Jim Rice, the Real-Life Hero: The Baseball Historian’s Notes for the Week of February 1, 2015

Baseball has its generations, defined by segments of players who represent their particular wedge of history in the game. No matter what the rule differences are or the milestones that are reached, it’s the players that make their own time unique and memorable. It’s always difficult to see subsequent generations lose members but their legacies […]

Bernie Carbo, Ripped Pants and Selling Chevrolets: The Baseball Historian’s Notes for the Week of January 25, 2015

The legacy of baseball is built brick by brick with the contributions and passion of its players and contributors. One of the greatest was Chicago Cubs shortstop and first baseman Ernie Banks, who sadly has passed away at the age of 83. “Mr. Cub” began his career in the Negro Leagues but gained his success […]

Ken Griffey, Jr. Gets a New Job: The Baseball Historian’s Notes for the Week of January 18, 2015

The 2015 baseball season is nearly here. The reporting dates of pitchers and catchers are literally just a month away. Once those players start arriving in camps, things start happening rapidly. But until then, there is still much work to be done around the majors. Although many free agents have signed their new deals, there […]

An Interview with Boston Red Sox Prospect Nick Longhi

Growing up rooting for a baseball team, and striving to get into position to one day have a professional career are two very different things. However, occasionally, players can have their cake and eat it too, as prospect Nick Longhi is not only looking like a good bet to make some noise as a pro […]

JFK, The Catcher: The Baseball Historian’s Notes for the Week of January 11, 2015

The National Baseball Hall of Fame has four new members. This past week, Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, John Smoltz and Craig Biggio all received the requisite amount of votes to establish their permanent residency in baseball’s most exclusive museum. These are all extremely worthy candidates but the voting process is still in great need of […]

Satchel Paige, Western Movie Star: The Baseball Historian’s Notes for the Week of January 4, 2015

Now that we have eased into 2015 a new baseball season is on the horizon. Spring training will literally start next month. You can practically taste it it’s so close. With the days shorter, darker and colder, anything that offers a glimmer of hope to ball being played again on a regular basis should be […]

Why John Smoltz is a No-Brainer Selection for the Baseball Hall of Fame

Nobody has ever been unanimously elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Even those like Babe Ruth and Willie Mays, whose production and legend place them in a totally different stratosphere, didn’t receive 100 percent support for their enshrinement. Thus, the annual ballot typically has a number of candidates whose merits are the fodder for […]

Dwight Gooden Goes Back to the Future: The Baseball Historian’s Notes for the Week of December 21, 2014

2014 is nearly in the books. Outside of the mad dash that is the remainder of the holiday season, another year is done for all intents and purposes. It was another great 12 months for baseball, as the game continues to be as popular as ever before. Whatever you celebrate (or don’t), have a relaxing and […]

Joe DiMaggio Selling Christmas Coffee Makers: The Baseball Historian’s Notes for the Week of December 14, 2014

Although the major league baseball offseason is in full swing, there are plenty of other things keeping the game in the news. That’s one of its best traits, as there is always something of interest or value that fans can discover or rediscover on a regular basis. There is simply no other sport that can […]

Mantle, Mays and Klinger From M*A*S*H: The Baseball Historian’s Notes for the Week of December 7, 2014

Baseball lasts through the years not just because of the championships and the statistics, but also because of the memories. The game has produced so many enthralling stories that it will remain its own significant chapter in the story of America. The best way this is all preserved is by historians of the game, and […]

Reviewing the 2015 Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot

The 2015 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot was recently released. As usual, it’s loaded with candidates for enshrinement next year in Cooperstown for their contributions and achievements in baseball. Some have more compelling cases than others, but they all had distinguished careers and made their mark on the game in some way. Let’s do a […]

Was Joe DiMaggio Overrated?: The Baseball Historian’s Notes for the Week of November 30, 2014

