The other day I did not have a whole lot to do after I finished packing my bags for my trip to California, so I watched Eight Men Out again. The movie is about the Black Sox scandal. And I knew well before I had ever seen this film about the 8 players banned for life by Judge Landis for conspiring to throw the series. What I learned is that…
Pitchers who wore them include, Ron Belisario, Corbin Burnes before he had lasik surgery, Tyler Clippard, Ryne Duren, who I remember well when he was an Angel. He once hit a batter in the on deck circle. Eric Gagne, Mel Harder, Joe Kelly, Jim Konstanty, Denny McLain, Kent Tekulve, Julio Urias, Bob Veale, and Fernando. And an umpire, Frank Umont. First ump to wear glasses.
No one chooses their time to die unless they take their own lives. And it can strike at any time from any direction. There have over the history of the game been many instances when players have passed away during the season, or in the off-season. 4 of those players were Hall of Fame members. The most prominent is Roberto Clemente, killed when his mercy flight to Haiti crashed into…
Most of us who have been Dodger fans for years have loved the classic look of the Dodger uniform. Next to the Yankee pinstripes, it is probably one of the more iconic uniforms in sports. Football uniforms and basketball uniforms have morphed a lot over the years, but baseball jerseys usually keep their team’s traditions. Even the Rams horns have changed drastically on the Rams helmets. The 1890’s version of…
When you think about the great outfielders who played the game, many come to mind, Mantle, Ruth, Aaron, Mays, Trout, Robinson, Griffey Jr., and Clemente. When you talk about great outfield arms, the list narrows some especially from the RF position. But some players are known for those cannons they possess. And the Dodgers had two of the best, and almost a third, Furillo, Mondesi, and then Clemente. Yep, he…
Back in the early ’60s, the Dodgers had brothers on the team at the same time. Larry Sherry was a star reliever and World Series, 1959, MVP. His brother Norm was Roseboro’s light-hitting backup when Pignatano was not available. Norm had a good grasp of the game and later managed in the minors, and the Angels for a 147 game stretch in 77-78. Norm passed away earlier this year in…
In 1947 Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier by becoming the first person of color to play in the major leagues. But it almost happened in 1901. John McGraw wanted to sign a light-skinned Negro named Charlie Grant to play for the Giants. Now baseball back before the 1900s was filled with white players who had a deep-seated prejudice against blacks. And for years there had been a so-called, gentleman’s…
One of the quickest ways to start a baseball argument is to simply say, this guy was the greatest of all time. Football and basketball fans make that debate all of the time. And the opinions vary so much from state to state. Most pundits hand the crown to Michael Jordan, his six titles, and numerous MVP awards. Football is a little trickier since you need to add not only…
I thought I would go back and see who had the best individual seasons in the history of the team. Won’t do all of the categories. That would be an incredibly long post. So I will try to stick to the main stats. WAR This is a relatively new way to gauge a player’s worth. WAR, or wins above replacement. Gives you an idea of how many wins a player…
Hello, baseball fans and welcome to the 1890 edition of your Brooklyn Bridegrooms. Coming off of a very successful 1889 campaign where they won 93 games under Bill McGunnigle to lead the American Association. The team moves out of the American Association to the newly formed National League of Professional Baseball Clubs. The Brooklyn team will be playing this season in Washington Park II. This is the second season the…