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 tour stop at Keio
Posted: December 6, 2020 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Chicago White Sox, history, Keio University, Major League Baseball, MLB, New York Giants, sports, Tokyo Leave a commentAs a part of their world tour, on December 6, 1913, the White Sox defeated the Giants, 9-4, at Keio University Stadium in Tokyo. The following day, a combined squad beat the Keio University team, 16-3, before the White Sox went on to best the Giants again, 12-3.
Members of the White Sox, Giants and Keio University baseball teams (Library of Congress)
This day in baseball: Warren Spahn wins Cy Young
Posted: November 28, 2020 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Chicago White Sox, Cy Young Award, Dick Donovan, Major League Baseball, Milwaukee Braves, MLB, sports, Warren Spahn Leave a commentThe 1957 Cy Young award was accorded on November 28th to Warren Spahn of the Milwaukee Braves. Spahn was voted the league’s best pitcher almost unanimously, as the only competition for the award that year was White Sox hurler Dick Donovan, who received one vote. Spahn finished the 1957 season with a 21-11 record and a 2.69 ERA.
Warren Spahn (Wikimedia Commons)
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
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
This day in baseball: The first Finn
Posted: August 28, 2020 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Chicago White Sox, Finland, history, John Michaelson, Major League Baseball, MLB, sports 3 CommentsOn August 28, 1921, John Michaelson became the first person born in Finland to play in a major league game. The 27-year-old White Sox right-hander from Taivalkoski would only appear in two games, however. Michaelson posted an ERA of 10.12 in his two appearances for the Chicago team.
John Michaelson in 1921 (sabr.org)
This day in baseball: Cy Young dominates again
Posted: July 1, 2020 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Boston Americans, Chicago White Sox, Cy Young, history, Major League Baseball, MLB, sports Leave a commentIn a game against the White Sox at Chicago’s South Side Park on July 1, 1902, Boston Americans pitcher Cy Young drove in the only run of the game. Young’s shutout performance from the mound is his fourth consecutive complete game without allowing a run and is also the right-hander’s third 1-0 victory in nine days.
Cy Young (Bain News Service)
This day in baseball: Kenesaw Mountain Landis is hired
Posted: November 12, 2019 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Black Sox, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Commissioner of Baseball, history, Kenesaw Mountain Landis, Major League Baseball, MLB, sports, World Series Leave a commentU.S. District Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis accepted the offer to become baseball’s first commissioner on November 12, 1920. The decision to hire a commissioner came in the wake of the 1919 World Series scandal, which involved eight White Sox players who were paid off by gamblers to throw the Series against Cincinnati. Landis would officially begin his new role in January 1921.
Carlton Fisk’s Hall of Fame induction speech
Posted: March 30, 2019 Filed under: 20th Century | Tags: Baseball, Boston Red Sox, Carlton Fisk, Chicago White Sox, Major League Baseball, MLB, National Baseball Hall of Fame, Rookie of the Year, sports, World Series 2 CommentsKnown in baseball as “Pudge,” Carlton Fisk played for both the Boston Red Sox (1969, 1971–1980) and Chicago White Sox (1981–1993). In 1972, he became the first player unanimously voted American League Rookie of the Year, though he is probably best known for “waving fair” his game-winning home run in the 12th inning of Game 6 of the 1975 World Series.
This speech is the longest one I’ve listened to so far, but it’s worth the time. It’s not hard to get a glimpse of the kind of work ethic and character that Fisk possessed through this oration. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2000.
It’s Opening Day
Posted: March 28, 2019 Filed under: 21st Century | Tags: Baseball, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals, Major League Baseball, MLB, Opening Day, sports 4 CommentsUnfortunately, I am not getting out of work today, but I am still joining in the collective sigh of relief and happiness that Opening Day has finally arrived! And yes, the Royals-White Sox score will be up someplace where I can check in frequently.
