General

Dealing With a Decade Of Depression

November 21, 2022 by Frank Jackson

Shibe Park circa 1929 (Associated Press) Given the economic storm warnings that have been posted of late, I can’t help but wonder how they will affect the Good Ship Major League Baseball. It’s not as though we haven’t had economic ups and downs before, but now, depending on your financial guru, we are on the verge of…a cyclical downturn,... Read more of this article

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The Curse of Rocky Colavito 2.0

November 13, 2022 by Frank Jackson

Make a list of the all-time strangest – not necessarily the worst – trades and Frank “Trader” Lane’s 1960 deal involving Rocky Colavito and Harvey Kuenn will probably be on that list. At the time Rocky and Harvey were as intertwined in the sports pages as Rocky and Bullwinkle were on the tube. Colavito, age 26, was in his prime. He debuted... Read more of this article

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The Shemp Syndrome

November 5, 2022 by Frank Jackson

Relativity doesn’t begin and end with Einstein. I don’t think he was a baseball fan anyway. Also, I don’t think he was a movie fan, but if he was, I suspect he was not a Three Stooges fan. He probably never heard of Curly, Larry, or Moe, much less Shemp. But Shemp is all about relativity – and not just because he was a relative (a brother) of... Read more of this article

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Positively POTUS

October 29, 2022 by Frank Jackson

A few years ago, the Rangers had a minor leaguer called Benjamin Harrison. I saw him play a few games at Double-A Frisco (Texas League) and was rooting for him to make it to the Show. Since President Benjamin Harrison was the first President to attend a major league game (on June 6, 1892), it seemed fitting that someone with the same name would one... Read more of this article

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Sam Bowens: Detoured on the Road to Stardom

October 18, 2022 by Barry Sparks

In 1964, Brooks Robinson (.317, 28 HRs, 118 RBI) was voted American League Most Valuable Player and Boog Powell blasted 39 home runs. But the Oriole who captured the attention of teenage baseball fans in my neighborhood was 22-year-old rookie outfielder Sam Bowens. The 6-1, 200-pounder clubbed 22 home runs, tallied 71 RBI and batted .263. Why were we... Read more of this article

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Walter Mitty On the Mound

September 23, 2022 by Frank Jackson

1899 Cleveland Spiders In many MLB cities, these are good days for attending games if your team is hopelessly out of the pennant race. Out of the pennant race?  Yep, that’s right. Tickets are easy to procure, there’s more room to spread out around your seats, the post-game traffic is less, and the lines at the concession stands are shorter. Contrary... Read more of this article

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Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – SSI Computer Baseball

September 3, 2022 by Derek Bain

This is the first entry in a series focusing on computer baseball simulations to supplement the chapter “Play Retro Baseball Video Games In Your Browser” from my Hardball Retroactive book along with the corresponding post at Baseball Analytics. The series will focus on baseball simulations – games in which the primary emphasis is on managerial... Read more of this article

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An Open Letter to Rob Manfred

August 30, 2022 by Frank Jackson

Native American, Louis Sockalexis Dear Mr. Manfred: I’m sure you are gratified by the decision of the erstwhile Cleveland Indians to rebrand themselves the Cleveland Guardians. At the same time, I’m sure you are disappointed that the Atlanta Braves stood pat, so the winds of change are batting .500. The focus on Native American nicknames, however,... Read more of this article

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Manny Mota Mojo

August 20, 2022 by Frank Jackson

I’ve amassed a large collection of autographed baseball cards (around 3,000) over the years, but my policy has generally been to avoid paying for autographs and catch the players at the ballpark, on the practice fields at spring training, or at off-season fan fests, winter warm-ups, caravans, or whatever they call them. Recently, however, I went to... Read more of this article

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Pitching Legend Failed to Harness “A Gift from God.”

August 20, 2022 by Barry Sparks

If ever there was a baseball legend, it’s Steve Dalkowski, a life-long minor leaguer, whose combination of speed (the fastest pitcher ever, according to many) and wildness endlessly frustrated those who tried to harness his incredible potential.The authors of Dalko: The Untold Story of Baseball’s Fastest Pitcher write that Steve “had... Read more of this article

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