reportedly was offered bonuses of as much as $30,000, but chose to sign a contract for less in order not to be rushed into the big leagues.

Georgia’s 1948 Phenoms and the Bonus Rule

In the summer of 1948, two of the nation’s premier major-league…

Remembering Skip

"Skip and Pete" — Caray and Van Wieren — broadcast Atlanta…

Ms. Eliza Gets a Seat

It wasn't April Fools Day, but it was a Friday the 13th; maybe…
Coach Frank Anderson always wore his uniform to practice and to games. He held practices after classes (after labs for science students) and devoted more than half of his drills to hitting, where he said most baseball players need it most.

Frank Anderson: The Dean of Southern College Baseball Coaches, 1916–1944

[He] could watch a player plow a field and tell whether there…
Slick-fielding first baseman

Red Moore: He Could Pick It!

Whenever a Negro Leagues veteran is asked about James “Red”…

Help in High Places

On May 3, 1897, the ministers of Atlanta announced their determination…

Who’s Going to Pitch?

While controversies related to baseball in the nineteenth century…
Led the New York Giants to three pennants and one World Series title in ten years as manager.

Memphis Bill in Newnan

As the last National League player to bat .400 in a season, Bill…
Was 12 when he became the youngest pro player in 1952.

Joe Reliford: The Inning of a Lifetime

One inning of Class D ball made Joe Louis Reliford a baseball…

Shootout at Hardscrabble Church

The affair of honor that began on Saturday, October 20, 1883,…
Legendary announcer got his start in the radio booth of Atlanta's Ponce de Leon Park.

Memories of a Minor-League Traveler

Once upon a time in a faraway place—a place so far away no…

The All-Time Atlanta Braves All-Star Team

In addition to an All-Time Georgia-born All-Star team, the Magnolia…

Braves Alphabet

A is for AARON—“Hammerin’ Hank” and Tommie, too— and…
In 2007, Padres ace led MLB with 27 Game Score Wins, against only 7 Game Score Losses.

Does “Game Score” Still Work in Today’s High-Offense Game?

When Bill James first made his Game Score widely public in the…
signed a major-league contract worth more than $15 million. It included a $7.5 million bonus, giving him both the largest contract in draft history and the largest bonus for a player who signed with the team that drafted him.

The History and Future of the Amateur Draft

The 2010 draft was broadcast nationally in prime time, the third…
The 94 ejections he accumulated throughout his 18-year managerial career still stands as the American League record.

Earl Weaver: Strategy, Innovation, and Ninety-Four Meltdowns

Two seasons ago, I witnessed the Florida Marlins attempt to execute…
was invented by Thomas H. Jackson of Scranton, Pennsylvania. He received a patent for it in 1913 and that summer began entertaining fans with his device in Atlantic City; Washington, D.C.; Rochester; and his own hometown.

Action Jackson: Watching Baseball Remotely, Before TV

With the weather turning crisp in October of 1916, sports fans…
When confronted by a player or manager, he would offer to settle the matter with his fists, challenging the offender in his rich Irish accent. They called him “Sir Timothy” for his bearing and “Terrible Tim” for his temper.

The Green and the Blue: The Irish American Umpire, 1880–1965

The Irish potato famine of the 1840s and ’50s was probably…
His 56-game hitting streak in 1941 was an unusual occurrence, but was it only a manifestation of pure chance?

More Thoughts on DiMaggio’s 56-Game Hitting Streak

Each time a player is at bat in a game, there is a certain probability…
“Baseball people, as a rule, are generally allergic to new ideas.”

Stealing First Base

BASEBALL BATS OUTSIDE THE BOX There are a number of different…

All-Time Georgia-Born All-Star Team

In anticipation of hosting SABR 40, the Magnolia Chapter has…
Members of the Boston Red Sox mix with locals in Macon during spring training in 1904. Players are, from right to left, unidentified, Lou Criger, two unidentified players, Hobe Ferris, unidentified, Chick Stahl, Jimmy Collins, and Long Tom Hughes. Candy LaChance (with mustache) is at the top of the photo. (BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY, PRINT DEPARTMENT, MCGREEVEY COLLECTION)

Spring Training in Georgia: The Yannigans Are Coming!

From the beginning of professional baseball in the nineteenth…
An example of the pictures that caused controversy in Atlanta and elsewhere.

Risqué Business

For about two weeks in July 1886, crowds gathered around a window…
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