Quote of the day
Posted: May 31, 2018 Filed under: Quote of the day | Tags: Albert Spalding, Baseball, quotes, sports 3 CommentsBaseball is a man maker.
~Al Spalding

Wikimedia Commons
This day in baseball: Introduction of the spitball
Posted: May 29, 2018 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Brooklyn Dodgers, Elmer Stricklett, history, Major League Baseball, MLB, New York Giants, sports Leave a commentAccording to legend, the spitball made its debut on May 29, 1905, introduced by Dodger hurler Elmer Stricklett in a game against the New York Giants. Stricklett managed to defeat the Giants, 4-3.
While it is widely accepted that Stricklett was one of the early pioneers of the spitball, Stricklett himself denied that he actually invented the pitch. Stricklett did, however, claim to be the first pitcher to master the pitch and to feature it as the key pitch in his arsenal.

Elmer Stricklett (Wikipedia)
Memorial Day 2018
Posted: May 28, 2018 Filed under: 21st Century | Tags: Baseball, Holidays, Memorial Day, sports Leave a commentI hope everyone has a good, relaxing, and reflective Memorial Day!
Quote of the day
Posted: May 27, 2018 Filed under: Quote of the day | Tags: Baseball, quotes, sports, Tommy Henrich Leave a commentCatching a fly ball is a pleasure, but knowing what to do with it after you catch it is a business.
~Tommy Henrich

Wikipedia
“Home Run,” Chance Halladay
Posted: May 26, 2018 Filed under: Pop culture | Tags: Baseball, Chance Halladay, music, sports Leave a commentWhen this song started playing, I had a vague impression that I’ve heard it before. As the song played on, however, I grew less sure. Regardless of whether I actually have heard it before or not, it’s a catchy tune with some fun baseball allusions. Enjoy!
Charlie Brown’s post-home run glow
Posted: May 25, 2018 Filed under: Pop culture | Tags: Baseball, Charles Schulz, Charlie Brown, comics, sports Leave a commentAfter hitting his first home run ever (and winning the game with it, to boot), one certainly can’t blame Charlie Brown for wanting to revel in the feeling of baseball glory.
This day in baseball: Coveleski’s long start
Posted: May 24, 2018 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Cleveland Indians, history, Joe Wood, Major League Baseball, MLB, New York Yankees, Polo Grounds, sports, Stan Coveleski 2 CommentsOn May 24, 1918, right-hander Stan Coveleski pitched 19 innings in the Indians’ 3-2 victory over the Yankees at the Polo Grounds. Smoky Joe Wood hit a home run in the top of the 19th for the Tribe that proved to be the difference. Coveleski gave up 12 hits and 6 walks with 4 strikeouts over the course of the game.

Coveleski (Wikipedia)
Quote of the day
Posted: May 23, 2018 Filed under: Pop culture, Quote of the day | Tags: Baseball, books, Philip Roth, quotes, sports 3 CommentsNow obviously, in peacetime a one-legged catcher, like a one-armed outfielder (such as the Mundys had roaming right), would have been at the most a curiosity somewhere down in the dingiest town in the minors – precisely where Hot had played during the many years that the nations of the world lived in harmony. But it is one of life’s grisly ironies that what is catastrophe for most of mankind, invariably works to the advantage of a few who live on the fringes of the human community. On the other hand, it is a grisly irony to live on the fringes of the human community.
~Philip Roth, The Great American Novel
R.I.P. Mr. Roth…

rulenumberoneblog.com
A brief history of cleats
Posted: May 22, 2018 Filed under: 19th Century, 20th Century | Tags: Baseball, Baseball equipment, Cornelius Johnson, Football, Henry VIII, history, Major League Baseball, soccer, sports, Waldo Claflin Leave a commentI remember my first pair of cleats. I was nine years old, embarking on my first-ever season of organized ball. My mom took my little brother and me shopping at a local Payless — the only place my folks, understandably, would buy any kind of shoes for our growing feet. I was excited to finally be able to wear a pair of cleats. I had seen the older kids wearing them, and they just seemed so cool. After trying on multiple pairs, I wound up with a pair of black, low-top cleats with royal blue shoelaces and royal blue lettering that announced “Rawlings.”
It turns out, the concept of cleats has been around since the 1500s — and possibly even

What Henry VIII’s football boots might have looked like
earlier than that. King Henry VIII is documented to have owned a pair of “football boots,” created for him by the royal shoemaker, Cornelius Johnson. These special “boots” were created from a strong material (most likely leather) for the purposes for playing “football” (by which Henry likely means some early version of soccer). The earliest cleats typically featured leather, metal, or wooden studs. For those who couldn’t afford to have a special pair made, they would create their own shoe enhancements with the use of metal plates or (cringe) nails.
The process of vulcanization, a chemical process for converting rubber into a more durable material, was developed in England and the United States in the 1840s. Vulcanized rubber proved especially useful in producing shoes intended to protect the wearer’s feet, and, as a bonus, it was a much lighter material. Furthermore, vulcanized rubber proved handy when the concept of studded or spiked shoes emerged. The first known spiked leather running shoes were developed by a British company in the 1890s, and the first soccer-specific shoes were also developed at the end of the 19th century.

c. 1905 advertisement for football boots
In the United States, meanwhile, metal spikes began to appear on baseball shoes in the 1860s, typically in a detachable form, and the first official baseball shoe appeared in 1882 when Waldo Claflin started selling leather shoes with built-in cleats marketed specifically to baseball players. The emergence of American football in the early 20th century led to widespread recognition and popularity of cleats, the first football shoes actually being baseball shoes adapted to the new sport. Over time, as sports in general continued to grow and with the advent of artificial turf, cleats evolved, and different types of cleats developed according to various sports and playing surfaces. With safety in mind, Major League Baseball banned sharp, metal spikes in 1976, leading to further developments in the plastic studs we see on cleats today.