In this episode of “Baseball Shorts” we talk about that one minor league player that was traded for a bus, even though that story is more an urban legend than it is completely true. The player we are talking about is Charley Pride, best known for his singing career. But during his baseball days, he…
This episode of “Baseball Shorts” is about the best baseball related experience I had myself during the 1996 World Series. Not really about the game itself, but something at the street in my hometown Amsterdam. Back in October 1996, I was out of work for a short period. Just during the World Series, where my…
In this episode of “Baseball Shorts” we are dealing with a story of how a Texas League game was cut short because of livestock. It all happened on Juy 28, 1888 in a Texas League (back then an independent league) in Austin where the Senators hosted the game. All of a sudden, a wild bull…
A final blog post about my Japan trip. On our way back to the Netherlands, I experienced something that made me realize once again how proud Japanese baseball fans are of their teams. On the final (travel) day of our trip to Japan, my wife needed assistance since she is chronically fatigued. An older gentleman…
In this episode we pay attention to the Wheel Play. Experts will know what this is about. Read on and you will learn what the term exactly means. A wheel play is part of a defensive play when the opponent lays down a bunt with runners on base. When the ball is bunted to the…
I bet every MiLB fan has seen the cap below. It is one of the alternate caps of the Jersey Shore Blue Claws. In this blog post I give my take on of what I think the cap stands for. Before the 2021 season, the club was called Lakewood Blue Claws. But in 2021, the…
When baseball rules were translated into Dutch, one rule about pitching was lost in translation. It took forty-six years before this mistake was discovered. Read on and you learn about how. In the Netherlands, Baseball is played since 1908. In those days there wasn’t a regular competition yet. Even though the sport was introduced in…
In today’s episode of “Baseball Shorts” we pay attention to an alternative term of doctored balls or scuffed balls. Emery is a kind of sandpaper-like tool used to smoothen wood. In the early 20th century, it was also used by pitchers to roughen up balls. When such a ball is pitched, the scuffed side will…
In this episode of “Baseball Shorts,” we pay attention to the Albuquerque Isotopes and how they got their name. No doubt, several will know this already, but this is for those who don’t know. After the Albuquerque Dukes left town after the 2000 season, it took three seasons before the Duke City got another Pacific…
In today’s very short episode of “Baseball Shorts,” we pay attention to the term “portside.” What does it mean and where does it come from? Read on and learn. Portsider is a rather uncommon term in baseball. The word is used for a left handed pitcher, a.k.a. southpaw. But where does the term come from?…
