Best story I've read about the Ruth mythical "called shot" at the end of Charlie Root bio:
http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/story/2007/2/5/53715/64041
It's like this, the Cubs had fucked my old teammate Mark Koenig by cutting him for only a measly fuckin' half share of the Series money. Well, I'm riding the fuck out of the Cubs, telling `em they're the cheapest pack of fuckin' crumbums in the world. We've won the first two and now we're in Chicago for the third game. Root is the Cubs' pitcher. I pack one into the stands in the first inning, but in the fifth it's tied, four-to-four, when I'm up with nobody on. The Chicago fans are giving me hell.
Root's still in there. He breezes the first two pitches by -- both strikes! The mob's tearing down Wrigley Field. I shake my fist after that first strike. After the second I point my bat at these bellerin' bleachers -- right where I aim to park that ball. Root throws it and I hit that fuckin' ball on the nose, right over the fence for two fuckin' runs.
"How do you like those apples, you fuckin' bastard?" I yell at Root as I run towards first. By the time I reach home I'm almost fallin' down I'm laughing so fuckin' hard -- and that's how it happened.
― Dr Morbius, Friday, 19 October 2007 20:53 (eighteen years ago)
I guess he really is the Babe -- he managed a 2-run shot with nobody on!
― Leee, Friday, 19 October 2007 21:11 (eighteen years ago)
In 1938, a couple of pro catchers nabbed balls tossed from atop a 700-foot Cleveland skyscraper after watching the first few rebound 13 stories off the pavement.
The following year, playing top this, San Francisco Seal catcher Joe Sprinz stood with mitted hand beneath a blimp 800 feet up. One dropped ball smashed into bleachers; another pounded into the turf.
Then Sprinz got under one and wished he hadn't: the downplunging orb slammed into his glove and shoved it back into his face, breaking five teeth and fracturing his jaw. And the ball got away.
― bnw, Friday, 19 October 2007 21:26 (eighteen years ago)
well, I'm sure the Babe was drunk at that dinner.
― Dr Morbius, Friday, 19 October 2007 22:14 (eighteen years ago)
Oh man, I'm so gonna make an attempt to use "crumbum" in daily conversation.
― Belisarius, Saturday, 20 October 2007 00:16 (eighteen years ago)
morbs tell us some stories about the dead ball era. what were the grandstands like?
― sanskrit, Saturday, 20 October 2007 00:31 (eighteen years ago)
I heard the pitcher mounds were as tall as haystacks.
― brownie, Saturday, 20 October 2007 02:13 (eighteen years ago)
they were splintery and crusted with tobacky juice.
― Dr Morbius, Saturday, 20 October 2007 16:01 (eighteen years ago)
ken keltner was one of the catchers. my grandfather got into a bar brawl with him!
― lauren, Saturday, 20 October 2007 21:53 (eighteen years ago)
not quite a tale of yore, but
Black Sox archive suddenly surfaces!
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-blacksox_bd25nov25,0,3236718.story?coll=chi_news_politics_promo
― Dr Morbius, Thursday, 29 November 2007 22:29 (eighteen years ago)
http://s210975194.onlinehome.us/blog/?p=41
Items of historical significance can take many forms. We have always gone out of our way to stay away from items that we think are in poor taste or off-color. We also try our best to seize opportunities to document the history of the game and its relationship to American culture.
Which brings us to a recent dilemma encountered by our office this past week.
We were minding our own business, writing up lots, when a delivery arrived with a few odds and ends from the estate of baseball historian Al Kermisch. Almost all of his collection of circa 1900 era Baltimore baseball related memorabilia had already been sold in the May 2007 REA auction. A few additional interesting odds and ends were found for us to look at for potential auction. Among the items was the 1898 document pictured above, entitled “Special Instructions To Players,” regarding the use of obscene language by players at the ballpark, to intimidate umpires and opposing players, and to verbally battle with unfriendly fans.
http://s210975194.onlinehome.us/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/05567.JPG
― omar little, Wednesday, 5 December 2007 00:28 (eighteen years ago)
http://s210975194.onlinehome.us/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/05567c1.JPG
66 years ago today, the pirates swept a doubleheader against the boston braves.
pirates won game one 4-3 in 13 innings. braves starter johnny sain and bucs starter kirby higbe both went the distance. ralph kiner was 3-for-6 with a solo homer.
pirates won game two 10-8. ralph kiner homered three times and drove in six.
hank greenberg was 1-for-7 with three walks in the doubleheader. he only played seven more games in his career.
― mookieproof, Wednesday, 11 September 2013 21:45 (twelve years ago)
100 years ago today MLB bought out the upstart federal league. the owners of the baltimore terrapins were unsatisfied with their compensation and sued; the supreme court ruling against them was the origin of baseball's antitrust exemption.
― mookieproof, Tuesday, 22 December 2015 23:12 (ten years ago)