Uneven: College Baseball’s Scholarship Issue

NCAA sports as a whole is a fascinating, quirky, and often irrational world, and baseball is no exception. This documentary by Matt Wyatt delves into the financial background of NCAA baseball, and it’s honestly upsetting. Scholarship inequities are not just a baseball problem, for sure, and while this film focuses exclusively on this one sport, it certainly provides some insight into the bigger picture.

This day in baseball: Newhouser named MVP

On November 28, 1944, Detroit Tigers pitcher Hal Newhouser was named the American League’s Most Valuable Player, gathering four more votes than teammate Dizzy Trout. Newhouser collected 29 wins on the season, as well as a league-leading 187 strikeouts. His 2.22 ERA was bettered by Trout (2.12 ERA), though Trout “only” collected 27 wins.

Hal_Newhouser_1946
Hal Newhouser, 1946 (Los Angeles Daily News / public domain)

“Thankful for Baseball and Babe Ruth,” Jim Yerman

American Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching, and I think it’s fair to say that many of us are thankful for the American National Pastime. This piece helps us to express and embrace that gratitude.

*

May we be blessed to acknowledge all the wonders in our life
that have, for us, thus far accrued…
and to begin each day with a word of thanks…
and thoughts of gratitude.

Today I’m thankful for baseball
and the wisdom of Babe Ruth…
(Many old-timers will remember his name)
He said, ‘never let the fear of striking out
keep you from playing the game.’

Quote of the day

OK, we won a game yesterday. If we win today, it’s called “two in a row”. And if we win again tomorrow, it’s called a “winning streak”… It has happened before!

~Lou Brown, Major League II