RIP Joe Morgan
Posted: October 12, 2020 Filed under: 20th Century, 21st Century | Tags: All-Star Game, Baseball, Cincinnati Reds, Gold Glove Award, Houston Astros, Joe Morgan, Major League Baseball, Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award, MLB, National Baseball Hall of Fame, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, Silver Slugger, sports, World Series 2 CommentsLegendary second baseman Joe Morgan played Major League Baseball for the Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and Oakland Athletics from 1963 to 1984. Over the course of his career, Morgan won two World Series championships with the Reds in 1975 and 1976 and was also named the National League MVP in each of those years. Morgan was also a ten-time All-Star, a five-time Gold Glove winner, and won the Silver Slugger award in 1982. Morgan was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990, and he has also been inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame and the Astros Hall of Fame.
Joe Morgan died on October 11, 2020 in Danville, California at the age of 77.
Rest in peace.
Joe Morgan, 1973 (Baseball Hall of Fame)
RIP Whitey Ford
Posted: October 10, 2020 Filed under: 20th Century, 21st Century | Tags: All-Star Game, Baseball, Cy Young Award, Major League Baseball, MLB, New York Yankees, sports, Whitey Ford, World Series Leave a commentEdward Charles Ford, better known as “Whitey,” was born October 21, 1928 in Manhattan. Ford spent his entire 16-year career with the Yankees, beginning in 1950 and playing until he retired after the 1967 season. He appeared in 498 career games, compiling 236 wins and a 2.75 ERA. Ford won the 1961 Cy Young Award, was named to 10 All-Star Games, and was a member of six World Series-winning teams. He also won two ERA titles and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in 1950 behind Boston Red Sox first baseman Walt Dropo. Ford was selected into the Hall of Fame in his second year on the ballot, in 1974, receiving 77.8 percent of the vote. The Yankees retired his No. 16 jersey that same year.
Whitey Ford passed away a couple days ago, October 8, 2020 on Long Island.
Rest in peace.
Whitey Ford in 2010 (Wikipedia)
This day in baseball: Cy Young’s final game
Posted: October 6, 2020 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Boston Braves, Brooklyn Dodgers, Cy Young, history, Major League Baseball, MLB, sports Leave a commentCy Young pitched his final game on October 6, 1911 at the age of 44 years, 191 days. Unfortunately, Young’s final appearance did not prove fitting in light of the rest of his illustrious career. Young and the Braves lost to the Brooklyn Dodgers, 13-3. The game was the 906th of Cy Young’s career.
RIP Bob Gibson
Posted: October 4, 2020 Filed under: 20th Century, 21st Century | Tags: All-Star Game, Baseball, Bob Gibson, Cy Young Award, Major League Baseball, Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award, MLB, National Baseball Hall of Fame, sports, St. Louis Cardinals, World Series Leave a commentI just heard about the passing of Bob Gibson, pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals for seventeen seasons. Over the course of that career, Gibson collected 251 wins, 3,117 strikeouts, and a 2.91 ERA. He was also a nine-time All-Star, won two World Series championships, and he won two Cy Young Awards and the 1968 NL MVP.
Bob Gibson was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981. The Cardinals retired his uniform number 45 in September 1975 and inducted him into the team Hall of Fame in 2014.
Gibson died in Omaha, Nebraska on October 2, 2020 from pancreatic cancer.
Rest in peace.
Sports Illustrated
This day in baseball: Multiple position players pitching
Posted: September 28, 2020 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baltimore Orioles, Baseball, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Chris Davis, Darnell McDonald, history, Jesse Burkett, Major League Baseball, MLB, Sam Mertes, sports, Sportsman's Park, St. Louis Browns 1 CommentSeptember 28th was the last day of the season in 1902, and in apparent celebration, the Browns and the White Sox decided to use an assortment of seven infielders and outfielders on the mound, rather than relying on their pitching staffs. Chicago outfielder Sam Mertes earned the victory, and the Browns’ left fielder Jesse Burkett suffered the loss in the Sox’s 10-4 victory at Sportsman’s Park. This was the last time the winning and losing pitchers were both position players in the same game until 2012, when Chris Davis of the Orioles and Darnell McDonald of the Red Sox also accomplished the feat in Baltimore’s 17-inning victory at Fenway Park.
ballparksofbaseball.com
Roger Angell turns 100
Posted: September 19, 2020 Filed under: 20th Century, 21st Century | Tags: Baseball, Baseball Writers Association of America, J.G. Taylor Spink Award, Major League Baseball, MLB, Roger Angell, Shrine of the Eternals, writing 5 CommentsRoger Angell was born on September 19, 1920 in New York, New York, and he is considered one of the best baseball writers of all time. And while my exposure to Angell’s writing is admittedly limited, I’ve read enough to know that I need to read more. His pieces contain a significant amount of detail and his passion for the game shines through with every line.
