When I think of Jim Thome, I picture a lefty slugger, taking up most of the batter’s box, with the biggest barreled bat I’ve ever seen. It seemed like Thome’s bat covered every part of the strike zone and he couldn’t possibly miss the ball. Maybe I picture this…
Of the thirty-three Hall of Famers I’ve had the privilege to see play in person, I saw Alan Trammell play the most. When I think of Alan Trammell, three things immediately pop into my mind: class, consistency, and professionalism. From 1977-1995 with Lou Whitaker, Alan Trammell was part of…
Some players are like shooting-stars, springing on the scene for a season or two and then disappearing into obscurity. Each generation of baseball seems to have a handful of such players: Lyman Bostock, J.R. Richard, Mark Fidrych, Bo Jackson, Dwight Golden, Mo Vaughn, Mark Prior, and Josh Hamilton are a few…
I was privileged to see Hank Greenberg’s final appearance at Tiger Stadium in Detroit. It was June 12, 1983 and the Tigers were retiring Hank Greenberg’s number 5 jersey and Charlie Gerhringer’s number 2 jersey. The ceremony was held at midfield between games of a doubleheader between the Tigers and…
Unless you’re a big Detroit Tigers fan, you might not know that there were two future Baseball Hall of Fame members on the 1968 World Series Championship team. Obviously, Al Kaline is one. The other was Eddie Mathews. Since it’s finally summer break, I’ve got some time to continue…
Perry Costello, one of the NCAA’s best umpires, says an umpire needs, “the courage and confidence” to make the difficult calls and do the right things when managing a baseball game. When the crowd is buzzing, the tension is palpable, and every play matters, an umpire’s focus, courage, and confidence…
Can you imagine the Los Angeles Mikes, or the Washington Bryces, or the Chicago Chriss? How about the New York Babes, or the Detroit Als, or the San Diego Tonys? It’d be strange. However, it wasn’t strange in the early 1900s. From 1903-1915, the Cleveland baseball club was know…
Even though he bet on baseball, lied about it for years, probably used corked bats, and committed tax evasion, I still like Pete Rose. He’s a terribly flawed, tragic hero. He’s the Oedipus of Major League Baseball history, who was blind to the truth for so long. The past…
Like most fathers who love baseball, I’ve tried to pass my love of the game to my children. I’m privileged to have one child, Viola, who we adopted from China in 2006. Though I can’t say she’s taken to the game like I did, she’s been a good sport…
If you wore a polka dot bow tie to work every day, people might have some opinions about you. If you were a Major League umpire, they might have even crazier thoughts. John Bertrand “Jocko” Conlan wore such a bow tie and made himself into a Hall of Fame…