Author Charles Leerhsen and the Dramatic Way He Changed the Legacy of Baseball Legend Ty Cobb

Nearly a century after playing his final big-league game, outfielder Ty Cobb is still considered among the best players to ever set foot on a diamond. He also has one of the worst reputations, as a caustic and virulent racist, who succeeded despite erratic behavior and hatred. However, as author Charles Leerhsen discovered when writing his groundbreaking […]

New Book Released: THE ARCHIVES OF THE BASEBALL HISTORIAN, VOLUME II

More interviews with players, writers and other figures throughout baseball history  I have released my new book, which is another collection of interviews with baseball figures (former and current players, journalists, the Baseball Hall of Fame President, and more!) from the 1940s to the present. It is available in the following formats: PAPERBACK- https://www.amazon.com/dp/1081782862 KINDLE- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VDZWSQF I […]

From Pizza Delivery to the Big Leagues: Jim Rushford and His Amazing Journey Through Baseball

Research shows that only about 0.5 percent of high school seniors who play baseball will get drafted by a baseball team; and less than 11 percent of varsity baseball-playing college seniors will get the call. Of those few that become a draft pick, less than one in five will eventually play in the majors. These numbers all make […]

The Last At-Bat of Legendary Baseball Hitters

Major League Baseball is defined by its legends; players who are still remembered decades after their last appearance in a game and their ultimate deaths. Despite the amazing feats some of these players accomplished, when the bell finally rang to signal the end of their careers, their swan songs were lackluster by comparison. In particular, […]

Nick Hagadone: Baseball, Coffee and Hard Work

It takes a great deal of confidence for a professional baseball player to succeed. There are few things that can better help tap into potential. Throughout his career, pitcher Nick Hagadone bet on himself and his talent and has seen it pay off again and again. Growing up in the suburbs of Seattle, Hagadone loved […]

Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood

Like a lot of movie fans, I’m very excited about the forthcoming Mister Rogers biopic, It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, starring Academy Award-winner Tom Hanks, which opens on November 22. There is another Mister Rogers out there who is the complete antithesis of the legendary children’s television show host. Steve Rogers was a […]

Trevor Bauer, Sam McDowell, and A Rod’s Birthday Cake

So, in a fit of anger or frustration or both, Trevor Bauer heaved the baseball over the center field fence. So, what? Sure Bauer should have just handed the ball to his manager, Terry Francona, but it’s not as if he refused to give it to him, and gave him the finger instead. When someone […]

How Jeter Can Be Like Teddy Ballgame

On July 25, 1966, Ted Williams was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. On July 26, 2020, it’s a near certainty that former New York Yankees shortstop and current Miami Marlins chief executive officer and part owner Derek Jeter will join him. What’s not nearly as clear is the kind of induction speech Jeter, […]

Like Complete Games, Respect for Elders Is a Thing of the Past

Jim Golden, 83, is a former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher who resides in Topeka, In 69 career games, including 20 starts, Golden won nine games, two of which were shutouts, and saved one other. In 208 total innings, he threw five complete games. These days, fans are fortunate if they see a starter go […]

Negro Leagues DB Update: 1931 NNL + 1922 Eastern Independent Teams

We’re happy to announce the latest update to the Seamheads Negro Leagues DB, one of the largest updates we’ve ever made. It includes: 1) The 1931 Negro National League (plus inter-regional games between NNL and eastern independent teams). This was the last year of the original NNL. Its death knell sounded when the Kansas City […]

Carl Nichols: Former Catcher Still Continuing His Baseball Dreams

The Baltimore Orioles were one of the most dominant teams in baseball, winning their division five times and playing in three World Series (winning one of them). A good portion of their success was owed to their dogged pursuit of top-flight talent through the major league draft. One player they tabbed to join their dynastic […]

Harry Frazee, William Howard Taft, and the Lasker Plan

Most baseball fans know that Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis became Major League Baseball’s first commissioner in 1920.  But if Boston Red Sox owner Harry Frazee had gotten his way, former President William Howard Taft would have gotten the job two years earlier.

