Month: February 2022

Scott Oberg chats with Ryan Holiday

February 28, 2022

Scott Oberg is a pitcher with the Colorado Rockies who hasn’t actually pitched since 2019, though he is still listed on the Rockies’ 40-man roster. Oberg’s Major League career is currently in limbo, due to a battle with blood clots in his pitching arm.

In August 2021, Oberg sat down and had a conversation with Ryan Holiday of the Daily Stoic. In the podcast, Oberg discusses his struggles with the injury, how he’s maintaining a positive mindset, and how he is trying to continue to contribute to the Rockies organization through his time on the injured list.

If you’re interested in giving it a listen, the podcast can be found here. It’s a bit lengthy — the full episode is more than an hour-and-a-half long — but it’s compelling and revealing, if you have the time and patience for it. If you want to skip the initial ads at the beginning of the podcast, the segment on Oberg begins at 5:20.

Scott Oberg - Getty Images
Oberg in 2015

This day in baseball: Babe Ruth released by Yankees

February 27, 2022

On February 27, 1935, after 15 seasons with the New York Yankees, Babe Ruth‘s career with the Bronx Bombers came to an end when he was released by the team. Ruth went on to sign with the Boston Braves as Vice President, assistant manager, and active player for $20,000 and a share in the team’s profits. That April, he drew the largest Opening Day crowd in the Braves’ history and would continue to be a major crowd attraction until he retired that June.

babe-ruth-boston-braves

NLBM Panel: A Tribute To Buck O’Neil

February 24, 2022

In case you missed it, a couple nights ago, the Bob Kendrick and the Negro Leagues Museum hosted a virtual panel featuring Ken Burns, Bob Costas, Joe Posnanski, and CC Sabathia. These gentlemen talked primarily about Buck O’Neil, telling stories about when they first met O’Neil and what he was like as a person. They also talked about Jackie Robinson, the Negro Leagues, the breaking of the color barrier in Major League Baseball, and blacks in baseball today.

A recording of the stream can be found on YouTube and is definitely worth a listen if you enjoy hearing stories about baseball.

This day in baseball: Cracker Jack prizes are introduced

February 19, 2022

The famous baseball game snack, Cracker Jack, introduced the idea of ‘A Prize in Every Box’ on February 19, 1912. As we all know, Cracker Jack is a sugar-coated mixture of popcorn and peanuts immortalized in baseball’s anthem, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” In 1914, the manufacturer inserted the first company-produced baseball card issue featuring major league players, including players from the short-lived Federal League.

1914 Ty Cobb Cracker Jack

This day in baseball: Sam Rice signs with the Indians

February 14, 2022

On February 14, 1934, Edgar Charles “Sam” Rice signed with the Cleveland Indians. Rice had played 19 seasons with the Washington Senators prior to this year, and would go on to retire at the conclusion of the 1934 season. Rice batted .293 in 335 at-bats for the Indians in his final season, but fell 13 hits shy of the 3,000 career hit mark before calling it quits. Rice would be elected to the Hall of Fame in 1963.

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Sam Rice in 1924 (Library of Congress)

Virtual reality batting practice

February 12, 2022

I used to spend a lot of time playing baseball on Wii Sports, but this looks so much cooler. In the video below, Zoned Sports tests out a virtual reality program designed to give players life-like batting practice. It seems to me that “batting practice” with a controller, rather than a bat, doesn’t quite seem the same. Perhaps that is the next step in the development of this product — a bat-shaped controller to add to the realism.