The 1899 Phillies wore green for St. Patrick’s Day

I haven’t done the research to determine just how far back the tradition of baseball teams wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day truly goes, but some believe that it may go back quite a ways. The 1899 Philadelphia Phillies introduced their new, green-trimmed uniforms on March 17th, a move that garnered headlines. Considering the Phillies wore these uniforms for the rest of the season, there remains some debate as to whether this could truly be considered a nod to St. Patrick’s Day. The modern tradition of wearing green on this day wouldn’t emerge until 1978, beginning with the Cincinnati Reds.

2022 MLB World Series schedule

I confess that was rooting for neither the Phillies nor the Astros throughout the playoffs, but congratulations to both teams on their World Series berths! With the teams decided, the World Series schedule has been established and is set to begin this Friday. All times listed below are Eastern.

Friday, Oct. 28
Game 1, Phillies @ Astros, 8 p.m., FOX

Saturday, Oct. 29
Game 2, Phillies @ Astros, 8 p.m., FOX

Monday, Oct. 31
Game 3, Astros @ Phillies, 8 p.m., FOX

Tuesday, Nov. 1
Game 4, Astros @ Phillies, 8 p.m., FOX

Wednesday, Nov. 2
Game 5, Astros @ Phillies, 8 p.m., FOX (if necessary)

Friday, Nov. 4
Game 6, Phillies @ Astros, 8 p.m., FOX (if necessary)

Saturday, Nov. 5
Game 7, Phillies @ Astros, 8 p.m., FOX (if necessary)

(Erik Drost/Wikimedia Commons)

2022 League Championship Series schedule

In spite of a couple delays in the Division Series games, the winners of each series have been determined, and tonight kicks off the American League and National League Championship Series. Here is the schedule for the ALCS and NLCS, all times Eastern.

Tuesday, Oct. 18
NLCS Game 1, Phillies @ Padres, 8:03 p.m., FS1

Wednesday, Oct. 19
NLCS Game 2, Phillies @ Padres, 4:35 p.m., FOX or FS1
ALCS Game 1, Yankees @ Astros, 7:37 p.m., TBS

Thursday, Oct. 20
ALCS Game 2, Yankees @ Astros, 7:37 p.m., TBS

Friday, Oct. 21
NLCS Game 3, Padres @ Phillies, 7:37 p.m., FS1

Saturday, Oct. 22
ALCS Game 3, Astros @ Yankees, 5:07 p.m., TBS
NLCS Game 4, Padres @ Phillies, 7:45 p.m., FOX

Sunday, Oct. 23
NLCS Game 5, Padres @ Phillies, 2:37 p.m., FS1 (if necessary)
ALCS Game 4, Astros @ Yankees, 7:07 p.m., TBS

Monday, Oct. 24
ALCS Game 5, Astros @ Yankees, 4:07 p.m., TBS (if necessary)
NLCS Game 6, Phillies @ San Diego, 8:03 p.m., FS1 (if necessary)

Tuesday, Oct. 25
ALCS Game 6, Yankees @ Astros, 6:07 p.m., TBS (if necessary)
NLCS Game 7, Phillies @ Padres, 8:03 p.m., FOX or FS1 (if necessary)

Wednesday, Oct. 26
ALCS Game 7, Yankees @ Astros, 7:37 p.m., TBS (if necessary)

Updated Division Series schedule

Due to inclement weather, Game 2 of the Yankees-Guardians series was postponed from yesterday to today. Aside from that, the remain games of the Division Series now have start times! Here is how the updated schedule is looking — all times Eastern.

Friday, October 14th
Game 2: Guardians vs. Yankees, 1:07 p.m., TBS
Game 3: Braves vs. Phillies, 4:37 p.m., FS1
Game 3: Dodgers vs. Padres, 8:37 p.m., FS1

Saturday, October 15th
Game 4: Braves vs. Phillies, 2:07 p.m., FS1
Game 4: Dodgers vs. Padres, 9:37 p.m., FS1
Game 3: Yankees vs. Guardians, 7:37 p.m., TBS
Game 3: Astros vs. Mariners, 4:07 p.m., TBS

Sunday, October 16th
Game 4: Yankees vs. Guardians (if necessary), 7:07 p.m., TBS
Game 4: Astros vs. Mariners 4 (if necessary), 3:07 p.m., TBS
Game 5: Braves vs. Phillies (if necessary), 4:37 p.m., FS1
Game 5: Dodgers vs. Padres (if necessary), 9:07 p.m., FS1

Monday, October 17th
Game 5: Yankees vs. Guardians (if necessary), 7:37 p.m., TBS
Game 5: Astros vs. Mariners (if necessary), 5:07 p.m., TNT

2022 MLB Division Series

The Wild Card round is now over, and it is on to the American League and National League Division Series. Congrats to the Phillies, Padres, Mariners, and Guardians on advancing! Here are how the schedules for the ALDS and NLDS are looking thus far. Unfortunately, times have only been set for Games 1 and 2 in the series. All times are Eastern.

