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In the spring of 1912, Arizona was still growing up. After all, the former territory had only gained statehood in February and most of the country still thought of Arizona as the untamed Wild West. It’s not surprising that on April 16th the first major league appearance by Flame Delhi, a rookie pitcher for the […]

Lefty Grove, Warren Spahn, and Early Wynn– the only hurlers, to win 300 games in the last 40 years — were all relatively late starters in the race for that greatest of pitching crowns. Each amassed fewer than 90 victories prior to reaching the age of 30. Grove had 87 wins, Spahn 86, and Wynn […]

Tyrus R. Cobb, the Georgia Peach, who ravaged American League diamonds and pitchers for 24 years, is rated by many as the greatest all-around player, having more records in more phases of the game than any other performer.    In addition, Cobb possessed a competitive spirit and will and a keen brain unequalled by any other […]

New Cathedral Cemetery in southwest Baltimore is of some interest to baseball historians because it is the final resting place for six prominent baseball personages. Baseball greats are enshrined at Cooperstown, N.Y., but they do not live there, or die there, or are buried there. Their memorial stones are scattered throughout the nation. Therefore, it […]

SABR had its first convention, if it can be described as that, in 1971 when 16 people heeded the call to meet in Cooperstown, New York. Arlington, Chicago, and Philadelphia, with an attendance of 40, followed. Attendance reached 100 in 1979 in St. Louis, 300 in 1984 in Oakland, and topped 700 in Boston in […]

Advertising billed The Great American Pastime as a comedy that would “keep us all in stitches.”   Following the Second World War, the baseball genre film enjoyed considerable popularity with Hollywood filmmakers hoping to recapture the commercial success of The Pride of the Yankees (1942). As that film re-told Lou Gehrig’s life story, many of […]

This article was selected for inclusion in SABR 50 at 50: The Society for American Baseball Research’s Fifty Most Essential Contributions to the Game. Twelve managers have won more games than Bill McKechnie. None has won more respect. Deacon Bill McKechnie was the first to lead three different teams to the World Series and the […]

In Game Seven of the 2014 World Series, Madison Bumgarner of the San Francisco Giants entered the contest in the fifth inning with his team leading the Kansas City Royals, 3–2. Bumgarner, working on two days’ rest after a complete-game shutout victory over the Royals in game five, proceeded to pitch five scoreless innings to […]

Defining baseball’s best all-around players begins with Branch Rickey. The maverick executive instrumental in integrating baseball, Rickey was also a pioneering sabermetrician. He invented the category “five-tool players” for the rare talents who excelled at hitting for average, hitting for power, running, fielding, and throwing.1 Since Rickey tagged Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle as the […]

INTRODUCTION Baseball has had a rich history in the forty years since the founding of SABR in 1971. It is interesting that SABR began at about the same time as the introduction of the designated hitter (DH) in the American League in the 1973 season. The intent of this article is to use graphs to […]

Jaime Jarrin, the Dodgers Hall of Fame Spanish-language broadcaster, tells the story that Walter O’Malley wanted to tap the growing Latino market in Southern California by finding a Mexican Sandy Koufax. O’Malley was not alive to see his dream realized when Fernando Valenzuela broke in with the Dodgers in late 1980.1 Valenzuela’s two wins, one […]

From left, Harry Heilmann (HOF), George Burns (1926 AL MVP), Ty Cobb (HOF), Bobby Veach, and Sam Crawford (HOF) in front of the grandstand at Jungle Park, Waxahachie in March 1917. The ballpark site is still used by the local high school baseball team. (Courtesy of the Chapman Deadball Collection)   Some might think that […]

A great quote sums up why most people—even dedicated baseball fans—have likely never heard of Pete Hughes.1 The sports editor of the Winnipeg News wrote about the right fielder for the local club in the legendary ManDak League in 1953: “For our money, Hughes gives away more runs than he manufactures. He’s too slow afoot […]

