May 2025
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“A crime disturbs the status quo; we readers get to enjoy the transgressive thrill, then observe approvingly as the detective, agent of social order, sets things right at the end. We finish our coca and tuck ourselves in, safe and sound….But what this theory fails to take into account is the next book, the next Read more
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“Throwback Thursdays” at ClimbingSky feature posts I wrote over 15 year period for various blogs. This was first posted on March 23, 2020. There are good books and there are great books and there may be a book that is something still more: it is the book of your life. If you’re quite lucky, you Read more
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On May 7th, 1960, Dodger legend Carl Furillo played his last Major League game. He went 1 for 1 vs. the Phillies. Carl Furillo came up as a rookie with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1946. This was a year before Jackie Robinson joined the Dodgers to break the Color Barrier. Having been born in a Read more
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On May 6th, 1953, Bobo Holloman of the St. Louis Browns pitched a 6-0 no-hitter against the Philadelphia Athletics in his first major league start. He never pitched another complete game in the majors. Born Alva Lee Holoman, “Bobo” Holloman was the first rookie in MLB history to throw a no-hitter in his first start. Only Read more
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I woke the next morning, Friday, with about two hours’ total sleep during the preceding night. My stomach was jerky, and I nicked myself while shaving. I had a cup of coffee for breakfast. I walked around the block twice, waiting for the hardware store to open. Inside, I had the bank deposit prepared in Read more
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On May 4th, 1982, Twins rookie outfielder Jim Eisenreich (Pride of St. Cloud), who suffers from the nervous disorder Tourette’s Syndrome, is forced to remove himself from a 5-3 loss to the Red Sox when he is taunted mercilessly by bleacher fans and his violent twitching becomes uncontrollable. Eisenreich, hitting .310 after making the jump from Read more
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On May 3rd, 1986, Cubs third baseman Ron Cey hit his 300th and 301st home runs and Chicago scores four times in the top of the ninth to beat San Francisco 6-5. Ron Cey played for three teams that are close to my heart: He also played for one team that I have always been ambivalent about: Read more
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“If somebody came up and hit .450, stole 100 bases, and performed a miracle in the field everyday I’d still look you in the eye and say Willie was better. He could do the five things you have to do to be a superstar: hit, hit with power, run, throw and field. And he had Read more
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On May 1st, 1991, Rickey Henderson surpassed Lou Brock as baseball’s career stolen base leader with his 939th steal as the Oakland Athletics beat the New York Yankees 7-4. I have written a lot about Rickey here because he deserves it. He was that great. Rickey got a bad rap when he broke Lou Brock’s record for Stolen Read more
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