Ron Kaplan's Baseball Bookshelf
If it fits on a bookshelf, it fits here.
From the category archives:
Amazing where you’ll find empty bags from chips and whatnot. Wise Cheese Doodles, for example, right there on the bookshelf. Next to the bottle of Sprite. Sorry, honey. I’ll take care of that right away. I only got it because Jose Reyes is on the bag. (The depiction of Reyes is horrible (right), yet I […]
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It may not have the same resonance as Yankee Stadium. It may even be a pit. But people seem to forget that Shea Stadium is closing, too. And the Yankees would do well to remember that they were guests there while their own “House” was being put back in order. Shea Stadium (NY) (Images of […]
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Duke Magazine published this profile on Bill Werber, at 100 the oldest living ex-major leaguer, in its Sept./Oct. issue. He wrote about his experiences a few years ago in Memories of a Ballplayer: Bill Werber and Baseball in the 1930s. In yesterday’s Yankees-Orioles game, Emilio Navarro, who turns 103 on Sept. 26, threw out the […]
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He becomes the answer to the trivia question, who hit the 250,000th home run in the majors? Milestone Home Runs, compiled by Baseball-Reference.com 1. 1876-05-02 Ross Barnes (CHC) off Cherokee Fisher (CIN) in 5th inning 100. 1879-06-17 Charley Jones (BSN) off Will White (CIN) in 1st inning *1,000. 1884-07-04 Ned Williamson (CHC) off John Coleman […]
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Congratulations, Mrs. Cassel. You must be very proud of your boys.
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but in this case, I’ll make an exception.
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And a bargain at less than $12,000.
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September can be a happy or bittersweet month. For the minor league call-ups, this might be the start of a major league career or a mere cup of coffee. For those who have been in the game a long while, it might mark the end of their time in the bigs. Among those who made […]
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From a recent NY Times Sunday travel section, this detailed critique of ballpark food. Fans are no doubt aware of the improvement and expansion of available cuisine. The article links to a an interactive map of major league locales with suggestions on what to eat and what to avoid.
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Came across this item from the People magazine on Mickey Mantle archives and thought I’d pass it along. Although I fancy myself as a very low-end collector, I’m surprised I don;t have this among my souvenirs/ I have several newspapers from when Joe DiMaggio died, as well as Cal Ripken’s end-of-streak game, but not much […]
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Every now and again we have someone who brings up the question: Did Babe Ruth actually “call” his home run in the 1932 World Series against the Chicago Cubs? Many say no, some, like this gentleman, swear he did. Who’s to say? Grainy film of the event make it difficult to tell with absolute certainty. […]
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Aug. 30 is a red letter day for the game, so I’m combining several elements: Happy birthday: Ted Williams, aka, The Splendid Splinter (Nickname of the Day), was born this date in 1918. Welcome to the Big Leagues: Ty Cobb (1905) and Keith Hernandez (1974) began their storied careers on Aug. 30. Fare thee well: […]
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VH1 used to run a program called “Pop Up Videos,” where they would “balloon in” factoids about the hot musical numbers of the day. ESPN The Magazine does something similar in print with “Take Me Out to The Ball Game,” which celebrates its centennial this year. The piece features the two main versions, written in […]
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Baldy Louden, a .261 hitter who played in the AL, NL, and Federal Leagues, was born this date in 1883.
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Choo Choo Coleman, born on this date in 1937, batted .197 in a four-year career spent mostly with the Mets. Interviewed by Ralph Kiner for a postgame show after a rare Mets victory in 1962, Kiner asked Coleman, “Choo Choo — that’s a unique nickname for a ball player. Why do they call you that?” […]
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What a Marvel-ous idea. The comic book company has created individual publications for several minor league franchises.
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Jewel Ens, manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1929-1931 (176-167) was born this date in 1889. Wheezer Dell, who pitched for four season for the Cardinals (1912) and Dodgers (1915-17), died this date in 1950. He had a record of 19-23 in 92 games.
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Charles Frederick King pitched for several teams from 1886-97 (10 seasons), compiling a record of 203-154 and completing 328 out of 370 game starts, back in the day when men were men. During a four year span, King averaged over 32 wins per.
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No, not a stripper, but an outfielder/first baseman who played for several teams at the turn of the 20th century. he died on this date in 1932. Bonus Candy: Candy Cummings, credited with “inventing” the curveball, played in his last game on this date in 1877.
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is available on Amazon.com,
In a former life, I was the sports and features editor for a weekly New Jersey newspaper, where I hosted an award-winning bog about Jews and Sports.
I did a profile piece on the legendary cartoonist Arnold Roth and he was very generous in immortalizing me in this caricature.
My article on Sandy Koufax in the 1965 World Series appears in
My article on the later biographies of Babe Ruth appears in
My article on the Mets’ 1969 postseason appears in
Profiles of several Jewish baseball figures appear in
