Month: April 2016

This day in baseball: Feller’s second no-hitter

April 30, 2016

Indians pitcher Bob Feller threw the second no-hitter of his career on April 30, 1946.  He struck out eleven batters (and allowed five walks) as the Indians defeated the Yankees, 1-0.  Feller said of the game, “The no-hitter on opening day in Chicago is the one that gets all the attention. But my no-hitter at Yankee Stadium was against a much better team than the White Sox. There was no comparison. I had to pitch to Tommy Henrich, Charlie Keller and Joe DiMaggio in the ninth inning to get the Yankees out.”  The lone run in the game came on a home run by Frankie Hayes.

Bob_Feller
Goudey Gum Company

Review: Stuart Banner’s “The Baseball Trust: A History of Baseball’s Antitrust Exemption”

April 28, 2016

I wrote this book review for a class that I took almost two years ago.  One of the topics we covered in said class revolved around the steps towards getting research and reviews published in academic journals.  So a couple weeks after the semester wrapped up, I decided, “What the hell, I’m gonna give this a shot,” and I submitted the review to The Journal of Sport History.

Much to my surprise, I received a response the next day requesting that I submit additional information in order that the journal could publish my book review.  The world of academia runs on its own timetable, sometimes aggravatingly so, and the whole process has taken quite some time from start to finish.  And even though this issue of the journal is dated Fall 2015, the online version of it posted only in the last week.

If you happen to be on a college campus or otherwise have access to a subscription, you can find the electronic version of the journal here: http://muse.jhu.edu/journal/474

But as I imagine most folks don’t have this kind of access, here is the PDF version of my review: Published review – The Baseball Trust

The Baseball Trust
Amazon.com

Doc Adams and the Laws of Baseball

April 25, 2016

While I’ve heard the name Doc Adams before, though my familiarity was merely a vague one — and, really, continues to remain vague at the present time.  Clearly, however, I’m going to have to change this.  Headlines yesterday announced the sale of 1857 papers called the “Laws of Baseball” for $3.26 million at an auction.  Written by Daniel Lucius “Doc” Adams in 1856 or 1857 (sources vary), the documents seem to indicate that Adams is the true father of  modern baseball, rather than Alexander Cartwright.

Adams had played for the New York Base Ball Club in 1840 and started playing for the New York Knickerbockers five years later, continuing to play into his forties.  Adams is credited with creating the shortstop position, thus named for the task of fielding short throws from outfielders.  He also determined that the bases should be 90 feet apart, the modern distance, and supported the elimination of the “bound rule,” which allowed for balls caught after one bounce to be recorded as outs.

Personally, I would love the opportunity to sit down with those papers and read them over.  I would really be curious to see someone compare them to the present-day MLB rule book and analyze the evolution of the game in that fashion.

More information about the sale can be found at:
– ‘Laws of Base Ball’ documents dated 1857 establish new founder of sport (ESPN)
– Historic ‘Laws of Baseball’ documents sell for more than $3M (USA Today)
– ‘Laws of Base Ball’ sold for more than $3 million at auction (Sporting News)
– Laws of Baseball documents turn a $12K investment into $3.26 million at auction (Examiner.com)

Daniel_Doc_Adams
Doc Adams (Wikipedia)

Royals vs. Tigers, April 21st

April 24, 2016

I’ve been in the process of moving these last few weeks, which left me without internet at home for a good chunk of time.  This has made it difficult to keep up with things, including baseball and this blog.  I did have the opportunity to attend my first Royals game of the season this past Thursday, April 21st, and I witnessed the Royals’ 4-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers.  I intended to write something of more substance about the occasion, but as it has now been a few days since that game, I will instead settle for merely posting the pictures I took.

For starters, we wandered through the Royals Hall of Fame.  Here are a handful of the bobble heads on display.  My own collection needs some work…

royals bobbleheads

Royals Statue of Liberty

I also had the opportunity to see the World Series trophy.  In retrospect, I regret that I didn’t jump in the line to get my picture taken with it.

World Series trophy

Royals World Champions

It was great to be back in Kauffman Stadium with the beautiful fountains.  The strong winds of the day caused the water to blow all over.

Royals fountains

The game itself was a blast, and we were lucky in that the fans around us weren’t too obnoxious.  Plus, the weather that night was absolutely beautiful.

Royals vs Tigers

Royals vs Tigers 2

Royals vs Tigers 3

And, as always, it’s always fun to watch the home team win!

Royals vs Tigers victory

This day in baseball: Opening Day double header

April 20, 2016

April 20, 1903 was Opening Day at Huntington Avenue Baseball Grounds in Boston, Massachusetts.  8,376 fans watched on as the Americans defeated the Athletics 9-4 in the morning game of a doubleheader.  In the second game of the match-up, 27,658 fans witnessed an A’s victory, 10-7.  This second contest featured future Hall of Fame pitchers Cy Young (of the Americans) and Eddie Plank (for the Athletics).

Eddie_Plank_Baseball
Eddie Plank (Wikimedia Commons)

“It’s a Beautiful Day for A Ballgame,” by The Harry Simeone Songsters

April 18, 2016

Well, the weather in the Kansas City area today doesn’t quite agree with the “it’s a beautiful day” part of this song, being overcast and rainy, but as the any day is great for a ballgame in my book.  I love that this is the sentiment of this song — that no matter how weird or bad things might be, or whatever else might be going on, it’s always a beautiful day for baseball.

Jackie Robinson Day

April 15, 2016

jackie-robinson-day.0

In honor of Jackie Robinson Day, this year I decided to simply go with a handful of basic facts about this celebrated ballplayer.

Birth Name: Jack Roosevelt Robinson
Born: January 31, 1919 in Cairo, GA
Died: October 24, 1972 in Stamford, CT
Married: Rachel Issum on February 10, 1946
Children: Jackie Jr., Sharon, and David
Height: 5′ 11″
Weight: 204 lb.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
College Education: UCLA
Professional Team: Brooklyn Dodgers
Debut: April 15, 1947
Years Played: 1947-56

President Theodore Roosevelt, who died 25 days before Robinson was born, was the inspiration for his middle name.

He was the youngest of five children and grew up in relative poverty in a well-off community in Pasadena, California.

Robinson was the first ever four-sport letter winner at UCLA (football, track, basketball and baseball).

 In 1942, Jackie Robinson was drafted into the Army. He was assigned to a segregated Cavalry unit in Fort Riley, Kansas.

Robinson played Minor League Baseball for the Montreal Royals in 1946, until he was called up to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the Major Leagues in 1947.

He won Rookie of the Year in 1947 with a batting average of .297, 175 hits, 12 home runs, and 48 runs batted in.

He was a six time All-Star between the years 1949 to 1954.

In 1982, Jackie Robinson became the first Major League Baseball player to appear on a US postage stamp.

Shortly before his death, Jackie Robinson was selected to throw out the first pitch at the 1972 World Series, the 25th anniversary of his breaking Major League Baseball’s color barrier.

Fifty years after he became the first modern black player, Major League Baseball chose his number as the first one to ever retire for every team.

JackieRobinsonStamp1