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As a rookie in 1898, Vic Willis won 25 games as a key member of the pennant-winning Boston Beaneaters, one of the top teams of the nineteenth century. Eleven years later in his penultimate season, Willis again won over 20 games as a member of the world champion Pittsburgh Pirates, one of the top teams […]

One of the most ignorant things ever said about baseball was the labeling of catcher’s gear as “the tools of ignorance.” The origins of that regrettably memorable phrase date back at least to the 1930s, though the etymology is disputed. Suffice it to say, however, that anyone who repeats that ignorant utterance must never have […]

He had just 11 big-league at-bats in 1990, but Brian Traxler was still a cult figure. Over 13 years as a pro, the first baseman delighted fans across the minors, the Caribbean winter leagues, Asia, and independent circuits. His immediate appeal was visual. “Trax” was rotund — leniently listed at 5-feet-10 and 200 pounds, he […]

For two years, 5-foot, 9-inch Bob Saverine teamed with 6-foot, 7-inch Frank Howard on the Washington Senators. But, that’s not all. The talented pair, along with several other Senators players, formed a basketball team.1 Prior to the 1968 season, newly named manager Jim Lemon watched as they played an exhibition game and defeated a team […]

Waving goodbye, the impeccably dressed young man with fiery red hair and ruddy complexion hurriedly boarded the Cleveland-bound train. In the span of nine short days, The Pride of Penacook had graduated from Dartmouth, signed a contract to play for the New York Yankees, and now was en route to join his new team. Place […]

When you gaze at the career of wartime Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Frankie Zak, you see the statistics of an unimpressive backup who played during an era when the game was filled with minor leaguers and 4-F players, those who were physically unable to serve in the military.  He had only 240 plate appearances in his […]

Since World War I, six players have made their major-league debut before their 17th birthday. Alex George, the sixth-youngest when he debuted on September 16, 1955, at the age of 16 years, 11 months, 19 days, has the distinction of being the only one to make his first and last major-league appearance before his 17th […]

The 2018 season saw a breakout in “bullpen games,” with managers strategizing to get more rest for their starters by using relief pitchers to open games, pitch two or three innings, then yield to another reliever. The practice is of recent vintage for regular season games, but circumstances across baseball history have sometimes necessitated the […]

The Atlanta Braves returned to Turner Field still needing a win to clinch the National League pennant on October 20, 1999. After taking a 3-0 lead in the NL Championship Series, they had lost the last two games in New York. The momentum had changed and the Mets were now thinking that they might make […]

The 1966 Pittsburgh Pirates, featuring Roberto Clemente, Bill Mazeroski, Willie Stargell (having his first big season), and batting champion Matty Alou, topped the National League as late as September 10 before fading to third place, just three games behind the repeat champion Los Angeles Dodgers. At the end of June Pittsburgh (43-29) trailed only the […]

Brothers Norm and Larry Sherry shared one of the highlights of their careers for the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 7, 1960. They were batterymates for the final four innings of the Dodgers’ game against the Philadelphia Phillies, with Norm entering at catcher and Larry pitching in relief. Larry claimed the win when Norm’s walk-off […]

“Not bad for a junk pitcher, and for nine old men,” shouted Jackie Robinson after Carl Erskine’s no-hitter.1 Robinson’s ire was directed toward New York Giants scout Tom Sheehan, whose club had just been beaten by the team he considered to be over the hill. Erskine became only the 10th pitcher since 1900 to toss […]

The name Elroy Face conjures up many associations. One might think about one of baseball’s most durable and consistent relief pitchers with the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1950s and 1960s at a time when modern, post-World War II relief pitching was in its infancy; or his career-defining 18-1 record in 1959, marking the highest winning […]

Hall of Famer Wade Boggs’ illustrious 18-year career included 12 consecutive All-Star Game appearances, eight Silver Slugger Awards, and five batting titles. The 240 hits he collected in 1985 are tied for the 13th highest in a major-league season (as of 2023). Boggs was a member of the 1996 New York Yankees team that won […]

The 1982 New York Mets (64-95) were ending a dismal season under first-year manager George Bamberger.1 After going 14-15 in September, the Mets, who had a losing record for the sixth season in a row, offered Bamberger a multiyear contract on September 30. He requested a one-year deal, saying that he didn’t want to “walk […]

The New York Mets lost Mike Piazza to a strained left hamstring in the first inning of their 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on April 23, 2002.1 Despite missing their slugging catcher, they won four of their next five games to move into a first-place tie with the Montreal Expos in the National […]

Time and again during their run to the world championship in 1986, the New York Mets clawed back in desperate situations. They were all but eliminated in Game Six of the World Series, when the Boston Red Sox were one strike away from winning it all for the first time since 1918. Earlier, in Game […]

Philadelphia resident George McFadden was there bright and early. There would be 6,055 games played in the history of Shibe Park (renamed Connie Mack Stadium decades later), and no one knows how many games Mr. McFadden attended. His claim to fame is that he was the first fan to enter the sparkling new and innovative […]

On June 26, 1962, Earl Wilson of the Boston Red Sox became the first Black pitcher to throw a no-hitter in the American League, and his third-inning home run provided the game-winning run in Boston’s 2-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels. Wilson was the first Black ballplayer to sign with the Red Sox—in 1953—but […]

A key cog in Detroit’s starting rotation since the mid-1960s, Tigers pitcher Earl Wilson headed into the 1970 campaign having posted the fourth-most wins among all American League hurlers since 1962 – including a league-leading 22 victories in 1967. Additionally, the big right-hander could provide rare offensive punch from his position. Frequently used as a […]

The visiting Cincinnati Reds faced the hosting Cleveland Indians on a rainy Friday night in downtown Cleveland. The teams squared off for the “Battle of Ohio,” which received a new trophy for the 2008 interleague series. The state’s lottery program created a 32-inch-tall trophy for the series winner. The series matchup was tied the previous […]

In 2006 the New York Mets ran away with the National League East Division, finishing 12 games ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies. Entering 2007, the Phillies did not change their roster or lineup significantly from that 2006 also-ran, while the Mets added veterans Luis Castillo and Moises Alou after losing the NLCS to the St. […]

When Tommy Greene graduated from Whiteville High School in June 1985, the North Carolina native was one of the most sought-after young pitchers in the country. As a senior he had a 0.10 ERA with 151 strikeouts in 67 innings.1 For his high-school career, he tossed nine no-hitters. The Atlanta Braves selected Greene in the […]

The 2000 Yankees were part of the Yankees dynasty led by manager Joe Torre. After winning the World Series in 1978 and going to the World Series in 1981, the Yankees experienced a drought until Torre took over as manager in 1996. That year the Yankees won the World Series and followed it up with […]