From the category archives:

“Ripped from today’s headlines…”

Lest we forget: Tim McCarver

February 16, 2023

I have a soft spot for players with extra longevity. Tim McCarver enjoyed a 21-year career. And while others have been around longer, he managed to do it over four decades, so extra points. Sadly, he passed away today at the age of 81. McCarver began his career as a 17-year-old (!) with the St. […]

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Wondering how the new rule changes will change the rule book itself. This article from MLB.com makes them seem more complicated than I originally thought. These include: The pitch clock, which not only applies to the pitcher apparently, but the hitter as well who has to be in the batter’s box within a certain time […]

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Lest we forget: Jane Gross

November 14, 2022

The pioneering journalist broke barriers when it came to women entering the locker room. Gross passed away Nov. 9 at the age of 75. In the obituary from The New York Times, Richard Sandomir wrote,” In 2018, when she received an award from the Association for Women in Sports Media, Ms. Gross recalled the indignities she […]

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A reminder: The Amazon rankings are updated every hour, so these lists might not be 100 percent accurate by the time you read them (or even by the time I finish posting them). But close enough for government work, as the saying goes. In addition, occasionally the powers-that-be over there try to pull a fast […]

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There is little that I can offer that would be as eloquent as what others have said and written about the legendary broadcaster who passed away Tuesday at the age of 94. From what I know, Scully was a modest person and a real mensch. He declined to tell his own story and was almost […]

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The softball legend who once struck out Ted Williams in an exhibition appearance, died March 26 at the age of 81. Unfortunately, no video exists for that event. Today it would be all over the internet. According to the obituary in today’s New York Times, For 10 to 15 minutes, Williams, a left-handed hitter, swung […]

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Enough already

October 26, 2021

Not unusual to have a think piece about the state of baseball during the lull between the end of the LCS and World Series. Nor is it unusual for the “sky is falling” stories about how the sport is losing relevance, especially among African-Americans. So here’s this year’s model, penned by David Waldstein in yesterday’s […]

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Lest We Forget: Arnold Hano

October 26, 2021

The long-time sportswriter and the first author to focus on a single-game analysis passed away Sunday at the ripe old age of 99. I had interviewed Arnold Hano back in 2012 to discuss A Day in the Bleachers, a classic about the 1954 World Series between the New York Giants and Cleveland Indians. It would […]

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Historical Times

October 24, 2021

The New York Times Book Review section celebrates its 125th anniversary this year. As could be expected, they gathered some of the most influential books over the decades, including classics such as The Bell Jar, Ulysses, Roots, The Road, and How to Win Friends and Influence People. With the millions of books that have been […]

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No, not Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. But the “Shot heard ’round the world,” the game that regularly brings up “The Giants win the pennant” call. The game that forever link the names Thomson and Branca a generation before Wilson and Buckner.   I was reminded of the platinum anniversary by a piece in […]

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Are you kidding me? I only heard about this today, even though Sutton, a 300-game winner and Hall of Famer, passed away Monday at the age of 75. Here’s his obituary from the Los Angeles Times by Bill Shaikin. As Richard Sandomir’s notes in his obit in The New York Times, this makes nine Hall […]

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Lest we forget: Phil Niekro

December 29, 2020

Will this year ever end? We lost yet another baseball great: Phil Niekro, the ageless knuckleballer, died December 26 at the age of 81. Here’s the obituary from The New York Times by Richard Goldstein, as well as an appreciation by Tyler Kepner. And here’s one from the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Niekro had a record […]

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According to a translation site, the header above (pronounced “fushigina hōkō e korogaru”) is the Japanese equivalent of “down the rabbit hole,” which is where I fell after finding a story about Shinji Mizushima, “author of the popular Japanese ‘Dokaben‘ baseball manga series, [who] decided to end his career as a manga artist Tuesday, his […]

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Note: The Amazon rankings are updated every hour, so these lists might not be 100 percent accurate by the time you read them (or even by the time I finish writing one). But close enough for government work, as the saying goes. In addition, occasionally the powers-that-be over there try to pull a fast one […]

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A library unto itself

July 15, 2020

The Pandemic Baseball Book Club has just announced a giveaway contest with il premio di tutti i premi. (That’s “the prize of all prizes” for you non-Italian speakers out there. Yes, I’m pretentious.) Just posted on Facebook today so I thought I would share it. The lucky winner of “The Pandemic Baseball Book Club Grand […]

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A song for our time

July 8, 2020

Still unsure of what lies ahead for the 2020 season. All it takes is for one team to explode with cases of Covid-19. God forbid it ever comes to this. So on that happy note, humbly submitted for your amusement.  

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Missed over the holiday weekend: the passing of the talented Mr. Wheeler, a writer who assisted on the autobiographies of superstars like Hank Aaron, Bob Gibson, and Mike Piazza, as well as his own thought-provoking work. Here’s The New York Times‘ obituary, contributed by Richard Sandomir. I had the pleasure of talking with Wheeler for […]

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Words cannot express the sadness at the passing of the comedy legend (and long-time Dodgers fan). We shall not see his kind again.

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From the San Jose Mercury News on the day after the anniversary of the event… “Oops! ‘Jeopardy’ contestant thinks Babe Ruth broke baseball’s color line.” “Jeopardy” is in the middle of its annual “College Tournament” and we’re getting the feeling that some of these kids need to be hitting their history books a little bit […]

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One of my favorite character actors (Silverado, being my go-to villain role of his), Brian Dennehy has died at the age of 81. Baseball connections: Dennehy played the put-upon manager, John Schiffner, in the so-so Summer Catch (2001). He was also the voice of Babe Ruth in the animated kids’ movie, Everyone’s Hero (2006). And “Pop” […]

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