Quote of the day
June 2, 2023
I hope Mays hits 600 [home runs]. For 25 years, they thought only left-handers could hit the long ones. They even teach right-handed youngsters to hit left.
~Jimmie Foxx
Charles M. Conlon / public domain)
Charles M. Conlon / public domain)
Jack Kerouac and baseball
May 31, 2023
I’ve known for some time that Beat generation writer Jack Kerouac was a baseball fan. This YouTube video talks a little bit more about Kerouac’s fascination with the sport and the fantasy game he created to play on his own time. The host of the video is a bit cheesy, but the information is interesting.
A little additional research led me to find a picture of the Kerouac bobblehead mentioned in the video:
I wasn’t able to find anything about the bobblehead on the Baseball Hall of Fame website, so I’m guessing the bobblehead is no longer a part of the museum. However, it does look like it definitely was there for a time. The bobblehead was created as a promotion by the minor league Lowell Spinners in 2003, in acknowledgement of Kerouac’s birth in the Massachusetts town.
This day in baseball: Heathcote and Flack trade uniforms
May 30, 2023
On May 30, 1922, Cubs outfielder Cliff Heathcote and Cardinals outfielder Max Flack exchanged uniforms after being traded for one another between games of a doubleheader. Both ballplayers would both get hits for their new teams in the second game of the Cubs Park twin bill, in which Chicago won both games, 4-1 and 3-1.
This day in baseball: Cy Williams’s 15-HR month
May 27, 2023
On May 27, 1923, Phillies outfielder Cy Williams hit a two-run home run to become the first major leaguer to hit 15 homers in a single month. Williams would lead the National League with 41 home runs that season.
Quote of the day
May 26, 2023
Life is not a spectator sport. If you’re going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion you’re wasting your life.
~Jackie Robinson
“Casey Back At Bat,” by Dan Gutman
May 24, 2023
This is a great reading of Dan Gutman’s sequel to the classic poem, “Casey At the Bat.” The lady reading this publication of “Casey Back At Bat” does a really good job, and the illustrations in the book are fun to look at. Here we learn about why some of the biggest landmarks of the world look the way they do, and we also learn about Casey’s latest batting adventure.
This day in baseball: Construction of Yankee Stadium begins
May 22, 2023
Having shared the Polo Grounds with the Giants since 1913, the Yankees began construction on their ballpark in the Bronx on May 22, 1922. The stadium would become known as the ‘House that Ruth Built,’ due to Babe Ruth’s popularity and influence.
ESPN SportsCentury: Hank Aaron
May 19, 2023
This documentary on Hank Aaron does a great job of depicting the level of racism Aaron faced not only as a ballplayer, but throughout his life. In spite of it all, he excelled on the field and made an incredible and lasting impact on the game.
Quote of the day
May 18, 2023
I’ve only kept one award in my whole life, and it’s the coolest thing ever. Mizuno gave me a samurai sword for winning the Cy Young. It’s awesome.
~Zack Greinke
This day in baseball: Tris Speaker hits number 3,000
May 17, 2023
Cleveland Indians player-manager Tris Speaker collected his 3,000th hit on May 17, 1925. Speaker singled off Washington Senators pitcher Tom Zachary to become just the fifth major leaguer to reach the milestone.