Chicago National League Ball Club of 1876 Honored On Monument

On May 18, 2019, a monument dedication was held at Little Cubs Field in Freeport, Illinois. The black granite memorial honors the Chicago National League Ball Club of 1876 known as the Chicago White Stockings and today’s Chicago Cubs. The public was invited and joining the event were family members of the catcher of the […]

Vinnie Pestano: Former Side-Arm Reliever Reflects on Successful Major League Career

Right-handed pitcher Vinnie Pestano was on a sure-fire major league trajectory in college when a severe injury cast everything into doubt. Fortunately, a team recognized his inherent talent and took a chance on his recovery, and he bounced back to have a solid six-year career in the big leagues. A side-armer, Pestano grew rapidly as […]

Mariano Rivera Hits an Inside-the-Park Home Run: The Baseball Historian’s Notes for June 23, 2019

The 2019 baseball season is in full swing. Along with a full slate of exciting games, comes regular remembrances of players, teams and occurrences from the past. This is the next edition of the Baseball Historian’s Notes. -There is an exciting new baseball museum exhibit at the Detroit Historical Museum. “Detroit Stars & The Negro Leagues” opened […]

The Other Wright Brothers: George, Harry and the Team that Made Baseball Famous

It’s almost too much for the senses to absorb: two precedent-setting Hall of Famers and their team that played coast to coast, beat everyone and sold the country on professional baseball. George Wright was the Babe Ruth of his day in the 1860s and ’70s, and he went on to become arguably the most versatile […]

Todd Greene: Catching Up with the Slugging Backstop

Certain skill sets can get a baseball player noticed a lot more quickly than others. One of those is power, as that’s something that can’t be taught. One of the best slugging prospects in the last half-century was Todd Greene, who had the benefit of also being a catcher, which made his dangerous bat all the […]

Bill Buckner: Redefining a Remarkable Career

After battling dementia, baseball stalwart Bill Buckner passed away this past weekend at the age of 69. Having spent parts of 22 seasons in the major leagues, he will forever be one of the most recognizable names in the game. While many immediately think of him because of one misplayed ball made on the biggest […]

Emmy-Nominated Author Granville Wyche Burgess Discusses His New Book The Last At-Bat of Shoeless Joe

Emmy-Nominated Author Granville Wyche Burgess has written a new historical fiction book, titled The Last At-Bat of Shoeless Joe (Chickadee Prince Books, May 1, 2019). Coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the Black Sox scandal, The Last At Bat of Shoeless Joe re-imagines the final days of disgraced baseball legend Joe Jackson and his relationship with a young […]

Selling Ripe Bananas and Making Banana Bread

My 93-year old mother-in-law, bless her dear, departed soul, once opined that she was too old to buy a green banana. Ted Lerner, who was until recently the principal owner of the Washington Nationals is now 93, and many of his decisions in recent years regarding the Nationals have been made out of his desire […]

The Old Ballgame? You Have No Idea

For a sport that relies heavily on older fans watching its product, Major League Baseball (MLB) sure treats its retired players disrespectfully. Take 77-year-old Carmen Fanzone for instance. The Sherman Oaks resident was a valuable utility player who appeared in 237 career games with the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox. Fanzone and 632 other […]

The Big Train Rolls No More

I just learned that my pen pal, Ray Peters, died on May 4. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Janis, and two sons. Ray, who once pitched in the big leagues, was a Harvard grad. He played for the Crimson in 1967 and 1968. His former coach, Norman Shepard, thought so well […]

The 5 Best Shortstops in the History of the Boston Red Sox- Excerpt From The Top-5 of the Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox are one of the most popular and successful teams in the history of Major League Baseball. There has always been significant debate over who exactly are their best players of all time. I recently published The Top-5 of the Boston Red Sox: Ranking and Reviewing the Best Players by Position in Team History […]

