An All-Star Team of ex-Major Leaguers in Their 90s

A recent quick visit to Wikipedia produced a list of the ex-major leaguers who are 90 and up, and from there it was an easy process to put together an All-Star lineup for these guys, practically all of whom starred in the ’40s. I’m offering it for consideration and debate: Catcher: Mike Sandlock, who spent […]

Nidiffer Inks Deal With Astros

Good things do come to those who wait. The 2010 Major League Baseball draft came and went. Three days and 50 rounds passed. Twelve Wildcats from the University of Kentucky heard their names called.  Former Webster Yankee, Marcus Nidiffer, waited patiently. When he did not hear his name, Nidiffer remained calm.The omission surprised a few […]

MLB perpetrates All-Star fiasco

“Vote early and vote often.” In the biggest electoral fraud since the 2000 presidential election, Major League Baseball and its 30 teams are telling fans to choose All-Star Game lineups by voting up to 25 times. They can do it on the internet or at the ballpark. It really doesn’t matter. The Yankees even show […]

Pair of Former Webster Yankees Get The Call

Many dream the dream. Few get a chance to fulfill it. Every kid that puts a glove on his hand or takes a turn in the batter’s box dreams of some day playing professional baseball. Earlier this week, that dream became less illusion and more reality for former Webster Yankees, Cory Brownsten (‘08) and Dan […]

LETTERS FROM QUEBEC: An Expos Birthday…

“Gerry was a great salesman,” the friend said. “How else could he have convinced Walter O’Malley to bring major league baseball to Montreal?” Remember this date – May 27, 1968. It is as significant as any in the history of the organization we once called the Expos. Although pretty well forgotten now, May 27 was […]

Major League Baseball….in Altoona?

Altoona, Pennsylvania is the kind of place Bruce Springsteen sings about – a cold, gray blight, best experienced through the rear-view mirror at about 80 miles-an-hour.  When the Pennsylvania Railroad crumbled after World War II, Altoona crashed down right along with it.  Today, the garish lights of its endless chain restaurants and strip malls are […]

Lefty Brewer: A D-Day Hero

On this day, 66 years ago, baseball lost a true D-Day hero. Lefty Brewer, owned by the Washington Senators, died fighting for his country more than 3,000 miles from home. Francis Field, home of the St. Augustine Saints of the Florida State League, was a magical place during the summer of 1938. As the smell […]

Fun Facts about the 19 (no, 20) Perfect Games in MLB History

A while back I completed a project of chronicling most of major league baseball’s perfect games. What fun is that if you can’t make out a list of trivia about the games? So yes, the following list (updated to include Braden’s feat, and Halladay’s) is trivial—but then, much of life is trivia, and sometimes trivia […]

Mirabelli, Indians Plan To Be “Aggressive” In Draft

The First Year Player Draft for Major League Baseball is quickly approaching.  This year the first round of the draft will be carried live on TV on Monday night June 7th and then the rest of the draft will be completed on Tuesday June 8th and Wednesday June 9th. As the draft clock gets closer […]

Meet the new Park Factors — Part III

Taming the Wind “This will be one of the most beautiful baseball parks of all time.”—Vice President Richard Nixon, 1960, opening day at Candlestick Park So many were fooled. Players, sports writers, and even future presidents were in awe of the new home of the San Francisco Giants. Mesmerizing visitors with its lush green grass […]

Remembering Baseball’s Heroes on VE-Day

As we celebrate the 65th anniversary of VE-Day, let’s take a moment to remember the 58 professional baseball players who lost their lives in the fight against Nazi Germany. As you look through the list of names you will notice Herman Bauer, brother of Hank Bauer; Lefty Brewer, a promising young left-hander who spent some […]

Senate Bill 1070 and Baseball’s Role in the Coming Storm

There’s a storm brewing in the southwest.  It doesn’t matter how strong the retractable roof that intermittently hangs over Chase Field might be, this tempest will flood baseball in Arizona.  This inclement weather threatens to do more than delay a first pitch or wash out a baseball game.  Instead, we’re talking about a new definition […]

Rambling On About My Glory Days – What to Do When the Lights Go Out

Although I had a few more major league at-bats than “Moonlight Graham” did, I know just how he felt in the movie Field of Dreams – maybe I could have kept playing, but I may have missed my life’s passion, and missed making a difference for some kid. I guess I am one of the […]

Major Leaguers Join Forces with Wounded Warrior Project to Support and Honor This Generation of Wounded Veterans

From MLBPA press release: – Proceeds from exclusive apparel line to benefit wounded warriors – – Major Leaguers contribute an additional $100,000 through the Players Trust – New York, NY (Monday, April 19, 2010) – Major League baseball players are honoring the sacrifices made by our nation’s wounded warriors by launching an exclusive line of […]

Granderson, Happ and Mauer to Receive Prestigious 2009 Players Choice Awards

From MLBPA news releases: Joe Mauer to be Presented Players Choice Award as 2009 AL Outstanding Player In Joe’s honor, the Players Trust contributes $5,000 each to the Catholic Athletic Association, Friends of St. Paul Baseball, Gillette Children’s Foundation and Highland Friendship Club New York, NY, Friday, April 16, 2010 … In a pre-game ceremony […]

What’s with the whining about the length of games?

