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“…for if ever a fellow rode to the top the hard way, it has been John Francis Wilson.” — Vic Stout, August 28, 1937 The story of Jack Wilson could be the story of so many players who have passed through professional baseball over the past century. Known for his determination as much as his […]

The Charleroi, Pennsylvania Cemetery isn’t easy to find. The only access point is a steep, deteriorating road which transitions from asphalt to dirt ruts before its terminus. During inclement weather or even days after, the cemetery is inaccessible. However, if conditions are right and the road is clear, one will find the final resting places […]

In the box, Beaneater Harry Staley pitched a mystifying curve, yet he often wrestled with his control and the barrage of temptations offered baseball stars. At his peak, the curves, the speed, and workhorse stamina helped the Boston Beaneaters to three straight pennants (1891-1893). “Staley wild” was an often-used phrase by the papers of the […]

“I led the American League in ERA that year [1979]. That’s what I tell everybody.”1 That was Jeff Rineer talking to the Baltimore Sun in 2006, nearly 27 years after his lone appearance in the major leagues. Rineer was the pitcher of record on the winning side in the last game of the ’79 season, […]

Throughout much of his major-league playing career, he appeared to be a polarizing fusion of skills. One was a rare talent for hitting baseballs. The other, at times, seemed like an unerring instinct for finding the midst of controversy, great or small. José Manuel Guillén, a right-handed-batting and -throwing outfielder who was capable enough with […]

Arthur Daley of the New York Times once wrote that Mike Ryba had been “too good for his own good.”1 One way or another, Mike Ryba seemed to be associated with saints for a great part of his life. He went to St. Adrian’s in DeLancey, Pennsylvania, a coal-mining town of about 2,000 people, for […]

Chris Carpenter spent 15 seasons in major-league baseball, first with the Toronto Blue Jays and then with the St. Louis Cardinals .His won-lost record was 144-94 with an earned-run average of 3.76, and in 2005, his 21-5 season and 2.83 ERA won him the National League’s Cy Young Award. But statistics alone don’t tell the […]

Through an extremely unlikely, almost unbelievable set of circumstances, a twenty-year-old college junior with virtually no baseball experience and little athletic ability found himself on the pitcher’s mound one bright, sunny Saturday afternoon facing the World Champion Philadelphia Athletics. The date was May 18, 1912–surely one of the most bizarre days in major league history–and […]

“The stranger trudged along the tracks in the bright June sunlight,” wrote Bill Vanderschmidt of the Rochester Times-Union in 1955, “heading towards the point where the shadow of the West Rush depot threw a patch of shade across the rails.”1 The stranger was sent from Al Buckenberger, manager of the Rochester (New York) Beau Brummels. He was looking for […]

Vada Edward Pinson, Jr., star center fielder for the Cincinnati Reds in the 1960s, was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on August 11, 1938. When he was seven, his family moved to Oakland, California. His father found work as a stevedore at the Bay Area docks, while his mother did domestic work. In 1952, Pinson enrolled […]

Tillie Shafer was born to wealthy California parents who indulged his whim for sports, and he jumped from college to college competing in baseball, track, and rowing. In contrast, from the moment he joined the New York Giants, the shy, good-looking lad from an affluent family was harassed by the hard-nosed veterans, some from the […]

In July 1903, just two months after turning 24, Noodles Hahn won his 100th game, becoming the youngest player since the pitching distance moved to its current 60′ 6″ in 1893 to reach that milestone. In the century since, only Bob Feller, another power pitcher, managed to win 100 games at a younger age. But […]

Less than two weeks into the 1968 season, Jon Warden had three victories to lead the American League in that category. That fact was quite unexpected considering the rookie left-hander was pitching out of the bullpen. National Guard service interrupted his 1968 season, but the tall hurler still performed well, especially on the road, and […]

New York’s Penn Station was all hustle and bustle on the sunny afternoon of June 12, 1941. The Brooklyn Dodgers were gathering to board a train bound for Pittsburgh. The trip would then continue west to St. Louis, where a crucial series with the Cardinals awaited the two early rivals in the National League pennant […]

Even casual baseball fans know of the 1927 New York Yankees, considered the best team of all time by many. Featuring “Murderers’ Row” at the heart of the batting order, they rolled to the American League pennant with a 110-44 record and swept the Pittsburgh Pirates in the World Series. But, as great as the […]

Jim “Rawhide” Tabor was a five-tool player before that phrase became part of the baseball vernacular. He was 6-feet-2 and played at 175 to 185 pounds. Often described as raw-boned and rangy, he hit from the right side for average and with power. He had great speed, was Mercury-quick, and had a terrific throwing arm. Tabor’s arm […]

Greg Terlecky was a starting pitcher for most of his decade-long professional baseball career, though all 20 of his major-league outings came in relief for the 1975 St. Louis Cardinals. He registered a loss in his only decision and carried a 4.45 ERA over 30⅓ innings. He began his brief tenure in the majors by […]

Growing up in the shadow of his father – a Los Angeles Dodgers star and the 1962 National League MVP – could be a challenge for Bump Wills. Often referred to as the “son of Maury Wills,” Bump did not let that sway his focus and competitiveness. He spent six seasons (1977-1982) of his own […]

As of 2016, 14 men from the U.S. Virgin Islands had played in the major leagues.i Calvin Pickering was the tenth, and the third of seven from the island of St. Thomas. He was an intriguing talent, with power to match his enormous size. “Picko” stood 6’5” and weighed 260 pounds at his fittest. As […]

In some sense, it’s always significant news to Boston Red Sox fans when their team beats the New York Yankees. Since the 1918 Red Sox won the World Series, the Yankees had won 26 World Series as of 2004 and the Red Sox had won none. As the 2004 season began, there had been three […]

The unofficial concept of a local “champion” among the senior clubs in the Greater New York City region was initially associated with the Atlantic of Bedford club, which by mid-1859 had compiled a seemingly invincible record. The club’s last game loss had come at the hands of the Gothams on October 30, 1857, and its […]

“The base ball fever was never more contagious than it is at the present time.” — Philadelphia Times, August 27, 1887   Among the Philadelphians who attended Phillies1 games in 1887 were magistrates, hotel proprietors, and city councilmen. Stockbroker Benjamin Johnson never missed a game; he “waves his hat and shouts himself hoarse” at the […]

Chris Hartje got his first taste of the major leagues as the Brooklyn Dodgers’ backup catcher during the final weeks of the 1939 campaign. In his major-league debut, he delivered as a pinch-hitter in what would prove to be the high point of his brief big-league tenure. Seven years later, Hartje was attempting to reignite […]

The 1880 Chicago White Stockings were unstoppable, winning 67 against only 17 losses. Their .798 winning percentage has never been equaled by another National League team.1 During that dominant season, no pitcher gave Chicago more trouble than Jim McCormick. A first-year captain of the Cleveland Blues,2 McCormick defeated the White Sox four times, including twice […]