Lt. Robinson roamed the athletic fields of Camp Breckinridge, wondering what he would do after he was discharged from the army. Fortunately, a chance encounter with a fellow soldier held the answer… […]
For most, the path to The Show is a long, gradual climb through the minors. However, Mahlon Higbee went from the lowest minor league directly to the majors where he had one of the greatest debuts in baseball history. […]
No other moment in sports history comes close to that single game in October, 1951. Countless non-fiction books have been written about the ’51 pennant race, the game, what happened to the home run ball, and the players after the cheering died down. Thomson’s home run has been employed as a plot device for shelves of fiction novels and TV shows, and hardly an autobiography of a person alive in 1951 could escape mentioning where they were on that day. […]
Mose Solomon’s popularity with baseball historians stems not just for his tremendous 1923 season with Hutchinson in which he belted 49 homers, but also from his being one of the first baseball stars who openly acknowledged his Jewish faith. This combination of power and religion earned him the unforgettable nickname of “The Rabbi of Swat.” […]
When heckled by fans, the German-Americans in the stands would yell back “leave him alone, das ist unser Choe!” “Unser Choe” was German for “Our Joe,” pronounced in the dialect particular to Milwaukee. […]
It seemed like some crazed pulp magazine story, but it was really happening. The co-pilot was no match for the crazed passenger who now hammered on his body with ham-sized fists until he slumped to the cabin floor. Now nothing stood between him and the pilot. […]
He had been the best college pitcher in the nation, a player in the majors, a Tiger and a Cub, and featured in Life Magazine. Yet now, here he was back in the minors, about to bite the head off a parakeet… […]
This piece was originally written some 15 years ago. For those that wonder about my use of the number “21” in many of my illustrations and book titles, the answer is found here… […]
After surviving WWII, Eddie Waitkus resumed his baseball career only to be shot by a deranged fan. His shooting and recovery is believed to be the inspiration for Roy Hobbs in the book and film The Natural. […]
Why did Jimmy O’Connell admit to offering an opposing player $500 to throw a game? It’s possible that lessons learned in his childhood hold the answer to that question that has baffled baseball historians since 1924. […]