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Weather Isn’t The Only Reason Games Are Scrubbed
Games have been delayed or postponed for rain, snow, hail, lightning, and even tornadoes but lots of other unexpected reasons also dot the baseball history books. Just last Tuesday, for example, the first pitch of the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks was delayed by busy bees behind home plate at Chase Field in Phoenix.
Jackie’s Hall of Fame Plaque Had To Be Changed
Watching hundreds of major-leaguers wearing No. 42 on April 15 reminded me that the man they were honoring needed to have his original Hall of Fame plaque updated. A first-ballot selection in 1962, Jackie Robinson had a .311 lifetime batting average and played for six pennant-winners during his 10-year career. He also helped the Dodgers win their only world championship for Brooklyn, in 1955.
Shohei Stakes Early Claim On National League’s Most Valuable Player Award
Neither surgery nor the shadow of a gambling scandal could stop Shohei Ohtani from becoming an instant success after switching leagues. Through the first month of the season, the $700 Million Man of the Los Angeles Dodgers led the National League in slugging while teammate Mookie Betts — who bats in front of him — ranked first in batting average and on-base percentage.
Two Sides of Ump Accountability: One ump won’t admit bad ejection, crew chief admits bad call
You couldn’t script two more contrasting aftermaths. One week, an umpire tossed a manager without cause and doubled down on it even more erroneously when questioned by the press. The following weekend, a crew chief admitted his guys blew it with a flagrantly blown interference call at second base.
Five Worst No. 1 Overall Picks in MLB Draft History
The NFL Draft took place this past weekend, and it was a massive spectacle as always. While none of the other major sports' drafts come remotely close to the NFL in hype and media coverage, the MLB Draft has plenty of drama in its own right. The event began in 1965 -- with Arizona State's Rick Monday becoming the first player to be selected, by the then-Kansas City Athletics.
Predictive analysis in Major League Baseball
MLB Network host and longtime baseball commentator Brian Kenny delivered the keynote address at the 2024 SABR Analytics Conference in Phoenix. Always an engaging and dynamic speaker, Kenny brought his journalist’s eye to the topic of predictive analytics when he posed the question, “What Happened to the 2023 San Diego Padres?”
The Day That Major League Baseball Was Played Behind Closed Doors
Despite what most people think, the first baseball game played behind closed doors did not occur during the coronavirus pandemic. There was one crowd-less game a half-decade earlier, and it occurred on April 29, 2015, when the Baltimore Orioles beat the visiting Chicago White Sox, 8-2. The first two games in the series at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore were postponed due to public safety concerns and security issues. Baltimore was under curfew, as civic unrest was engulfing the city.
Connor Wong (!!) Off to Impressive Start
During the first few weeks of the 2024 campaign, the Boston Red Sox have dealt with seemingly never-ending injuries. While their depth has been tested, they have gotten some key contributions from unlikely places. That list includes Connor Wong, who has been a hits machine.
Braves In Cooperstown Are Not Necessarily In Team’s Hall of Fame
Baseball Hall of Famers who played for the Atlanta Braves are not necessarily members of the team’s Hall of Fame. Of the 35 people elected to the team’s Hall of Fame since its founding in 1999, 15 are also in Cooperstown, though broadcaster Don Sutton got there as a pitcher for the Dodgers.
My First Game At Petco Park: Churros, Children, And More
Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending my first game at Petco Park, the home of the San Diego Padres. Petco Park has been open since 2004, when it replaced the Friars’ first home of Qualcomm Stadium. While it has never hosted a World Series championship team, it has played host to many fans soaking up the sun in Southern California and enjoying a game in the heart of San Diego’s downtown district, known as the Gaslamp Quarter.
A Brief History of Bay Area MLB Center Fielders
In the last few months in this space, we have looked at best shortstops, third basemen, second basemen, first basemen, and left fielders to have played in the Bay Area. This we look back at the best to ever play center field in Oakland and San Francisco, including one of the very best to ever play the game.
Nationals’ reliever set record by letting four inherited runners score
On May 10, 2008, at Nationals Park, a scoring quirk let Nationals’ reliever Joel Hanrahan do what no other pitcher in the history of the American and National leagues has ever done: He was charged with allowing four inherited runners to score.
Newest Hank Aaron Book May Be Most Unusual
Writing a book isn’t easy. I know: I’ve authored or co-authored 41 books since 1974. There were bookend biographies of Hank Aaron, including Hammerin’ Hank: the Henry Aaron Story in 1974 and the forthcoming Home Run King: the Remarkable Record of Hank Aaron.
Jim Umbricht's Tenure In Houston Was Short, But Courageous
If the name of former Major Leaguer Jim Umbricht is not familiar to you, you can be excused. Umbricht was a journeyman pitcher with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Houston Colt .45s from 1959-1963. He compiled a career record of 9-5 with a 3.06 ERA and three saves in 88 games, mostly as a reliever. Umbricht is present in my mind today because I ran across a story about him in an old newspaper from April 8, 1964. On that date, the 33-year-old Umbricht, just coming into his own as a Major Leaguer, died of cancer. His story is one of determination and courage in the face of devastating, and seemingly incongruous, medical challenges.
Remembering the Activism of Jackie Robinson
We all know the story of Jackie Robinson. Brooklyn Dodgers owner Branch Rickey signed Robinson in 1946 breaking the color barrier in baseball. The California native found himself in Montreal sharing the field with white players for the first time.
Abner Doubleday is Remembered Wrongly
By Paul Semendinger, Ed.D. I am always working on my next book project. I have so many ideas for books that if I have 100 more years to write, I won't get to them all, but the one I am working on now will be an absolute winner. I am writing about the Battle of Gettysburg and looking at the battle in a way no one has ever before.
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