“When you’re going good it doesn’t get any better than being in New York. But when you’re going bad it doesn’t get any worse.”-Met’s manager Davey Johnson…
“42” MOVIE REVIEW
Today we welcome back Bill Schaefer with an interesting “review of a review.” Bill analyzes Boston Globe sportswriter Bob Ryan’s “take” of the movie “42,” written in 2013. Bill then adds his own comments as he goes along. Read Bill’s essay, and see if you agree with Bob Ryan and/or Bill Schaefer!…
IS The100-YEAR PARTNERSHIP OF AM RADIO AND BASEBALL FACING THE SAME FATE AS THE WOOLLY MAMMATH AND THE DODO?
For the over 50 million people in this country who have reached 65 and beyond, the memories of baseball on AM radio is something we will always remember fondly…
Bobby Thomson’s Doubleplay Saved His “Shot” Legacy
Bill reminds us today of a fantastic twin killing initiated by Bobby Thomson in the final series of the 1951 pennant race that may very well have changed the course of baseball history…
The Call From Hell!
Last week, Bill Schaefer described for us what was “Maybe the Best Play Ever.” Today he follows up with the other end of the spectrum: “The Call From Hell.” It’s hard to argue with Bill’s assessment in either case!…
“Maybe the Best Play Ever!”
We welcome back Bill Schaefer with the first of a two-part series. Today’s essay describes possibly the “Greatest Play Ever.” It involves a never-duplicated unassisted triple play by an outfielder!…
Book Review: Some Catch – Thirty Gems Capturing the Humor and Drama of the Game
I’m very happy to report that contributor Bill Schaefer’s first book, Some Catch: Thirty Gems Capturing the Humor and Drama of the Game, is now available on Amazon in both paperback and ebook versions…
Bill SCHAEFER’S MYSTERY PLAYER NUMBER FIVE!
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Bill Schaefer’s Mystery Player No. Three!
Bill Schaefer returns today with another Mystery Player. As with the first two entries to this series, the identity of No. Three won’t be too difficult to discover for our baseball history “savvy” readers here on Baseball History Comes Alive.
Mystery Player Number Two!
Today Bill Schaefer jumps into our new Mystery Player series with an interesting essay about a fine ballplayer who is not widely recognized for his ability…
PLAY BALL! Reflections on Opening Days Past!
Well, we’re almost there with bubbling over anticipation, when all big-league teams will be in action on one Opening Day, March 30, for the first time since 1968…
THE SHOT HEARD ‘ROUND THE WORLD (THAT ALMOST WASN’T)
Today we welcome back Bill Schaefer with an interesting account of the 1951 game between the Dodgers and Phillies that necessitated the three-game playoff series between the Dodgers and Giants…
FLASHBACKS AND…WHO’S ON FIRST (on your all-time team)?
Today we welcome back Bill Schaefer with an interesting essay about all-time greatest teams. They’re selected by guys who knew a thing or two about this game: six Hall of Famers…
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”…
THE TURBULANT LIFE OF HARRY “THE HAT” WALKER
Harry Walker won the National League batting crown with a .363 batting average, in 1947…
BASEBALL’S CUTTING EDGE HUMOR: “THE GLORY OF THEIR (FUNNY) LINES”
With a pun on the great baseball book, The Glory of Their Times, Bill Schaefer treats us today with an extensive collection of some of the greatest lines of baseball humor and wisdom…
JOE DIMAGGIO, PART II – “DIMAG POST WAR: JOE, MARILYN AND PAUL SIMON”
Today Bill Schaefer continues with his series on the life and career of the great Yankee Clipper, Joe DiMaggio. He even addresses such interesting non-baseball topics as Joe’s relationships with Marilyn Monroe and songwriter Paul Simon…
