Infographic: Triple Play Art

This graphic is really, really cool. Created via Tableau by Jacob Olsufka and Rody Zakovich, you can access the original, interactive version of the graphic here or by clicking the image below. Created in July 2017, the images take a unique look at the triple plays that had been turned in Major League Baseball history up to that point, and some pretty cool art results from that analysis.

Triple Play Art

The Battle of Chavez Ravine

The move of the Dodgers from Brooklyn to Los Angeles was before my time, and I sheepishly have to confess that I was not aware of this bit of history before I came across this short documentary by Vox. While these sorts of events are certainly not unique to Los Angeles, I do think it is important to ensure that episodes like this stay at the forefront of the public consciousness (or get introduced to folks who, like me, are not aware of these kinds of details).

This day in baseball: The Big Unit’s perfect game

On May 18, 2004, Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson threw a perfect game, beating the Atlanta Braves 2-0 at Turner Field in Atlanta before a crowd of 23,381. Johnson, at 40 years old, was the oldest pitcher in MLB history to throw a perfect game, surpassing Cy Young who was 37 when he threw his perfect game in 1904. The game was also Johnson’s second career no-hitter, the first taking place on June 2, 1990 against the Detroit Tigers when Johnson was pitching for the Seattle Mariners.

Randy_Johnson 2008 - Wikipedia
Randy Johnson in 2008 (Flickr/Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0))

Field of Nightmares

Oh man, I’ve had dreams like this, except mine are about being back in high school, rather than playing ball. I run late for every class, I forget to study for tests (or miss the test altogether), and I get lost in the hallways.

Foxtrot Bill Amend
Bill Amend

Quote of the day

Honestly, at one time I thought Babe Ruth was a cartoon character. I really did, I mean, I wasn’t born until 1961, and I grew up in Indiana.

~Don Mattingly

600px-Don_Mattingly_playing_for_the_New_York_Yankees_at_Yankee_Stadium_on_August_19,_1988 - Wikipedia
Mattingly in 1988 (Wikipedia)