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Category Archives: Baseball
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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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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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
A Half-century Later: Sandy Koufax versus the Chicago Cubs
I (guest-blogger Bill Van Ornum) just finished reading Jane Leavy’s bio of Sandy Koufax. He had initially told her that he didn’t like the idea of the book, and wouldn’t be interviewed; but all along the way, he helped by … Continue reading
Posted in Baseball, Yankees
Tagged American League, Bob Feller, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Sandy Koufax, World Series, Wrigley Field
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Weird Game
The Baltimore Orioles bested the Boston Red Sox today in Fenway Park. How weird was this game? It took more than six hours to complete. Orioles designated hitter Chris Davis went 0 for 8. Then, he was summoned to pitch! … Continue reading
Mariano
In 1996, the New York Yankees were the first team, and possibly the only team in major-league history, to have two roster players named Mariano: Duncan and Rivera. The latter, the famous one, injured himself during outfield practice at one … Continue reading
Farewell, Moose Skowron
The baseball firmament lost one of its all-time World Series stars. Bill “Moose” Skowron, a fixture at Yankees Oldtimers’ Day for decades following his career, died of congestive heart failure and cancer. Although he made the final out in the … Continue reading
He Jests at Scars that Never Felt a Wound
New York Mets prospect Philip Gregory Humber (not Humbert Humbert or “from Humber,” either), who had a cup of coffee with his drafting-team in 2006 and 2007 before going to the Minnesota Twins in the Johan Santana deal, has pitched … Continue reading
Posted in Baseball, Cricket, Right Off the Bat Book, Right Off the Bat Website, Yankees
Tagged Babe Ruth, Boston Red Sox, David Cone, David Wells, Don Larsen, Ernie Shore, Federal League, Fenway Park, Harvey Haddix, Jim Bunning, Johan Santana, Literature, Major League Baseball, Mike Mussina, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Philip Gregory Humber, Pittsburgh Pirates, World Series, Wrigley Field
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Right Off the Bat 