Okay, I realize I’ll be in the minority with what I am about to write but I just have to say it…

Why the hell does anyone care about the “average length” of Major League games?

Rambling on About My Glory Days – If Only Every Day Could Have Been Opening Day

Wondering what you would do in this situation? Within a couple of hours I had two calls from friends. “Jack I have a ticket for you for the Monday White Sox/Indians opener,” and “Jack, I have a ticket for you for the Monday night final four basketball game.” No brainer for me – baseball any […]

Stud prospect using baseball to do his part in community

“I hope I can inspire you, no matter what your age, please know that you too can do something to make a difference in your community everyday.”  Elliot Mast The above mission statement comes from an 11-year-old young man who hails from Altoona, PA.  As he readies himself for his upcoming baseball season, Elliot Mast […]

Remembering Gene Conley

Yes, the current NBA campaign continues to progress while baseball players now filter into spring training; this overlapping of seasons reminds us of a unique, special individual who once graced both the hardcourt AND the diamond professionally: Donald Eugene Conley. Gene Conley loved sports as a kid–partaking in every athletic event one could imagine while […]

Remembering Babe Dahlgren: A Video Montage

When I first met Matt Dahlgren, thanks to the power of Facebook, his grandfather Babe was merely the answer to a trivia question: Q: When Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games streak ended on May 2, 1939, who replaced Gehrig in the Yankees’ lineup? A: Babe Dahlgren That was the extent of my knowledge about Babe’s career […]

Random Thoughts from the Baseball World…

The MLB Network does an excellent job covering all the news from around the league. However, they miss a story here and there, so we’re glad to supplement their coverage with the following random thoughts. Michelle Damon has reportedly contacted Commissioner Selig and requested that Detroit be allowed to move its franchise to New Jersey. […]

Baseball Union succeeds where John McCain fails

Since Congress won’t protect you—or major league baseball players—from dangerous supplements, the Major League Baseball Players Union has just sent out a list of 104 supplements its players should avoid. The union terms the supplements “dangerous/contaminated,” in a clear an attempt help its players steer clear of substances that would falsely test positive for performance enhancing […]

The Enigmatic Willie Davis

Signed as an 18-year-old in 1958, Willie Davis was a ballplayer of many talents and many quirks. A multiple threat in high school, Willie was a basketball star, as well as a right hand hitting lefty pitcher and first baseman with blazing speed. After a makeover courtesy of Dodger scout Kenny Myers, Davis became a […]

Rambling on About My Glory Days – Spring Training: The Best of Times, The Worst of Times

“Jack, you are like a son to me, but we have to send you down.” If I heard those words from manager Tommy Lasorda once, it seemed like I heard them a thousand times. I wanted to respond with, “Could you consider me a distant cousin or something instead, and keep me on the team?” […]

Padres to Honor Nay Hernandez

Baseball historian Bill Swank is a guy who doesn’t give up easily. In fact, he’s the kind of person who never lets go once he’s got his claws into something. In this case, its Bill’s long fought dream to have Manuel P. “Nay” Hernandez recognized by the San Diego Padres baseball club. I’m guessing the […]

Selig, NFL Rushing to Judgment on Blood Testing

Looks like Major League Baseball and the NFL could be headed for a major collision with its players over a blood test for human growth hormone. The Washington Post is reporting today that the NFL has proposed implementing the blood test for HGH that tripped up a professional rugby player in Britain earlier this week. […]

The Scapegoat

Rule of thumb – you can tell how nice a place is by the number of stonewalled front lawns. The road through Bedford into Stamford is a rock-rimmed capillary, the barricades protecting the homes of the wealthy which sit safely beyond. Turning off the main drag to Ray Grebey’s home, a different picture emerges. Grebey, […]

Baseball Bloggers Alliance Announces BBA Baseball Talk

The writers of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance would like to announce that they are taking to the airwaves. Beginning Tuesday, February 16th at 11 pm Eastern, BBA Baseball Talk can be found at Blog Talk Radio.  This one-hour show will discuss the big stories of the day in major league baseball and other baseball-related topics.  […]

Lena Blackburne’s Playing Days

I first remember hearing of Lena Blackburne several years ago, when Mike Rowe on Dirty Jobs went over to New Jersey to gather some river mud with Jim Bintliff, the head of Lena Blackburne Rubbing Mud. But his name only stuck in my mind last year, when I saw his name on a list of […]

This Week in Baseball: 1928

This is part of a weekly series in which I describe what was happening in Major League Baseball each week of a randomly chosen year. This week’s article chronicles the goings on during the week of April 8-14, 1928.

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