fielders’ Choice – Life Lessons from Baseball

One of our readers, Pete Aman, has just released a new book, Fielders' Choice - Life Lessons from Baseball...

Posted on: October 21, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 3 Comments

Michael Keedy’s Top-Ten Greatest World Series Catches! No. Eight: Billy “The Kid” Martin, 1952

Today Michael Keedy continues with his ongoing series featuring Top-Ten World Series Catches. Today's entry features Billy Maritn's Series-saving grab in 1952.

Posted on: October 21, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 9 Comments

“Deep Dive” into Black Sox Scandal: Concluding Thoughts to My Black Sox Essays

Throughout this collection of essays, I have attempted to make the point that the conventional wisdom regarding the Black Sox scandal and the 1919 World Series does not tell the complete story...

Posted on: October 19, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 2 Comments

“Deep Dive” Into the Black Sox Scandal: 1919 Cincinnati Reds – Talk About Being Overshadowed!

Today I’ll continue my weekly “deep dive” into the Black Sox scandal with a look at the 1919 Cincinnati Reds, a strong team completely overshadowed by the events of the scandal...

Posted on: October 12, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 5 Comments

Baseball’s Deadliest Day: Black Saturday – The tragedy that changed ballpark construction forever

Black Saturday began innocently enough when a 13-year-old girl ran an errand for her aunt that took her past where the Phillies were playing a doubleheader...

Posted on: October 11, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 7 Comments

“Mr. Baseball,” Bob Uecker, and His “Flycatcher” Tuba! plus: Uke’s Hilarious Miller Lite Commerical!

"Ueck" was trying to 'loosen things up' before Game Two of the 1964 World Series between the Cardinals and Yankees at Busch Stadium, so he grabbed a tuba and proceeded to catch fly balls!...

Posted on: October 8, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 4 Comments

Michael Keedy’s Top-Ten Greatest World Series Catches! No. Nine: Joe Rudi, 1972

Joe Rudi's spectacular World Series grab happened in Game Two, played on October 14, 1972, and whether it "saved" the first of Oakland's three consecutive world championships is open to debate among baseball scholars...

Posted on: October 7, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 7 Comments

“Deep Dive” into the Black Sox Scandal: Was Charles Comiskey “Cheap”?

If you ask most knowledgeable baseball fans the question, “Why did eight Black Sox players conspired to ‘fix’ the 1919 World Series?” the answer you would likely hear is this: “It was Comiskey’s fault. He was a cheapskate.”...

Posted on: October 4, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 9 Comments

Babe Ruth’s Called Shot: “Did He or Didn’t He?”

The story goes that Ruth pointed to the center-field bleachers during the at-bat. But did he?...

Posted on: October 2, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 5 Comments

Michael Keedy’s New Series: The Top-TenGreatest World Series Catches Of All Time! No. Ten: Bobby Richardson, 1962

The Pittsburgh Pirates, outscored in the 1960 Series by more than double, had Lady Luck to thank for their world championship season...

Posted on: September 30, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 3 Comments

“Deep Dive” Into the Black Sox Scandal: Eddie Cicotte’s Performance in Game One

Conventional wisdom tells us that Game One was "thrown" by the White Sox and Eddie Cicotte was the main culprit. Read this essay and see what you think...

Posted on: September 27, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 4 Comments

What Does Cub Rookie Pitcher Have In Common With Sandy Koufax? An Immaculate Inning!

I have to admit that, as long as I’ve been following this game, I had never heard of an “immaculate inning” until Chris Sale threw one last year...

Posted on: September 25, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 4 Comments

What Are Your Impressions of Some of the Old Ball Parks?

Many thanks again to Ray Banko who has come up with another great idea. Ray thought it would be interesting to hear stories from our readers about visiting some of the old ballparks...