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Bedrock (n): Unbroken solid rock; any firm foundation.1 That dictionary definition explains why “Bedrock” was an apt nickname for Steve Bedrosian. In his prime, he was a rock-solid relief pitcher and the foundation on which his teams built a bullpen. Stephen Wayne Bedrosian was born in Methuen, Massachusetts, on December 6, 1957, to Michael (a […]

Outfielder Charlie Frisbee was a switch-hitter who threw right-handed. His first year in the minors was as a catcher, but then he took up work in the outfield. He played two seasons in the majors, in the National League for the Boston Beaneaters in 1899 and for the New York Giants in 1900. After leaving […]

Youth, imposing size, and a blazing fastball garnered right-handed pitcher Big Mike Sullivan1 engagements with no fewer than nine different major league clubs in the late 19th century. Yet his time with these teams rarely lasted more than a single season, undone by inconsistency and poor command of the strike zone. And in certain venues, […]

During the mid- to late 1880s, the St. Louis Browns dominated the major league American Association, capturing four consecutive pennants. Key to the club’s success was the standout pitching of Bob Caruthers and Dave Foutz, and thereafter, Silver King.1 Each of these right-handers was also a capable batsman who doubled as a Browns outfielder when […]

“Honest Jack” Boyle was a “19th century multi-position sensation.”1 He was the first of only five major-league players to log 500 games at catcher and at least two seasons of 100 games or more at first base (with Joe Mauer, Joe Torre, Gene Tenace, and Mike Napoli).2 Boyle abandoned boxing to become a major-league catcher […]

Ed Rowen was a backup catcher and outfielder on the 1883 Philadelphia Athletics squad, which won the American Association pennant. Although Rowen was not a key factor in the championship season – playing in only 49 games – he was 30-game-winner Bobby Mathews’ personal catcher. He fielded poorly that year, possibly due to a hand […]

One of the first things one notices about short-term Boston Red Sox leftfielder/pinch-hitter Gene Rye is that he used another surname while playing professional baseball, apparently Anglicized from Mercantelli. He was also sometimes known by the nickname “Half Pint” – he was 5-feet-6 and weighed 165 pounds. He batted left-handed, but threw right-handed. Rye, as […]

Throughout his minor league career, pitcher Lou Polchow was a notoriously slow starter, struggling with his control and effectiveness until the weather warmed. When he failed to round into shape in the spring of 1911, there were claims that he was “an indifferent sort of fellow”1 and, “not in the best of condition.”2 No one […]

Who was Israel Pike? He was the younger brother of Lipman Pike, baseball’s first great Jewish star, and most likely was very briefly a major leaguer himself. Yet his career and life have been so shrouded in obscurity that questions endure about whether he is entitled to that distinction. Israel’s father Emanuel Pike was born […]

Lewis “Buttercup” Dickerson was a stocky little outfielder – 5-foot-6 and 140 pounds – who played in the big leagues for seven seasons (1878-81; 1883-85). When in form, he was a capable hitter, batting .284 overall at the top level and leading the National League in triples with 14 in 1879. However, he was also […]

The baseball diamond and the basketball court could not be more different in size, appearance, and application. The sports themselves have very little in common with regard to game play, like who controls the ball (offense or defense), how points are scored, and even how long the game is played. Yet, there are athletes who […]

Like a host of other marginal talents, pitcher John Connor owes his place in major league player ranks largely to the profusion of clubs accorded major league status during the 1884 season. At one time or other that year, no fewer than 33 different organizations claimed a National League, American Association, or Union Association franchise. […]

Uninvited and unannounced, “Harold Emerich” traipsed into the 1920 Philadelphia Phillies training camp in Birmingham, Alabama, and made a credible showing before being shipped out to the minors. However, “Harold Emerich” was actually Michigan contract jumper Herrick “Spoke” Emery. Fast forward four years, and the speedy Emery actually donned a Philadelphia uniform in five July […]

Right-handed Jack O’Connor used his competitiveness and baseball intelligence, along with a penchant for playing multiple positions, to appear in the major leagues during 21 different seasons. His longevity includes him in the group of 29 players who have appeared in a game in four or more different decades. “Peach Pie” was his rookie handle, […]

Outfielder “Jack” Dalton had a short, but relatively successful, major-league career prior to World War I before becoming a lay preacher in his church in the 1930s and ’40s. Then, inexplicably, he went missing on July 4, 1948, and was never heard from again.1 Dalton debuted with Brooklyn, then known as the Superbas, in 1910. […]

Alex “Dooney” Hardy of the Chicago Orphans had an uphill battle in his major-league debut. The Toronto native was facing the Brooklyn Superbas − champions of the National League just two years earlier − in their home ballpark.1 His mound opponent was Wild Bill Donovan, who had led the NL with 25 wins the previous […]

The story surrounding Joe Borden’s first no-hitter in professional baseball history is a microcosm of the state of baseball in 1875. Midway through the season, the Boston Red Stockings were steaming toward a 71-8-3 record and a fourth straight National Association pennant. Yet, the topic that dominated the sporting world was news of their looming […]

The St. Louis Cardinals’ owner, Sam Breadon, generally shunned publicity. Nevertheless, Breadon knew that the way to attract more fans to the games was to have a winning team and also to get more information about the games to the fans.1 The June 24, 1920, issue of The Sporting News steadfastly questioned how the newbie […]

By 1931, Al Capone was the kingpin of the criminal enterprise system that ruled Chicago from top-level politicians down to neighborhood shopkeepers. There were other gangs, but his South Side “Chicago Outfit” stood supreme. This was not to say, though, that he was secure. He was in constant danger from rivals—to the point that he […]

“Only twice in my life has my spine actually tingled. Once was when I saw the Sistine Chapel. The other was when I saw Sandy Koufax throw a fastball.” — Al Campanis scouting Koufax1   You’re a 19-year-old pitcher, injured and sitting on the bench for more than two months before your major-league debut, a […]

Much of the off-field enjoyment of baseball is connected to the contemplation of its many and varied statistics. Literally everything that occurs on the baseball field during a game can be counted; the batters’ credits and the pitchers’ debits accumulate. The result is a mountain of statistical data for players and fans alike to ponder, […]

The Sweet Lou Johnson Lexington Chapter of SABR met virtually on Saturday, January 15, 2022. The group entertained the question of whether Opening Day would happen on time. The consensus seemed to be “Who Knows” but we all agree we all want baseball back. Congratulations to Bob Tannenbaum! Bob won the Baseball Trivia Game. Members […]

The Field of Dreams Chapter had close to a full house in Suite 316 at Principal Park for a social gathering on Sunday, May 24, 2015, in Des Moines, Iowa. We did have a couple of brief research presentations. Giants fan, Steve Elsberry, presented the list of teams that have won 3 World Series in […]

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in 2022 as part of SABR’s Baseball and the Supreme Court Project. The 1969 season was Curt Flood’s twelfth, and ultimately final, season as the regular center fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals.  His trade to Philadelphia led to Flood testing the legality of the reserve clause under […]