“Vida Blue,” Albert Jones
Posted: September 2, 2021 Filed under: 20th Century, Pop culture | Tags: Albert Jones, All-Star Game, American League, Baseball, Cy Young Award, Major League Baseball, Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award, MLB, music, National League, Oakland Athletics, sports, Vida Blue 1 CommentVida Blue was a left-handed pitcher who is primarily known as a vital member of the Oakland Athletics dynasty that won three consecutive World Series championships from 1972 to 1974. Blue won the American League Cy Young Award and Most Valuable Player Award in 1971, and he was the first pitcher ever to start the All-Star Game for both the American League (1971) and the National League (1978).
This tribute by Albert Jones was released in 1971.
This day in baseball: Philadelphia A’s debut in the AL
Posted: April 26, 2021 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: American League, Ban Johnson, Baseball, Columbia Park, Connie Mack, Major League Baseball, MLB, Philadelphia Athletics, Washington Senators Leave a commentOn April 26, 1901 at Philadelphia’s Columbia Park, 10,547 fans witnessed Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics making their American League debut, losing to the Senators, 5-1. The Western League had been renamed the American League in 1900 by league president Ban Johnson and declared itself the second major league in 1901. Philadelphia’s new franchise, led by Mack, had been created to compete with the National League’s Philadelphia Phillies.
National Baseball Hall of Fame Library/Major League Baseball/Getty Images
RIP Dick Allen
Posted: December 12, 2020 Filed under: 20th Century, 21st Century | Tags: All-Star Game, American League, Baseball, Chicago White Sox, Dick Allen, Major League Baseball, Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award, MLB, National League, Philadelphia Phillies, Rookie of the Year, sports 5 CommentsI am well behind on this one. Dick Allen passed away this past Monday, December 7, 2020 at the age of 78.
Richard Anthony Allen was born March 8, 1942 in Wampum, Pennsylvania. During his fifteen-season Major League Baseball career, he appeared primarily as a first baseman, third baseman, and outfielder, most notably for the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago White Sox. Allen was named to the All-Star team seven times. He won the 1964 NL Rookie of the Year Award and the 1972 AL Most Valuable Player Award. He also led the AL in home runs for two seasons, led the NL in slugging percentage one season and the AL in two seasons, and led each major league in on-base percentage, one season each. He finished his career with a .292 batting average and a .534 slugging percentage.
The Philadelphia Phillies retired Dick Allen’s number 15 on September 3, 2020. He was also inducted into the Baseball Reliquary’s Shrine of the Eternals in 2004.
Rest in peace.
Dick Allen, c. 1965 (Wikipedia)
This day in baseball: World Series rotation set
Posted: December 10, 2020 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: American League, Baseball, history, Major League Baseball, MLB, National League, sports, World Series Leave a commentOn December 10, 1924, the American League and National League agreed to a rotation system for the World Series. According to the agreement, Games 1 and 2 would take place at one league’s park, the next three at the other team’s home field, with the final two games (if needed) back at the first venue. The NL was granted the inaugural advantage in following season’s Fall Classic.
1925 World Series booklet (milehighcardco.com)
2020 Postseason schedule
Posted: September 16, 2020 Filed under: 21st Century | Tags: American League, Baseball, coronavirus, COVID-19, Major League Baseball, MLB, National League, sports, World Series Leave a commentIn case you missed it, Major League Baseball announced the tentative 2020 postseason schedule yesterday. I confess, I never expected that baseball would make it this far in the midst of the pandemic, and yet, here we are. This unusual year just keeps getting more interesting.
Buckle up. This postseason is going to be wild. pic.twitter.com/IOTjCJ4InI
— MLB (@MLB) September 15, 2020
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
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)
This day in baseball: AL marathon
Posted: September 1, 2020 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: American League, Baseball, Boston Red Sox, Huntington Avenue Grounds, Jack Coombs, Joe Harris, Major League Baseball, MLB, Philadelphia Athletics, sports Leave a commentThe longest game in American League history (up to that point) took place on September 1, 1906. The Philadelphia Athletics defeated the Boston Red Sox in 24 innings, 4-1. The starter for both teams went the distance, as A’s hurler Jack Coombs beat Boston’s Joe Harris at Huntington Avenue Baseball Grounds.
Huntington Avenue Grounds (Wikipedia)
This day in baseball: Thompson’s MLB debut
Posted: July 17, 2020 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: American League, Baseball, Hank Thompson, history, Major League Baseball, MLB, Philadelphia Athletics, sports, St. Louis Browns Leave a commentLess than two weeks after Larry Doby’s debut with the Indians, Hank Thompson became the second black player to debut in the American League on July 17, 1947. In the game, Thompson went 0-for-4 as the Browns suffered a 16-2 loss to Philadelphia at Sportsman’s Park. Thompson would play in only 27 games for St. Louis because his presence did not significantly raise attendance.
Hank Thompson (nlbm.mlbblogs.com)
This day in baseball: 1939 All-Star Game
Posted: July 11, 2020 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: All-Star Game, American League, Baseball, Bob Feller, Cleveland Indians, Joe DiMaggio, Major League Baseball, MLB, National League, New York Yankees, sports, Yankee Stadium Leave a commentThe 1939 All-Star Game was held on July 11th at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, where the American League defeated the National League, 3-1. Two of the three AL runs were driven in by Yankees players (the third was an unearned run scored on an error), including a DiMaggio home run. Indians pitcher Bob Feller, only twenty years old at the time, threw 3.2 scoreless innings to earn the save.
The box score for the game can be found here.
Bob Feller (Wikimedia Commons)
This day in baseball: Rhoden starts as DH
Posted: June 11, 2020 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: American League, Baltimore Orioles, Baseball, Billy Martin, designated hitter, José Cruz, Major League Baseball, MLB, New York Yankees, Rick Rhoden, sports 2 CommentsOn June 11, 1988, New York Yankees manager Billy Martin decided to use starting pitcher Rick Rhoden as the Yankees’ starting designated hitter. Rhoden went 0–1 with an RBI on a sacrifice fly in his lone plate appearance, batting seventh in the lineup. He was the first pitcher to start a game at DH since the American League’s adoption of the DH rule in 1973. José Cruz would later pinch hit for Rhoden as the Yankees went on to an 8–6 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.
Public domain
