Today in 1964, the three-year-old National League expansion team, the Houston Colt .45s are about to move into their brand new home. The team will also change its name and the ballpark will carry that name too. After playing the first three seasons at Colt Stadium, which was made of bleachers stretching from foul pole…
I bumped into this Youtube video the other day. It is about the former ballpark in Meridian MS, Buckwalter Stadium. The ballpark was built in the 1930s and after several runs of the Cotton States League, it was left alone as nature slowly took over. Professional baseball was played in Meridian since 1905 for sure…
We Dutch like to refer to the Dutch heritage of baseball players in the US. You can think of Bert Blyleven or Reinie Wolters (both born in the Netherlands but learned the game in the USA). You can also think of Win Remmerswaal, who learned the game in his country of birth. But there is…
In today’s episode of Today in baseball, we pay attention to the very first trade in baseball. Today 133 years ago the Cincinnati Reds and the Saint Louis Browns were the first teams to do so. We write 1886, a time in which players were bought from other teams on a regular basis. But today,…
Today, 46 years ago, a decision by a hearing examiner for the New Jersey Civil Rights Division, will allow girls to play in Little League Baseball from now on. In 1972, Little League Baseball had ruled that a 12-year old girl, named Maria Pepe, was not allowed to play in Little League Baseball, a boys…
Today, 111 years ago, the baseball anthem was introduced. Take me out to the ballgame has been the immortal song that is played during every baseball game. According to the legend, the song was inspired by an advertising sign in the New York subway saying “Baseball Today – Polo Grounds.” The creators of the song, Albert…
During this time of the year, plenty of World Series items could be picked. I picked this one as I thought it was the most interesting. Today 127 years ago, on the last day of the regular season, a rookie pitcher went the distance and threw a no-hitter. Charles “Bumpus” Jones made his MLB debut…
Today, sixty-three years ago, Don Larsen accomplished what no-one had ever done before: pitching the first perfect game in World Series history. Game five was a pitchers duel from both sides. Not only did Don Larsen not allow a hit, his opponent, Sal Maglie, allowed only five hits and issued two walks as he gave…
In today’s episode, we pay attention to the Middle States League. This independent league lasted for a year (1889) and was rather unstable. The Middle States League was quite unique for its time as it was an integrated league. Three of the clubs that participated in the league were what would be called Negro League…
Today, 103 years ago, the fastest game in professional baseball was played. And all this because both teams had to catch their trains. On August 30, 1916, the Winston-Salem Twins and the Asheville Tourists played a nine-inning game at Riverside Park in just a bit more than half an hour, thirty-one minutes to be exact….
