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A fill-in catcher in a rookie-loaded lineup for Connie Mack and the World Series-bound Philadelphia Athletics on September 30, 1913, Navy man and “one-hit wonder” Joe Giebel’s only major league appearance would fortuitously occur right in his hometown of Washington, DC. Joseph Henry Giebel was born in Washington, District of Columbia, on November 30, 1891, […]

In Good Enough to Dream,1 Roger Kahn lyrically recounts the 1983 Utica Blue Sox’ remarkable run to the New York-Pennsylvania League (NYP) championship as an unaffiliated mélange of minor-league castoffs and free agents.2 Remarkably, despite their season of success, none of the Blue Sox ever attained the reality of the major leagues for as much […]

In only his fifth start in the major leagues, 20-year-old Kerry Wood turned in a pitching performance for the ages on May 6, 1998. Under cloudy, drizzly skies, the Texas native struck out 20 Houston Astros at Wrigley Field and allowed only one hit–a single off Cubs third baseman Kevin Orie’s glove in the top […]

“We are a baseball family, I guess,” said Charlie Ganzel of his clan in a 1904 interview.1 One of a bevy of family members who achieved success in baseball, Charlie was arguably the most prominent of the Ganzel brothers. Although he was a key contributor to five pennant-winning National League teams during the late nineteenth […]

Many people can go through an entire life without a lifelong friend and even if they have one, at some point they will be separated for many years. The friendship of Jim Frey and Don Zimmer not only has endured for many decades since childhood, but the two spent the bulk of their friendship in […]

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 […]

A small memorial park is all that remains of Lane Field, home of the Pacific Coast League’s San Diego Padres from 1936 until 1957.1 Wind glyphs fly from three poles in the small park, each depicting a player from Padres history, a fielder, a batter and a pitcher. Ted Williams is both the batter and […]

Miguel Batista is regarded as one of the more interesting individuals to don a major-league uniform. Throughout his 18-year pitching career, Batista’s travels took him to 11 different teams, for which he toiled as both a starter and a reliever. A deeply philosophical person, he stood out from the average ballplayer with his unquenchable desire […]

When Phil Rizzuto went to his first Major League tryout, a New York Giants coach told him he was too small to play in the big leagues and suggested he should make a living by shining shoes.1 But in a later tryout with the Yankees, Rizzuto impressed scout Paul Krichell, who recommended they sign the […]

“He has no weakness as a hitter. Pitch him inside, outside, high, low, fast stuff, breaking balls-anything you throw he can handle. He swings with the pitch; that is why he’s so great, He has no holes.”1 New York Yankee pitcher Catfish Hunter’s assessment of what it was like to pitch to Rod Carew may […]

“Pressure-tested.” The label suited José Contreras, the ace of the formidable Cuban national team of the 1990s that dominated international competition. Fidel Castro himself had deemed the pitcher “el titán de bronce” (the bronze titan), a nickname first bestowed upon Cuban Revolutionary hero Antonio Maceo, one of the country’s founding fathers. How could José Contreras […]

From 1950 to 2008, the Philadelphia Phillies won five National League pennants and two World Series. Only one man was a part of the Phillies organization during each of those five pennant years — Maje McDonnell. McDonnell joined the team in 1947 as a batting-practice pitcher and, except for the period 1966-1973, was with the […]

A tall, slender 6″2″, 175 pounds, Bob Groom possessed an athleticism, cunning, and tenacity that bespoke his roots in the southern Illinois coal fields, where his grandfather and father had found success as mine owner-operators. Born on September 12, 1884 in Belleville, Illinois, to John and Mary Catherine Dickinson Groom, he was named Robert for […]

“Baseball is our way of life in the Amaro family,” said Rubén Amaro Sr. Four generations of Amaros have played professionally. Amaro’s father, Santos, had a long and distinguished career in Cuba and Mexico. His son, Rubén Amaro Jr., became a player, executive, and coach in the major leagues. Rubén Sr. was in the majors […]

With its long winters and cold, rainy springs, New England has never been a hotbed for scouts hunting baseball talent. There have, however, been ballplayers through the years who have overcome these weather woes to shine brightly enough that they can’t be ignored. Ray Martin was one such prospect — a pitcher so strong he […]

A torrential rainfall postponed the second game of a three-game set between the Brooklyn Superbas and Cincinnati Reds in August 1906. “Such a storm has seldom been seen in these parts,” observed the Cincinnati Enquirer.1 The two clubs decided to reschedule the game for the next day as part of a doubleheader. They agreed in […]

The game, rescheduled from an April 12 rainout, unremarkable. The 72-80 Cincinnati Reds visited Connie Mack Stadium to face the 63-88 Philadelphia Phillies. In the nightcap of a twi-night doubleheader, a paid crowd of 8,533 saw Vada Pinson hit his 20th home run of the season in the fourth inning, a two-run shot off winning […]

  “On a cool, clear, September night, only 6,702 attended the funeral of the beloved Dodgers, a hushed and bereaved gathering come to pay respects to a memory … only 6,702 could muster the courage to bid a fond farewell, perhaps because it hurt too much to say goodbye.” That was Phil Pepe of the […]

More than 70 former major-league players gathered for Old Timers’ Day at Busch Stadium on September 10, 1963, giving a Tuesday night crowd plenty of grandfathers to root for. And while the 1½-inning exhibition game undoubtedly delighted fans,1 the 13,883 patrons on hand really wanted to see the newest grandfather of them all – Stan […]

After four years in the National League cellar, the New York Mets finally moved up to ninth in 1966 when they finished 66-95, a gain of 13 wins over their previous season high. Their success, such as it was, pushed the Chicago Cubs to the bottom of the league when their 59-103 mark left them […]

“Magee came up to bat next, threw his bat on the ground, and started to call me names. He is bad when irritated—and tolerably easy to irritate, as shown by the way he knocked down Finneran, the umpire, last season.” – Christy Mathewson, Pitching in a Pinch (1912)1   During the third inning of a […]

The Los Angeles Dodgers had every reason to feel confident as they approached the 2021 National League Championship Series. Not only were they the defending World Series champions (albeit in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season), but they had also amassed an impressive 106-56 regular-season record, second only to their division rivals, the San Francisco Giants (107-55). […]

The San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies launched their 2005 seasons with vastly differing sets of expectations. The Padres were coming off of an 87-75 record during the previous season and had aspirations of winning the National League West championship and advancing to the playoffs for the first time since 1998. The Rockies, on the […]

High and Inside The Newsletter of the BioProject Committee Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) June 2017, Volume 2, Number 1 Past newsletters Editor: Stew Thornley From the Directors From the Editor Guest Columnist: Andrea Long Project Profile: Norm King Project Poobahs   From the Directors The BioProject Committee will be meeting at the SABR […]