Just when baseball seemed to be getting drunk on home runs, Tony Gwynn emerged to reveal the beauty of hitting a baseball.
What would a second MVP award mean to Bryce Harper’s legacy?
Here we are back with the second installment in a series called “Greatness Score,” a system I devised to help rate the candidacy of players for the
Once, when Max Scherzer was pitching in college for the University of Missouri, a teammate asked him during a game why he threw a fastball to a
This is the second article in a series on baseball style that we call “Fashion Plate.” When we look back at the 1970s there’s a lot to
From 2008 to 2020, the average speeds of all major league baseball pitches combined rose by between 1.5 mph and 2 mph. In the 2019 season, nearly 90% of the 281 pitchers who threw more than 1,000 pitches threw fastballs that averaged over 90 mph. The 100 mph fastball – once a newsworthy event – is now relatively common.
There was a time when big league teams held open tryouts in hopes of finding new talent. The Senators were lucky enough to have a famed scout run their operation.
Eight pitchers have managed to win 100 games for TWO teams. All but two of them are in the Hall of Fame. All of them were great hurlers.
Less than a year after he was forced to leaved baseball due to illness, Lou Gehrig’s legacy was threatened by an ignorant sportswriter’s accusations.
Hall of Famer Lou Brock has died at the age of 81. Brock was an eight-time stolen base champion, and retired in 1979 with more steals than any player in history.
What do people want from Joey Votto? The answer to that question will tell you what they think of him. But he doesn’t give a damn.
For eight seasons, Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano surrounded Derek Jeter in the Yankees’ infield. A rose between two thorns, the cheaters and Mr. Perfect Pinstripe. Once
If there’s a baseball bat around it’s hard to resist picking it up and taking a stance. We’ve all done it. Some of us who played baseball
At spring training in Bradenton in 1935, Babe Ruth didn’t see any point in going north with the Braves. But ultimately, he did go and as a
To say the early days of the San Diego Padres were zany would be an understatement.
The Pirates never got the publicity the Big Red Machine did for their 1970s success. But they had an equally intimidating nickname.
A century ago when one of Boston’s most famous citizens killed himself under strange circumstances in a gruesome fashion, muttering final words that rival the gasping “Rosebud” of Charles Foster Kane, it prompted shock, sadness, and conspiracy theories.
It’s surprisingly difficult to select the greatest pitcher in the history of the Cincinnati Reds.
The 1980 postseason was one of the most thrilling in years, thanks in large part to the new kids on the block: the pesky Houston Astros, making
The 1962 Fall Classic was the first World Series played in Northern California, with the Giants hosting in Candlestick Park. Despite having Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, and
When a much different America suffered its “9/11” moment, Bob Feller – the best pitcher in baseball – didn’t hesitate to take action. On December 8, 1941, one day after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Feller voluntarily enlisted in the U.S. Navy. At the age of 23, already a six-year veteran of the major leagues, Feller was at the height of his fame and pitching brilliance. But his decision to enter the military wasn’t difficult.
Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller died on December 15, 2010, after living an amazing life that included inspirational service in the United States Navy in World War II and a storied baseball career. Here are nine things you may not have known about this great American.
Veterans Day is a day to remember and thank those who have sacrificed so much for our country. Some gave their lives. Even those who came back from war have given up much for our country. In the history of baseball, one ballplayer gave up perhaps more than any other with his service to the country. Though he came back alive from World War II, he almost certainly was deprived of baseball immortality.
In the “Peach State” on May 8, one of the most popular beverages in history was first concocted, and on December 18, a legendary ballplayer was born. As a result, Coca-Cola became a household name and one of the most profitable companies in the world, and Tyrus Raymond Cobb became a batting champion and eventually one of the first members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
When Ty Cobb arrived in Royston, Georgia, on August 10, 1905, his father was dead from a shotgun blast and his mother was facing arrest for manslaughter. The small community was abuzz over the shocking death of their most influential and prominent figure, while Ty was in a state of shock at the loss of his father.