Today thirty-nine years ago, a 20-year old Mexican rookie made a spot start for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Opening Day. The kid would pitch a complete game shutout, limiting the Houston Astros to five hits, as he walked two and struck out five. This would be the start of what was called Fernandomania. The…
Today, it is 51 years ago that the Seattle Pilots debuted in Major League Baseball. As a result, I repost this blogpost I posted in 2014 originally. Seattle always had been one of the cornerstones of the Pacific Coast League with its team the Seattle Rainiers. In 1964 the Cleveland Indians considered a move to…
The balk. An illegal move by a pitcher on the mound that allows runners to move up a base without having to run for it. What are the most famous balks, when was the rule introduced and where does the word “balk” come from? The balk rule was introduced in MLB in 1898. It stated…
In this edition of Baseball Shorts, we pay attention to the bat flip. A phenom that is loved by many but perhaps even hated by more. Especially pitchers are not fond of it. But where does the bat flip come from? Read on and you will learn. As a bat flip is considered an insult…
The term Chinese Home run may be a bit derogatory. It is a home run that barely clears the outfield fence at the closest possible spot from home plate. Other terms with the same meaning are Chinese homer, Harlem Homerun or Pekinese Poke. The term was mainly used when someone hit a home run on…
The Golden Sombrero, a term for striking out four times in a game. Of course, it is all good fun but it is a questionable honor a player rather likes to avoid. How did the term get involved in baseball and since when it is used? Read on and you will find out. With hockey…
In the US, there is a saying “Out of Left Field” which means strange, odd or unexpected. It is clear the origin can be traced back to baseball. But there are several explanations for the origin of the saying. When it comes to the meaning “unexpected”, the following explanation makes a lot of sense. It…
One of the most underrated hitting techniques in baseball is the bunt. If executed right, it can be a formidable weapon against a dominating pitcher. The bunt came into fashion when it, according to the legend, was invented by Henry Chadwick, the player-manager of the Cincinnati Ballclub. But how did the short hit got its…
No other term is linked more to the Baltimore Orioles of the old days and to the Deadball Era than the Baltimore Chop. This batting technique was refined by the Baltimore Orioles of the 1890s. In the Deadball Era, a period in which runs were not scored by a lot of home runs, every team…
Today, 67 years ago, six MLB owners but two voted against Bill Veeck’s plan to move the ailing St. Louis Browns to Baltimore. This signaled the end of Veeck as the owner of the St. Louis Browns. Through the decades, the St. Louis Browns served as the doormat of the American League. In the 51…