Best wishes to those who celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday. Hopefully nobody was done in by that extra slice of pie or sneaking another spoonful of stuffing before it hit the fridge. The moment Americans woke up from their food-induced comas, the holiday shopping season commenced. Neatly wrapped presents are not the only things being bought, […]

Pokey Reese Perseveres: The Baseball Historian’s Notes for the Week of November 23, 2014

Baseball free agency kicked off in high gear with catcher Russell Martin inking a lucrative long-term deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. The signing not only indicates that the Jays are in it to win it in 2015, but that there should be plenty of cash flowing around over the next few months. It used […]

The Time Babe Ruth Fought a Wall and Lost: The Baseball Historian’s Notes for the Week of November 16, 2014

Baseball has always stood strong when one of its own passes away. This was proven during the untimely death of St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Oscar Tavarez during the World Series last month. Tavarez and his girlfriend were killed in a horrific car accident in his homeland of the Dominican Republic. However, the most recent update […]

The Tragic Death of Brad Halsey: The Baseball Historian’s Notes for the Week of November 9

The days of baseball players spending their entire careers, or at least healthy chunks of it with the same team, are over. While free agency is certainly a good thing for the business of the game and the bank accounts of players and agents, it’s a stark difference from the way things used to be. […]

2014 World Series Wrap-Up: The Baseball Historian Notes for the Week of November 2

Congratulations to the San Francisco Giants for winning the 2014 World Series! Although not all of the individual games were nail biters, Game 7 and the totality of the series made for great baseball. Giants’ pitcher Madison Bumgarner (Don’t call me Bumgardner) was this year’s player to use the Fall Classic as his personal coming-out […]

Frank White’s Breakup with the Kansas City Royals: The Baseball Historian’s Notes for the Week of October 26

In less than a week’s time another baseball season will be finished. A new World Series champion will be crowned and major league teams will press forward with hard decisions about how to bring their 2015 plans to fruition. The lull following the Fall Classic is always a withdrawal-inducing time for baseball fans. However, it’s […]

Boston Red Sox: The Prospects That Got Away

The Boston Red Sox have developed an excellent reputation in recent years for their ability to identify, scout and draft/sign top-notch amateur talent. As a result, current key contributors like Dustin Pedroia, Clay Buchholz and Xander Bogaerts are all products of their player development system. Despite such strong examples, the organization hasn’t nailed every player […]

Dave Roberts Stealing the Hearts of Boston Red Sox Fans: The Baseball Historian’s Notes for the Week of October 19

The 2014 World Series matchup has been determined with the surging Kansas City Royals taking on the battle-tested San Francisco Giants. The Royals are making the most of their first playoff appearance in 29 years while the Giants will now have appeared in three of the past five Fall Classics. Some don’t think that it’s […]

2015 MLB Free Agent Predictions

Although the 2014 MLB postseason is still being battled out on the field, many teams have started looking towards next year. Once this season concludes, the gates to the free agent market will swing open and allow interested bidders to rush in like early birds at a swap meet. Here is an early list of […]

The Real Story of Donnie Moore: The Baseball Historian’s Notes for the Week of October 12

Baseball’s postseason is a magical time of year. Of the fortunate teams that make it to the last leg of the season, legends will be made and history written from the intense competition that determines the annual champion in the World Series. The 2014 League Championship Series are currently being waged and have already created […]

The Baseball Historian’s Notes for the Week of October 5

The major league playoffs are underway as the days grow shorter and the weather becomes more temperamental. As another season hurtles towards an unknown conclusion, a cornucopia of baseball historical happenings has sprung up over the past week. *The Library of Congress recently made an extraordinary find—previously unseen film footage of the 1924 World Series, […]

The Ecstasy & Agony of Being a Red Sox Fan: A Review

Being a fan of the Boston Red Sox can be much more than just following the statistics and the standings. Some adherents see their moods and even their very outlooks on life impacted by the baseball team from Beantown. It’s a rite of passage and a birthright for many, and Stanley Harris has outlined his […]

