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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…
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…
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…
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…
“He’s destined to become one of the greatest hurlers in the National League.” – Lefty Grove, speaking of a young Larry French…
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…
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…
A couple years ago, I started a new ongoing series that I called: “Do You Have A Funny Caption For This Photo?” It didn’t go anywhere back then, but I thought I’d give it another try. Check out zany ballplayer “Frenchy” Bordagary and his pretty wife, Victoria!……
We welcome back Ron Christensen with a detailed look into one of baseball’s forgotten stars from the nineteenth century, Hall of Famer John Montgomery Ward. As Ron demonstrates, JMW was truly a “jack of all trades,” and one of baseball’s great innovators…
Mark Kolier returns today with an interesting essay about the two Meusel brothers, Emil (Irish) and Bob. Younger brother “Long Bob” had a near-Hall-of-Fame career and is better known due to being a part of the 1927 Yankees’ Murders’ Row. But older brother Irish had a fine career too, as you’ll soon see…
Amidst all the “heavy” writing we do around here on Baseball History Comes Alive, it’s fun to sit back every once in a while and have a good laugh. I guarantee that will be your reaction when you read Ron Christensen’s essay today about “Waite Hoyt and the Body in the Trunk”…
Today, we welcome Mike Janacek with his first guest submission: an interesting look at the career of the A’s Hall of Famer, Eddie Plank, one of the greatest left-handed pitchers in baseball history. I think you’ll enjoy what Mike shares with us today…
OK…I had heard of Pete Runnels and knew he played for the Red Sox, and had a vague recollection that he was a good hitter, but, as a National League fan back then, that was about the extent of my knowledge of his career. Today, we welcome back Ron Christensen who sets the record straight on this fine ball player, including winning two batting titles!…
On May 10, 1953, Roy Campanella hit a double and a home run against the Phillies at Ebbets Field. With those two hits, Campy drove in all five runs in the Dodgers’ 5-0 victory, which gave him over 40 RBIs in the first 30 games of the season, a feat that wouldn’t be matched for forty-four years…
I have to admit I’ve never heard of a Reds pitcher named Willard Schmidt. Yet, he found a way to get into the baseball record books, although not particularly a way he would have intended…
Seventy-eight years ago today, April 24, 1947, the Big Cat, Johnny Mize, had a big day. The Giants’ first baseman hit three home runs in a losing cause as the Giants lost to the Boston Braves 14-5 in a game played at the Polo Grounds. In doing so, Johnny became the first major leaguer to hit three homers in one game five different times…
Today, we continue with Part Two of Bill Gralnick’s interesting essay on former Brooklyn Dodger, Dolph Camilli, whose outstanding achievements have been overlooked over the passage of time. We’re happy to shine our baseball spotlight on this true baseball star from the 1940s…
“You can’t handle the truth!” I think there’s a real good chance the former 1930s-’40s baseball star Phil Cavarretta saw the classic 1992 movie A Few Good Men sometime during his long life. If so, we can be fairly certain he felt a sense of vindication as he heard the famous line.…
Whenever I think about the Cubs’ fabled Cubs’ infield of “Tinker to Evers to Chance,” I also wonder about third baseman, Harry Steinfeldt, who became, in my opinion, baseball’s version of “odd man out”…
Our “senior” readers will remember Frank Lary, the Tigers fine pitcher who was known as the “Yankee Killer.” Today Vince Jankoski returns with a deep dive into his career and tries to analyze how the Alabama native had such success against the dreaded Yankees…
With one-eighth Cherokee ancestry and a severe liability with the glove, Rudy York was once described, in those pre-PC days of the 1930s, as: “Part Indian and part first baseman.”…
Those of us old enough to remember the Oakland A’s of the early 1970s can readily recall how good those teams were, winning three successive pennants and World Series championships (1972-1974). The roster of talent assembled over those years is truly staggering…
Vince Jankowski’s not afraid to tackle controversial subjects…and with today’s essay, “A Deep Dive Into the Career of Sandy Koufax,” it’s like controversy on steroids!…
Fifty-eight years ago today, December 8, 1966, a trade was made between the Yankees and the Cardinals. I think it’s fair to say the Redbirds got the better end of this deal!…
Today we welcome back Mark Kolier with an interesting essay on overlooked Dodger first baseman, Norm Larker, a player I had never really heard of. As is always the case, whenever you look into the career of a former major leaguer, you’ll find some interesting information. Such is the case with Mark’s essay today.
I think we’re all aware of what a great player Carl Yastrzemski was, and we’re aware of his heroic role in the Red Sox’ 1967 pennant drive and subsequent World Series championship. But when you read about all the specifics – as recounted for us today by Vince Jankoski – you’ll undoubtedly be as surprised as I was at just how spectacular his role was…
As I watched Detroit and Cleveland play their recent playoff series, I found myself thinking about a great player who starred for both these teams in days gone by. I was thinking, of course, of Rocky Colavito…
The entire baseball world was deeply saddened today to learn of the passing of Pete Rose. Those of us who saw Pete Rose play regularly will never forget the fire he brought to the game. Love him or hate him, there’s no disagreement he was a great ballplayer – one of the best ever…
Ninety years ago today, September 21, 1934, was a memorable day in baseball history. It was also a memorable day for the Dean family. In the second game of a doubleheader at Ebbets Field, 22-year-old Cardinal rookie pitcher Paul “Daffy” Dean became the fifth rookie to throw a no-hitter, beating the Dodgers, 3-0…
One hundred years ago yesterday, on September 6, 1924, something very unusual occurred. St. Louis Browns right-hander Urban Shocker started and completed both ends of a doubleheader against the White Sox at Comiskey Park…
A few years ago, I wrote an essay about backup catchers, an important team position that is often overlooked. Today Vince Jankoski sets the record straight with an interesting essay detailing the exploits of the Yankees’ backup catcher in 1961, Johnny Blanchard….
There was a memorable game played at Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis between the Cardinals and the Pirates, 99 years ago yesterday, June 22, 1925. In that game, future Hall of Famer Max Carey got two hits in the first inning and then again got two hits in the eighth innings,..
“What can I say about Willie Mays after I say he’s the greatest player any of us has ever seen?…If he could cook, I’d marry him!” –Leo Durocher, speaking of Willie Mays…
Today, we welcome back Mark Kolier with an interesting essay on a great hitter who has been overlooked for the Hall of Fame, Lefty O’Doul. Lefty was also one of baseball’s greatest ambassadors who played a vital role in establishing baseball in Japan…
If Harvey Haddix were alive today, he could take some solace in the fact the he’s not alone on baseball’s all-time list of “hard-luck” pitchers. He’d be pleased to know that Deadball Era pitcher Red Ames is right there with him!…
“Dick Allen hits the ball harder than any player I’ve ever seen!” –Willie Mays. Now that’s quite a quote!…
Let’s take a moment to remember this fine ball player on the one-hundredth anniversary of his birth this week, April 4, 1924, with a few words about his outstanding career…
Today Vince Jankoski returns with an interesting essay setting the record straight on who actually is the record holder for strikeouts in a major league game. It’s not someone I ever would have guessed!…
This past Friday, January 19, 2024 was the sixty-first anniversary of Don Newcombe’s release from the Indians, bringing to a close his remarkable twelve-year major league career…
When my son Gordon and I began our Almost Cooperstown podcast nearly four years ago, we set out to put nine players in the Hall of Fame who had not been elected. This was in our very first episode, and Gordon put out Vern Stephens, a player with whom I was completely unfamiliar…
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