We're Contacted by Relative/Acquaintance of a Former Player!

A Genuine American War Hero: All-Star Pitcher Lou Brissie

With this being Veteran's Weekend, I'd like to repost an essay I wrote seven years ago about a ball player who was severely wounded in WWII. In spite of these debilitating injuries which left him in constant pain for the rest of his life, he overcame incredible odds to fulfill his dream of being a major league pitcher. Lou Brissie may not be a household name, but I hope you'll take a minute or two to read his remarkable story...

Posted on: November 12, 2023
By: Gary Livacari
With: 12 Comments

We’re Contacted by Daughter of All-Star Catcher and Baseball Lifer, Birdie Tebbetts!

I recently had an interesting email exchange with Sue Tebbetts Mitchell, the daughter of baseball lifer, Birdie Tebbetts. I’m sure many of our “senior” readers will remember Birdie very well...

Posted on: September 24, 2023
By: Gary Livacari
With: 21 Comments

We’re Contacted By Descendant of Former Major League Umpire, Jim Johnstone!

As I’ve mentioned many times, we always love it when we’re contacted by a relative of a former player. But it’s not often that we’re contacted by a descendant of a former major league umpire!...

Posted on: September 22, 2023
By: Gary Livacari
With: 13 Comments

We’re Contacted by Relative of Joe “Ducky” Medwick!

My essay on Joe “Ducky” Medwick last week really touched a nerve. It’s now been seen by over 2.7 million Facebook users, has received over 6,400 “likes” and generated hundreds of comments...

Posted on: June 24, 2023
By: Gary Livacari
With: 16 Comments

We’re Contacted By Son of Former 1930s Cub Star, Stan Hack!

As I’ve mentioned many times, we always love it when we’re contacted by a relative of a former major leaguer. It makes no difference if the player was a star or a sub...

Posted on: March 1, 2023
By: Gary Livacari
With: 14 Comments

We’re Contacted By Son of Legendary Pirates’ Manager, Danny Murtaugh!

“Managing a ball club is like getting malaria. Once you’re bitten by the bug, it’s difficult to get it out of your bloodstream!” –Danny Murtaugh...

Posted on: August 20, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 16 Comments

We’re Contacted by Relative of Lefty O’Doul!

As I’ve mentioned many times, one of the many "perks" of my job on Baseball History Comes Alive as your friendly baseball historian is that I'm often contacted by relatives or acquaintances of former ballplayers...

Posted on: July 21, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 11 Comments

Follow-up to My Recent Essay on Jim Gentile!

As I’ve mentioned many times, we always enjoy it when we’re contacted by a relative or a friend of a former ballplayer...

Posted on: April 15, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 10 Comments

We’re Contacted by the Son of Milwaukee Braves Outstanding Catcher, Del Crandall!

“He was a wonderful role model for our close-knit family. He set an example of how to live a good life." Bill Crandall, speaking of his dad, Del Crandall...

Posted on: March 20, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 18 Comments

We’re Contacted by Acquaintance of 1960s Slugger, Jim Gentile!

I recently had email exchanges with one of our readers, Everett Shockley. In recent years, Everett became friends the Orioles’ powerful left-handed slugger, Jim Gentile...

Posted on: March 9, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 12 Comments

A Follow-up to My Birthday Tribute to Cool Papa Bell!

With our Old-Time Baseball Photos Facebook page currently having over 85K followers, we never know where our essays might go and who might read them...

Posted on: February 26, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 4 Comments

We’re Contacted by Acquaintance of Brooklyn Dodger Great, Preacher Roe, Part Two

"Sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes the bear eats you!” –Preacher Roe, commenting after once being taken out of a game in the second inning...

Posted on: January 30, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 5 Comments

We’re Contacted By An Acquaintance of Brooklyn Dodger Great, Preacher Roe! (Part One)

“The Preach was a master of his craft. He was a smart control pitcher with a phenomenal sense of timing.” -Teammate Carl Erskine...

Posted on: January 25, 2022
By: Gary Livacari
With: 10 Comments

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”...

Posted on: July 15, 2021
By: Gary Livacari
With: 10 Comments

My Interview with Matt Dahlgren, Grandson of Babe Dahlgren, the Man Who Replaced Lou Gehrig

We always enjoy it when we’re contacted by a relative of a former major leaguer. In this case, it’s even more special...

Posted on: May 23, 2021
By: Gary Livacari
With: 5 Comments

We’re Contacted by Family Relations of Hall-of-Famer Heinie Manush!

“He always went to Cooperstown every year and to old-timers’ games. He went to everything he was invited to. He loved it because baseball was his life..."

Posted on: May 2, 2021
By: Gary Livacari
With: 3 Comments

We’re Contacted by Long-Time Friend of Dick Allen!

"I've been around the game a long time, and Dick Allen is the greatest player I've ever seen play in my life. –Hall-of-Famer Rich Gossage...