Mike Trombley Did It All as a Major League Pitcher

Right-handed pitcher Mike Trombley wasn’t a particularly high draft choice,  but was in the major leagues with four years of being drafted. He ended up filling every role on a pitching staff during his ensuing quality 11-year career. Following a solid career with Duke University, Trombley was taken in the 14th round of the 1989 draft by the […]

Rafael Devers: Boston Red Sox Third Baseman is in the Midst of a Major Breakout

The disappointing start to the 2019 season for the Boston Red Sox has dominated the minds of fans and followers alike. After all, coming off a magical 2018 campaign that saw a jaw-dropping 108 regular-season victories and an impressive jaunt through the playoffs that resulted in a World Series title leaves a bitter taste in […]

New Book Release- Trouble at the Lambs: How a Violent New York Nightclub Altercation Resulted in Legal Fallout for Baseball Legend John McGraw

New Book Release John McGraw was a standout major league third baseman before becoming an iconic manager, who led the New York Giants for over 30 years. The fiery spark plug, whose pugnacious nature on the diamond sometime spilled to off the field, could scrap and fight with the best of them. He nearly lost […]

The New Math of the Strike Zone: 20% of 145 is 14.

The other day, thanks to a baseball group on Facebook, I became acquainted with the article at this link, titled “Analysis of 4 Million Pitches Reveals Umps Really Do Suck at Calling Pitches.” From the headline alone, it appears that this is about as comprehensive as it can get—4 million pitches! The data covered the […]

The Battle for Chavez Ravine: Eminent Domain and the Construction of Dodger Stadium

Dodger Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Dodgers, is a baseball landmark with few peers. The venue, which opened in 1962, boasts the largest capacity in professional baseball and is roundly viewed as one of the most beautiful places to watch a game. Sadly, in order to be built, an entire community was destroyed, and […]

Mookie Betts: An Interview From the Vault

The Boston Red Sox haven’t had much go right with their team this year; leaving fans seeking positivity anywhere they can find it. Young prospects can be one source of optimism, especially when they turn into stars for the teams who draft, sign and cultivate them No better example of this exists then reigning 2018 […]

The Age of Ruth and Landis: A Review

Baseball entered a new era in the 1920s. The home run was popularized the emergence of irascible slugger Babe Ruth and for better or for worse the game was cleaned up in the wake of the 1919 Chicago Black Sox World Series scandal by the appointment of Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis as the game’s first […]

Negro Leagues DB Update: 1929 American Negro League

We’re happy to announce the addition of the 1929 American Negro League season to the Seamheads Negro Leagues Database. This was an east coast league, a successor to the Eastern Colored League (which folded early in the 1928 season), and should not be confused with the later Negro American League (founded in 1937 and based […]

Woody Williams: Pitcher Beat Expectations Along the Way to Excellent 15-Year Major League Career

Baseball players drafted in the lower rounds face an upward battle when working towards their dream of reaching the major leagues. They don’t have the same name recognition of more highly-regarded prospects and because not as much money and resources have been invested in them, may not always have the same opportunities. A small percentage […]

But What Have You Done for Me Lately?

In the wake of Boston’s 12-4 drubbing at the hands of the Seattle Mariners on March 28 in the former’s first game of the 2019 season, I was curious to see which defending champions throughout history followed their World Series title with a dud to open the next season. Contrary to popular belief, no Red […]

WAR and Win Shares and Charlie Blackmon

It appears that WAR, in attempting to assign a single number to represent a player’s season, has a problem with fielding.   And the problem is not so much with the player’s defensive WAR score – but rather with trying to COMBINE this score with the offensive WAR.   A very good or very poor fielding score […]

Daniel Moskos: Pitcher Recalls Journey from High Draft Pick to Lengthy Professional Career

There are no guarantees in baseball. Literally none. Professional players must fight and earn everything they achieve without exceptions. This includes former top draft picks like pitcher Daniel Moskos, who had a 12-year professional career and reached the majors leagues, but had nothing given to him along the way. The left-handed Moskos was highly coveted while […]

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