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Author Archives: rightoffthebatbook
Mantle by the New Math Numbers
Like most red-blooded (Is there any other color?) American (U.S., but let’s include the entire hemisphere) males from Noo Yawk, and aetat. fifty to eighty at this writing in 2012, I (Evander) have a fascination with Yankees star Mickey Mantle—virtually … Continue reading
“Schoolboy” Rowe
My (Martin’s) friend and fellow publisher Bob Kalechovsky of the estimable and pioneering Micah Publications asked me yesterday whether I might be related to Lynwood “Schoolboy” Rowe, who was the star pitcher for the Detroit Tigers in the 1930s. I’m sad … Continue reading
Right Off the Bat Makes the Big Time
Fie to thee, New York Times; avaunt ye, Washington Post; get behind me, O Guardian: Right Off the Bat has finally been reviewed where it counts: the Old Bradfieldian, Martin’s alumni magazine. Well, “reviewed” might be too strong a word, since … Continue reading
Posted in Right Off the Bat Book
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Baseball (Cards) on Memorial Day
We have recently blogged on violence in cricket and baseball. In Right Off the Bat (page 47 ff.) Martin and I discuss the early 1930s-conceived strategy of “Bodyline,” whereby the batsman almost literally has to be on his toes. The … Continue reading
Posted in Baseball, Cricket, Right Off the Bat Book, Right Off the Bat Website
Tagged Bodyline, Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, Ty Cobb
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Happy Birthday, Sir Viv
Today’s the 60th birthday of the great West Indian batsman Sir Vivian Richards. Fiercely proud of his heritage, swaggering and nonchalant at the crease, and impossible to stop when in full flow, Richards was probably the most exciting and charismatic … Continue reading
Cricket and Baseball: Just How Bloody Are They?
Interesting conversations are taking place in the comments sections to various threads on this site on just how violent both sports are—and the rights of players to earn as much as they can. I think it’s fair to say that … Continue reading
Posted in Baseball, Cricket
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Ruth in Early Retirement
Get a good look at that face. It is Babe Ruth, in a WPA photograph from 1936, taken at the Polo Grounds before or during the World Series, September 30. The year after Ruth called it quits was Joe DiMaggio’s … Continue reading
Posted in Baseball, Yankees
Tagged Babe Ruth, Carl Hubbell, Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, New York Giants, Polo Grounds
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Chris versus Shiv: Round Two
Posted in Cricket, IPL, Right Off the Bat Website, T20 Cricket, West Indies
Tagged Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul
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An Ordinary Over the Hump Day in Queens
Today is 70 years and 366 days since Joe DiMaggio’s mind-bending 56-game hitting streak began: with a meager (though RBI) single against the Chicago White Sox. Right Off the Bat celebrated the seventieth anniversary with a podcast a year ago. … Continue reading
A Half-century Later: Mickey Mantle Blast
May 22, 1963, Yankee Stadium (the original of course), a night game, batting left-handed, switch-hitter Mickey Mantle almost bombs a home run clear out of the park. In subsequent interviews, Mantle considered this the hardest he ever hit a baseball. (He … Continue reading
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