Tuesday, October 11th
Game 1: Braves vs. Phillies, 1:07 p.m., Fox
Game 1: Astros vs. Mariners, 3:05 p.m., TBS
Game 1: Yankees vs. Guardians, 6:38 p.m., TBS
Game 1: Dodgers vs. Padres 9:37 p.m., FS1

Wednesday, October 12th
Game 2: Braves vs. Phillies, 4:35 p.m., Fox
Game 2: Dodgers vs. Padres, 8:37 p.m., FS1

Thursday, October 13th
Game 2: Astros vs. Mariners, 3:37 p.m., TBS
Game 2: Yankees vs. Guardians, 7:37 p.m., TBS

Friday, October 14th
Game 3: Braves vs. Phillies, TBD, FS1
Game 3: Dodgers vs. Padres, TBD, FS1

Saturday, October 15th
Game 4: Braves vs. Phillies (if necessary), TBD, FS1
Game 4: Dodgers vs. Padres (if necessary), TBD, FS1
Game 3: Yankees vs. Guardians, TBD, TBS
Game 3: Astros vs. Mariners, TBD, TBS

Sunday, October 16th
Game 4: Yankees vs. Guardians (if necessary), TBD, TBS
Game 4: Astros vs. Mariners 4 (if necessary), TBD, TBS
Game 5: Braves vs. Phillies (if necessary), TBD, FS1
Game 5: Dodgers vs. Padres (if necessary), TBD, FS1

Monday, October 17th
Game 5: Yankees vs. Guardians (if necessary), TBD, TBS
Game 5: Astros vs. Mariners (if necessary), TBD, TBS

2022 MLB Wild Card schedule

(dcJohn/Flickr/Wikimedia Commons)

The 2022 MLB regular season has come to an end, and with some recent major changes within the Royals organization, including the firing of Mike Matheny, there is finally a glimmer of hope visible for Kansas City fans. But for now, the Royals’ season is done for the year, and the world of Major League Baseball turns its attention to the playoffs. The Wild Card Series begins today, and MLB has released the schedule for the series taking place throughout the weekend. All times Eastern.

Friday, October 7th
Rays @ Guardians, Game 1, 12:07 p.m., ESPN
Phillies @ Cardinals, Game 1, 2:07 p.m., ABC
Mariners @ Blue Jays, Game 1, 4:07 p.m., ESPN
Padres @ Mets, Game 1, 8:07 p.m., ESPN

Saturday, October 8th
Rays @ Guardians, Game 2, 12:07 p.m., ESPN2
Mariners @ Blue Jays, Game 2, 4:07 p.m., ESPN
Padres @ Mets, Game 2, 7:37 p.m., ESPN
Phillies @ Cardinals, Game 2, 8:37 p.m., ESPN2

Sunday, October 9th
Mariners @ Blue Jays, Game 3, 2:07 p.m., ABC (if necessary)
Rays @ Guardians, Game 3, 4:07 p.m., ESPN (if necessary)
Padres @ Mets, Game 3, 7:37 p.m., ESPN (if necessary)
Phillies @ Cardinals, Game 3, 8:37 p.m., ESPN2 (if necessary)

Times for Game 3 on Sunday are subject to change, depending on whether all games are needed, and if not, which ones are left.

The openers of all four AL and NL Division Series are scheduled for Tuesday, October 11th. The NLCS will then begin on Tuesday, October 18th, and the ALCS is set to begin on Wednesday, October 19th. Game One of the World Series will take place on Friday, October 28th.

Mike Schmidt’s Hall of Fame induction speech

Mike Schmidt played 18 seasons for the Philadelphia Phillies, and in that time, Schmidt was a 12-time All-Star and a three-time National League MVP. Over the course of his career, Schmidt hit 548 home runs, including 40 or more home runs in three separate seasons and 30 or more home runs in ten other seasons. He also won ten Gold Glove Awards and was named The Sporting News Player of the Decade for the 1980s.

Mike Schmidt was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995. In his induction speech below, I particularly like Schmidt’s discussions on positive encouragement for kids and on the need for baseball to reconnect with its fans.

RIP Jeremy Giambi

Jeremy Giambi wasn’t exactly a standout player in MLB. If anything, he generally seemed to be playing in the shadow of his older brother, Jason. However, Jeremy Giambi began his Major League career with the Kansas City Royals, just a few years after I first became a Royals fan and began to really pay attention to them, so the news of his death — especially at such a young age — caught my attention.

Besides the Royals, Giambi played with the Oakland A’s, Philadelphia Phillies, and Boston Red Sox during his 6-year MLB career. He finished his career with a .263 batting average, 52 home runs, and 209 RBIs. Giambi was also portrayed in the film and book versions of Moneyball.

Giambi died last night, February 9, 2022, at the age of 47.

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This day in baseball: Waitkus is Comeback Player of the Year

Seventeen months after being shot in the chest with a rifle by an obsessed fan, Eddie Waitkus was named the Comeback Player of the Year by the Associated Press on November 10, 1950. The Phillies’ infielder hit .284 that season and led the team with 102 runs scored, as he continued to be one of the best fielding first basemen in the league.

Waitkus’s story would provide part of the inspiration for Bernard Malamud’s The Natural, published in 1952.

Eddie_Waitkus - Wikipedia
Wikipedia

RIP Dick Allen

I 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 - Wikipedia
Dick Allen, c. 1965 (Wikipedia)