
Editor’s Note: The National Pastime 2025
When I was asked to edit this book to accompany SABR's 53rd…

Deadball Era Major League Baseball Comes to Waxahachie, Texas
From left, Harry Heilmann (HOF), George Burns (1926 AL MVP),…

Spring Training Ballparks at Marlin, Texas: Early Twentieth Century Major League Baseball in a Central Texas Town
The Arlington Hotel, a spring training hotspot for two decades.…

The 1919 Texas Negro Baseball League Championship: Dallas Black Giants vs. San Antonio Black Aces
Gardner Park, Dallas Texas (Dallas Morning News)
The…

Nokona Baseball Gloves: America’s Pastime, American Made
“Everybody thinks it’s just whatever glove you have on your…

From Athens, Texas, to the Cincinnati Reds: The Saga of Pete Donohue
A top Texas high school, semipro, and college pitcher, Pete…

Semipro and Collegiate Baseball in Enid, Oklahoma
Luis Olmo played for Guayama against Enid in 1940. By 1943,…

The 1943 Camp Hood Baseball Season
Fort Hood's Student Regiment Team, from the September 23, 1943…

Baseball in the Middle of Nowhere: The Unique Story of Herbert Kokernot and the Alpine Cowboys
Sponsor Herbert L. Kokernot Jr. and manager Tom Chandler view…

Four Hundred Hitters, Home Run Barrages, and Jim Crow: The Post-War Bush Leagues in Texas, 1946-61
The East All-Stars for the 1953 Longhorn League All-Star game…

When the Babe Came to Dallas, 1947
Babe Ruth is handed a 10-gallon Stetson hat by Dallas Mayor…

Bobby Layne, 28-0: Hall of Fame Caliber Pitcher for the Texas Longhorns
Bobby Layne is the only Longhorns pitcher to throw two nine-inning…

Integration Comes to the Texas League: 1952-58
Willard Brown debuted with the Kansas City Monarchs at age…

The ‘Savior’ Does Not Answer Letters: Dave Hoskins and the Uneven, Unheralded, and Unfinished Integration of the Texas League
“I received three letters that morning, one at a time. First…

Waco Pirates: A Tale of Two Cities
Dick Hall was one of five players on the 1953 Waco team who…

How the Metroplex Went Major League
Arlington Stadium before the addition of high walls atop the…

An Encounter with Cliff Gustafson
The 1957 American Legion Central Catholic Team. The author…

All-Stars and Orphans: Over A Half Century of Rangers Relief Pitching
Through 2024, Texas Rangers fans have enjoyed quality relief…

Jack Allen: Baseball in the Land of ‘Gushers’ and Cowboys
Jack Allen (Tartleton State University Athletics)
Jack…

A Day from Hell at the Office: Lenny Randle’s Attack on Frank Lucchesi Created Wounds That Never Healed
Lenny Randle (SABR-Rucker Archive)
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN…

Oklahoma State Cowboy Baseball: The Remarkable Gary Ward Years
Gary Ward with the Big 8 conference championship trophy in…

Boos to Cheers: Darrell Porter and the 1982 World Series
Darrell Porter got hot in 1982’s postseason, but his work…

Jimmy Porter: A Man or a Legend?
Jimmy Porter will be remembered for his tall tales and by a…

Southwest Conference Baseball History
From left, Coach Buck Bailey of Washington State, Umpire Jim…