“The Strike of 1994,” by Don Angel

1994 turned out to be a trying year for the game of baseball, leaving behind wounds that have yet to heal.  While the Minor Leagues remained unaffected, the Major League season ended in August, resulting in no post-season, including no World Series.  Don Angel chronicles the event of that devastating season in this piece published in the Baseball Almanac.

*

The day was August twelfth
Owners wanted to share the wealth
The players walked
Both sides talked
Labor talks would cease
Season was now decease
World Series was not played
Players were not being paid
Spring training came
And it was not the same
Replacements and Minors there
Familiarity is very rare
The weak become independent
The strong remain dependent
They cross the line
The rest decline
A few fans attend
While most rescind
There’s still peanuts, drinks, hot dogs and buns
But when all is said and done
If the best in baseball refuse to play
Others are willing to make Opening Day

Quote of the day

I had just turned 20, and Jackie told me the only way to be successful at anything was to go out and do it. He said baseball was a game you played every day, not once a week.

~Hank Aaron

New York Daily News
New York Daily News

This day in baseball: No-hitter cut short

Rube Waddell pitched five innings of no-hit, shutout baseball on August 15, 1905 at Columbia Park in Philadelphia.  His effort led the A’s to victory over the St. Louis Browns, 2-0, as he struck out nine of the fifteen batters he faced.  A sudden, wet downpour shortened the performance, however, and Waddell was not credited with a no-hitter.

Library of Congress
Library of Congress

Graphic: What baseball team should I root for?

Here’s a graphic that can provide a good laugh.  I only found it this morning, but it seems that it has appeared in a variety of places throughout social media.  I followed the path once, and it informed me I ought to root for the Padres.  Then, starting with the Royals and working my way backwards, the boxes about gravy and hinting about team records made me chuckle.  It’s a fun, tongue-in-cheek social commentary, presented to us through a baseball lens.  (Click on the image for a larger view.)

Team meme

Quote of the day

The great trouble with baseball today is that most of the players are in the game for the money and that’s it, not for the love of it, the excitement of it, the thrill of it.

~Ty Cobb

Heritage Auctions
Heritage Auctions

“Barry Bonds,” by Kanye West (feat. Lil Wayne)

Heaven knows I cannot stand Kanye West — his music isn’t nearly good enough to justify his arrogance, in my humble opinion.  However, if it’s about baseball, then it is going to catch my attention and it is fair game to post.  A couple warnings: this song is not safe for work or for kids; and no, it’s not any better than any of Kanye’s other music.  But since it at least hinted at a baseball theme, I was curious and had to give it a listen, and if it sparked my own curiosity, then I feel obligated to share it.  Listen at your own risk.

Mysterious baseball map

baseball map

I came across this map, but to be honest, I have no idea who created it nor who posted it.  I’m trying to figure out what the creator intended in making this map, because while it seems to divide the states up by their likely regional loyalties, many states have Minor League team logos showing when it does not house a Major League team.

The thing that stands most prominent, in my opinion, is that several states have no team logos on them at all.  Rather, they remain pictured white and empty, as if the residents of that state had never been exposed to the concept of baseball.  Never mind that Kansas plays host to the Wichita Wingnuts and the Kansas City T-Bones, or that Delaware is home to the Wilmington Blue Rocks.  South Dakota has the Sioux Falls Canaries.  I could go on, but if I were to attempt an exhaustive list, I would inevitably miss a team or two, so I will stop here and hope that makes the point that these supposedly empty states seem to have been unfairly treated on this map.

It’s possible that this map was merely some fan’s side project and that I am being unjustly critical.  Still, the fact that there is a noticeable blank space right in the middle of the country does make that area appear devoid, neglected, or ignorant.  It also appears that all of Canada has been designated to the Blue Jays, not just Ontario.  It ignores all the Minor League teams that various parts of the country feature.