Angell has received a number of awards for his writing, including the George Polk Award for Commentary in 1980, the Kenyon Review Award for Literary Achievement in 2005, and the inaugural PEN/ESPN Lifetime Achievement Award for Literary Sports Writing in 2011. He was inducted into the Baseball Reliquary’s Shrine of the Eternals in 2010, and in 2014 he was awarded the J. G. Taylor Spink Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
Happy Birthday, Mr. Angell.
Sport Illustrated
This day in baseball: Burns’s triple play
Posted: September 14, 2020 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, Frank Brower, George Burns, history, Major League Baseball, MLB, Riggs Stephenson, Rube Lutzke, sports Leave a commentRed Sox first baseman George Burns completed an unassisted triple play against the Indians on September 14, 1923. To accomplish the feat, Burns snared Frank Brower’s line drive, he then tagged Rube Lutzke coming from first, and and finally beat Riggs Stephenson in a sprint back to second.
George Burns in 1921 (Wikipedia)
RIP Gene Budig
Posted: September 8, 2020 Filed under: 20th Century, 21st Century | Tags: American League, Baseball, Charleston RiverDogs, Gene Budig, Illinois State University, Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball, MLB, New York Yankees, University of Kansas, West Virginia University 2 CommentsDr. Gene Budig held a lot of titles over the course of his lifetime. He was a university president at Illinois State University, West Virginia University, and the University of Kansas (one building at KU, Budig Hall, is named in his honor). He was a newspaper executive, an author, a major general in the Air National Guard, and a senior presidential adviser for the College Board.
Gene Budig was also the last President of the American League in the MLB. He served in that role for six seasons, before the position was officially eliminated. In addition, for the last fourteen years, Budig was part-owner of Minor League Baseball’s Charleston RiverDogs, an affiliate of the New York Yankees.
Dr. Budig passed away earlier today, September 8, 2020.
Rest in peace.
Gene Budig (Post and Courier)
RIP Lou Brock
Posted: September 7, 2020 Filed under: 20th Century, 21st Century | Tags: All-Star Game, Baseball, Lou Brock, Major League Baseball, MLB, National Baseball Hall of Fame, National League, St. Louis Cardinals, Ty Cobb 2 CommentsLou Brock spent the majority of his nineteen-year Major League career as a left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. Brock was best known for breaking Ty Cobb’s all-time stolen base record in 1977. He was a six-time All-Star, and he led the National League in stolen bases for eight seasons. Brock led the NL in doubles and triples in 1968, and in singles in 1972. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985.
Lou Brock passed away yesterday, September 6, 2020 at the age of 81.
RIP.
Lou Brock as a coach in 2005 (wikipedia)
RIP Tom Seaver
Posted: September 3, 2020 Filed under: 20th Century | Tags: All-Star Game, Baseball, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, coronavirus, COVID-19, Cy Young Award, Major League Baseball, MLB, National Baseball Hall of Fame, National League, New York Mets, Rookie of the Year, Tom Seaver 1 CommentWith a nickname like “Tom Terrific,” you know he was good at his job. Born November 17, 1944, Tom Seaver pitched for twenty seasons in Major League Baseball. Over the course of his career, he played for the New York Mets, the Cincinnati Reds, the Chicago White Sox, and the Boston Red Sox.
Seaver won the National League’s Rookie of the Year in 1967, and during his career, he won three NL Cy Young Awards. He was also a 12-time All-Star, compiling 311 wins, 3,640 strikeouts, 61 shutouts, and a 2.86 ERA. Just to pad the résumé a little, Seaver even threw a no-hitter in 1978.
Tom Seaver was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992. He passed away a few days ago, on August 31, 2020 from complications of Lewy body dementia and COVID-19.
Rest in peace.
Wikimedia Commons