SAILING THROUGH THE DECADES WITH THE YANKEE CLIPPER-PART 1
On Baseball History Comes Alive, we can never get enough of superstars like the great Yankee Clipper, Joe DiMaggio…
MEL OTT—THE BIGGEST LITTLE GIANT
“Every time I sign a ball, and there must have been thousands, I thank my luck that I wasn’t born Coveleski or Wamsganss or Peckinpaugh.” -Mel Ott…
RUBE WADDELL: THE ULTIMATE ZANY
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LET’S PLAY BALL! SEVEN MEMORABLE OPENING DAY GAMES
For baseball fans like us, no day of the year is more highly anticipated than Opening Day…
Another Edition of Baseball’s Forgotten Stars: “Pistol” Pete Reiser
He was known as Pistol Pete to friends and family after the cowboy movie hero, “Two-Gun Pete.”…
A MEMORABLE DAY AT YANKEE STADIUM
Bill Schaefer returns today with personal remenensences about a game he attended with his dad at Yankee stadium way back in 1946…
THE CLOWN PRINCE OF BASEBALL: Al SCHACHT
“I came into this world very homely and haven’t changed a bit since.” – Al Schacht…
Another Edition of Baseball’s Forgotten Stars: Ewell “The Whip” Blackwell
“His pitching delivery looks like a Picasso impression of an octopus in labor”- Sportswriter Joe Williams, speaking of Ewell Blackwell
THE TRAGIC STORY OF BASEBALL’S UNFORTUNATE HALL-OF-FAMER, ERNIE LOMBARDI
“Lombardi was so slow he ran like he was carrying a piano—and the tuner”-Anonymous teammate…
EDDIE STANKY: “THE BRAT”!
Today we welcome back Bill Schaefer with an interesting essay detailing the career of The Brat, Eddie Stanky
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…
New Blog Topic: RANDOM MUSINGS OF A LIFE-LONG GIANTS FAN
Today, lifelong Giants fan Bill Schaefer shares with us some random thoughts and humorous stories he’s picked up over the years from observing at close hand the great game we all love…
THE STRANGE CASE OF VON McDANIEL
“[Von McDaniel] was an instant major league pitching sensation in 1957, a struggling Class B hurler in 1958, and a career minor league infielder by 1959.”…
BASEBALL APPETIZERS FOR THE ’21 SEASON
We love to think about baseball and talk baseball and figure out how our favorite team is going to do this year…
STAN MUSIAL: THE BEGINNING-THE CRISES- THE THIRD MVP
“Whaddya say, whaddya say!” was Stan Musial’s standard, smiling greeting…
THE AMAZING STORY OF REX BARNEY
“I should have been up there with the greats. I should have gone right up the ladder, but too many rungs were missing.” -Rex Barney
FROM THE LIGHTER SIDE: BASEBALL, FUNNY SIDE UP!
The funniest and strangest material on earth can be found in the archives of baseball stories, wisdom and hilarious impromptu comments…
DON MATTINGLY: FAME SECOND TO FAITH AND FAMILY
I loved watching Don Mattingly play baseball. A flawless fielder and an imposing figure in the batter’s box: powerful sloping shoulders, intense concentration…
ANOTHER EDITION OF “FROM THE LIGHTER SIDE!”: THE NEW YORK METS’ FAMOUS “SIGN MAN”
Karl Kurt Ehrhardt was born in Unterweissbach, Germany, on November 26, 1924, the son of Willie and Elsie Voight Ehrhardt…
Anatomy of a Sports Bettor: The Compelling Story of Our Contributor, Bill Schaefer
Whatever winnings you accrue betting games, you will give back…and then some -Bill Schaefer…
BASEBALL’S CONTRIBUTION TO THE LEXICON
This week, Bill Schaefer treats us to an interesting essay dealing with the many ways in which baseball’s jargon has found its way into everyday English usage…
TOM SEAVER INTERVIEW, PRELUDE TO A MIRACLE…AND MORE
We welcome another guest post from Bill Schaefer, giving us a first-hand account of his interview Tom Seaver back in 1969…
THE GREAT BASEBALL NAME GAME: “VINEGAR BEND” MIZELL
Part of the lore and lure of baseball are the wonderfully screwy names of baseball players…