The baseball Winter Meetings are usually a time when teams reflect on the past season and plan for the next season. However, 1995 was in the middle of a five-year stretch when major-league baseball did not attend the winter meetings. Instead, the majors held general managers’ meetings in November in Scottsdale, Arizona, and owners meetings […]

Editor’s note: This article is updated from the original, published in SABR’s “The Negro Leagues Book,” 1994.   Andrew Bishop Foster Bat/Throw: Right/Right—5’9”, 235 lbs. Born: Wednesday, 17 September 1879, La Grange, TX1 Died: Tuesday, 9 December 1930, Kankakee, IL Cemetery: Lincoln Cemetery, Section 6, Latitude: N 41º 40’ 15.7”, Longitude W 87º 42’ 04.9”, […]

Since the cry of “Play Ball” first rang out, major league pitchers have been striving to stifle the intentions of major league batsmen. Some have succeeded admirably, others have enjoyed modest success, but the majority have lacked the talent to sustain lengthy and successful careers. Being both successful and durable is a rare combination attained […]

Nichibei Yakyu: US Tours of Japan, 1960-2019 (Volume 2) Edited by Robert K. Fitts, Bill Nowlin, and James Forr Associate editors: Len Levin and Carl Riechers Publication Date: November 27, 2023 ISBN (ebook): 978-1-960819-14-7, $9.99 ISBN (paperback): 978-1-960819-15-4, $39.95 8.5″ x 11″, 355 pages To celebrate the 150th anniversary of Japanese baseball in 2022, the […]

Met-rospectives: A Collection of the Greatest Games in New York Mets History Edited by Brian Wright and Bill Nowlin Associate Editors: Len Levin and Carl Riechers Publication Date: September 13, 2018 ISBN (paperback): 978-1-943816-87-3, $14.95 ISBN (e-book): 978-1-943816-86-6, $9.99 8.5″ x 11″, 139 pages The Mets are a team known for warming hearts one day […]

  Base Ball’s 19th Century “Winter” Meetings, 1857-1900 Edited by Jeremy K. Hodges and Bill Nowlin Associate Editors: Len Levin, Robert Tholkes, Jim Frutchey, William J. Ryczek, Clifford Blau, and Maurice Bouchard Foreword by John Thorn Publication Date: December 6, 2018 ISBN (paperback): 978-1-9438-1691-0, $29.95 ISBN (e-book): 978-1-9438-1690-3, $9.99 8.5″ x 11″, 384 pages  Base […]

Au jeu/Play Ball: The 50 Greatest Games in the History of the Montreal Expos Edited by Norm King Associate Editors: Greg Erion, Len Levin, Bill Nowlin, Jack Zerby Foreword by Dave Van Horne Publication Date: April 26, 2016 ISBN (paperback): 978-1-9438-1615-6, $12.95 ISBN (ebook): 978-1-9438-1614-9, $5.99 8.5″ x 11″, 149 pages This SABR Digital Library […]

Overcoming Adversity: Baseball’s Tony Conigliaro Award Edited by Bill Nowlin and Clayton Trutor Publication Date: January 19, 2017 ISBN (paperback): 978-1-9438-1643-9, $14.95  ISBN (e-book) 978-1-943816-42-2, $6.99 8.5″ x 11″, 211 pages The Tony Conigliaro Award is given each year to the Major League Baseball player who “overcomes an obstacle and adversity through the attributes of spirit, […]

SABR 50 at 50: The Society for American Baseball Research’s Fifty Most Essential Contributions to the Game Edited by Bill Nowlin Associate Editors: Mark Armour, Scott Bush, Leslie Heaphy, Jacob Pomrenke, Cecilia Tan, John Thorn Foreword by John Thorn Published by University of Nebraska Press Publication Date: September 1, 2020 ISBN (paperback): 978-1-4962-2268-8, $49.95 8.5″ […]