Rickey & Robinson: A Review

Announcer Vin Scully is the unquestioned dean of Los Angeles Dodgers baseball because of his work with the team for well over half a century. However, there is another person, just one other, who should be regarded in that same class, and that is writer Roger Kahn. Best known for his work as a Dodgers’ […]

A Review of No No: A Dockumentary

On June 12, 1970, Pittsburgh Pirates’ right-handed pitcher Dock Ellis no-hit the San Diego Padres 2-0 while under the influence of LSD. For many, this type of incident would define a career or a life. Incredibly, this was just another moment in the fascinating story of Ellis, which is beautifully told in the new documentary […]

Catching Up With Former Boston Red Sox Pitcher Kyle Snyder

The 2007 Boston Red Sox were a dominant team that seemingly breezed their way to 96 regular season victories, never relinquished first place in the strong American League East after April 18, and finished with a commanding World Series sweep of the Colorado Rockies. That roster may have won it all that year but they […]

Ted Williams, My Father: A Review

The legacies of baseball players are largely represented in popular culture by their statistics and the retelling of their greatest physical feats. Rarely is the curtain truly drawn back to permit a full view of the person who exists beyond the diamond. Not all compelling baseball books have to be about the player’s career. An […]

Chris Berset: Backstop Working to Catch on With the Cincinnati Reds

Catching prospects have a more daunting task in front of them than many other young players. Not only do they have to develop as hitters and defensive players, but they also have to become adept at handling pitching staffs and calling an effective game. Cincinnati Reds’ minor leaguer Chris Berset has put in the hard […]

Throwing Hard Easy: A Review of Robin Roberts’ Memoirs

Baseball fans often get lost in the recollections of former players retelling their life journey through the game. A great example of this hardball trip down memory lane is Throwing Hard Easy: Reflections on a Life in Baseball by Robin Roberts with C. Paul Rogers III (University of Nebraska Press). First published in 2003, the […]

Derek Jeter’s Retirement Should Be Sad News to Fans of the Boston Red Sox

The countdown has begun for the end of one of baseball’s all-time legends. New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter announced on his Facebook page that he will end his illustrious 20-year major league career following the upcoming 2014 season. The decision will undoubtedly be a blow to many, but surprisingly, it should be very sad […]

Why I’m Looking Forward to the 2014 Boston Red Sox’s Spring Training

The cold temperatures do a nice job of breaking a man’s spirit. However, even frigid conditions can’t temper the excitement over the dawning of a new baseball season, which for Boston Red Sox fans will kick off on February 15th when pitchers and catchers report to camp in Fort Myers, Florida. From there, it will […]

Lance McCullers Jr.: Houston Astros Prospect Taking Up the Family Business

Make no mistake about it. The Houston Astros may have lost 111 games in 2013 but they are definitely a franchise on the rise. Led by an overhauled front office and an impressive farm system that has been getting better by the year, the team will be back in contention in short order. One of […]

Re-Examining an Interview with Branch Rickey

In 1955, Sports Illustrated’s Gerald Holland interviewed perhaps the most famous front office man in baseball history—Branch Rickey. Although widely credited for integrating the majors by signing Jackie Robinson to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers, that shouldn’t define Rickey, as he had a long an diverse career in the sport. It took him quite a […]

Chris Martin: Former Boston Red Sox Prospect Reflects on Recent Trade and Career

When the Boston Red Sox acquired infielder Jonathan Herrera in a recent trade with the Colorado Rockies, they had to give up major league pitcher Franklin Morales and a prospect. That young player was pitcher Chris Martin, a hard-throwing right-handed reliever, who is on the cusp of making his major league debut. The 27-year-old Martin […]

Nick Goody: The Pursuit of Mariano Rivera’s Legacy With the New York Yankees

The New York Yankees’ propensity for courting and signing high-priced free agents can sometimes obscure their farm system, which has delivered numerous players of great importance to the team over the years. Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter and the recently departed Robinson Cano are all more recent examples of franchise cornerstones that were also homegrown. One […]

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