Author Archives: rightoffthebatbook

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About rightoffthebatbook

Co-author of the book, "Right Off the Bat: Baseball, Cricket, Literature, and Life"

Sinko day mayo 1956

I (Evander) have waxed perhaps not-so-poetic(ly) on May 22 as the upcoming jubilee of the home run Mickey Mantle nearly launched out of old Yankee Stadium. Some estimates have the ball traveling something like 730 feet. More realistically its distance, … Continue reading

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Take Me out with the Marx Brothers

“Now, Chicolini, I want a full, detailed report of your investigation.” “All-a right! I-a tell you. Monday, we watch Firefly’s house. But he no come out. Tuesday, we go to the ball game. But he fool us—he no show up. … Continue reading

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I Didn’t Know Joe Horlen Is Jewish

Do check out this entertaining 4-minute video on the prideful gathering of signatures from every active or retired Jewish-American Major League Baseball player (and “a couple other” celebrities). (Some in the video have died. The late Norm Sherry [his brother … Continue reading

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Right Off the Bat at Home on the Sound

A few weeks ago, Evander and I (Martin) put on a little show about Right Off the Bat to some members of At Home on the Sound in Larchmont, New York. The estimable Eileen Mason, a producer for Larchmont Mamaroneck Community … Continue reading

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Great Stadiums (cont’d)

Dharamshala this ain’t. (That blog was posted not only on Shakespeare’s birth and death day, it was posted on the 90th anniversary of the opening of Yankee Stadium.) But the original Yankee Stadium was (James Hilton’s) Shangri-La to baseball-crazed fans … Continue reading

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High Wind out of Jamaica

Just in case you missed seeing the Gayle storm yesterday (i.e., Jamaican Chris Gayle’s 175 n.o. in the Indian Premier League), here’s a link to the highlights. Be prepared for commentators’ astonishment.

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Happy Fortieth!

Happy fortieth birthday, Sachin Tendulkar. Celebrate. Enjoy the IPL. Then retire. Please.

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Franchising: the Glamour

Time was when baseball owners had color and character: Ted Turner of the Atlanta Braves and his then-wife Jane Fonda, and of course George Steinbrenner had plenty of both. But that was then and this is now, and aside from … Continue reading

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Great Stadiums

We at Right Off the Bat have a fondness for stadiums: those temples to the arts of cricket and baseball. For all their inherent grandeur, however, they often find themselves placed in some less-than-beautiful surroundings—yes, we’re talking about you, Yankee … Continue reading

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The Mumbai Indians: The Yankees of the IPL

Chock full of very well-paid if superannuated superstars—Ricky Ponting, Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, Lasith Malinga—the Mumbai Indians are the New York Yankees of the IPL. Deep pockets and the biggest media market in India can’t buy you success, and the … Continue reading

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