Posted on: April 22, 2021
By: Gary Livacari
With: 17 Comments

We’re Contacted by Grandson of Former Major Leaguer, Ken Lehman!

Subscribe to Baseball History Comes Alive! for automatic updates (sign-up block found in right side-bar) As a Free Bonus for subscribing, you'll get…

Posted on: June 17, 2020
By: Gary Livacari
With: 5 Comments

We’re Contacted by a Descendant of Josh Gibson

Today we feature something special for all our readers. I recently had a lengthy phone conversation with Pittsburgh resident Sean Gibson, the great-grandson of Josh Gibson...

Posted on: May 30, 2020
By: Gary Livacari
With: 9 Comments

We’re Contacted by Nephew of 1930s Indians Star, Joe Vosmik!

“We offered no fewer than five players for Joe Vosmik, who is my idea of the type of left fielder we could use at Yankee Stadium.” –Yankee GM Ed Barrow

Posted on: October 19, 2019
By: Gary Livacari
With: 2 Comments

We’re Contacted by a Donora, PA Neighbor of Stan Musial!

Exactly one year ago, I wrote a post about Stan Musial and his great career. It turned out that one of our Old-Time Baseball Photos readers, Don Ostapowicz, read the posts and mentioned to me that his family had been neighbors of the Musial's in Donora, Pennsylvania...

Posted on: July 29, 2019
By: Gary Livacari
With: 0 Comments

We’re Contacted by Descendant of Hall-of-Famer, Rube Waddell!

We’ve said many times we always love it when we’re contacted by relatives of former players. It doesn’t matter if the player was a star or a sub. Anyone who makes it to the majors is special in our eyes.

Posted on: April 16, 2019
By: Gary Livacari
With: 2 Comments

Follow-up To My Article On Frankie Crosetti! More Great Stuff From Frank Wanner!

Subscribe to Baseball History Comes Alive! to receive new posts automatically Frankie "Crow" Crosetti Photo Gallery Click on any image below to…

Posted on: December 21, 2018
By: Gary Livacari
With: 1 Comment

We’re Contacted by Friend of Yankee Shortstop, Frank Crosetti!

Subscribe to Baseball History Comes Alive! to receive new posts automatically Frank Crosetti Photo Gallery Click on any image below to see…

Posted on: December 16, 2018
By: Gary Livacari
With: 0 Comments

We’re Contacted by Relative of Former Major Leaguer, “Sad” Sam Jones!

Subscribe to Baseball History Comes Alive! to receive new posts automatically Photo Gallery Click on any image below to see photos in…

Posted on: October 24, 2018
By: Gary Livacari
With: 0 Comments

We’re Contacted by Son of Former Major Leaguer, Don McMahon!

Subscribe to Baseball History Comes Alive! to receive new posts automatically Don McMahon and the 1957 World Series Photo Gallery Click on…

Posted on: October 17, 2018
By: Gary Livacari
With: 5 Comments

Spotlight on the Hall of Fame: An Often-Overlooked Hall-of-Famer, “Sunny Jim” Bottomley

Subscribe to Baseball History Comes Alive! to receive new posts automatically Jim Bottomley Photo Gallery Click on any image below to…

Posted on: September 22, 2018
By: Gary Livacari
With: 0 Comments

Sunday Was “Dizzy Dean Day” At Busch Stadium…And Grand-Nephew Mark Dean Tells Us About It!

Subscribe to Baseball History Comes Alive! to receive new posts automatically Dizzy and Paul Dean Photo Gallery Click on any…

Posted on: August 21, 2018
By: Gary Livacari
With: 2 Comments

We’re Contacted by Descendant of Dead Ball Era Slugger, “Socks” Seybold!

Subscribe to Baseball History Comes Alive! to receive new posts automatically Socks Seybold Photo Gallery Click on any image below to…

Posted on: March 25, 2018
By: Gary Livacari
With: 0 Comments

Two Of Our Readers Related To Former Phillies and Cub Manager Jimmie Wilson!

Subscribe to Baseball History Comes Alive! to receive new posts automatically Jimmie Wilson Photo Gallery Click on any image below to…

Posted on: January 10, 2018
By: Gary Livacari
With: 1 Comment

Follow Up To My Paul Gillespie and “15-Minutes of Baseball Fame” Post!

Subscribe to Baseball History Comes Alive! to receive new posts automatically 1945 World Series Photo Gallery Click on any image below…

Posted on: January 9, 2018
By: Gary Livacari
With: 8 Comments

Baseball’s Forgotten Stars: Ossie Bluege, “The Brooks Robinson of the 1920s and ‘30s!”

Subscribe to Baseball History Comes Alive! to receive new posts automatically Ossie Bluege Photo Gallery Click on any image below to…

Posted on: December 20, 2017
By: Gary Livacari
With: 2 Comments