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On August 6th, 1967, against Chicago White Sox, future, Hall-of-Famer Brooks Robinson hit into the fourth triple play of his career for a major league record. Yesterday ClimbingSky featured a bad day by an obscure rookie named, ironically Sam Hope. Today we feature one by The Greatest Third Baseman of All Time, Brooks Robinson (pictured above… Read more
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On August 5th, 1907, Philadelphia Athletic Sam Hope pitched in his first. Major League game. In one third of an inning, he gave up 3 hits and one unearned run. He never pitched in another Major League game. Sometimes for Major League prospects, a “cup of coffee” only lost a few minutes. For Sam Hope… Read more
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HE WAS SITTING ON HIS HEELS IN THE COLD LIGHT of the dawn, drawing pale flames through a handful of twigs and dry crushed grass. Beside him was his source of fuel: a degenerate juniper tree, shriveled and twisted, cringing over its bed of lava rock and sand. An under-privileged juniper tree, living not on… Read more
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For a brief period early in my life, I preached a Sunday sermon. When I left that vocation behind, I could not imagine ever wanting to write a “sermon” again. The current times have changed all that. In the face of Post-Truth, Donald Trump, FoxNews, and the intentional de-semination of un-Truth, the best defense we have to redeem ourselves… Read more
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On August 2nd, 1990, Yankees rookie Kevin Maas hit his tenth home run in just 77 at bats, the fastest any player had ever reached that mark. But the Yanks lost to Detroit 6-5 in 11 innings. In Mid-Summer of 1990, Kevin Maas was the talk of New York and of Fantasy and Rotisserie Baseball owners everywhere.… Read more
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It is discouraging to talk with men who will recognize no principles. How little use is made of reason in this world! You argue with a man for an hour, he agrees with you step by step, you are approaching a triumphant conclusion, you think that you have converted him; but ah, no, he has… Read more
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Throwback Thursdays” at ClimbingSky feature posts I wrote over a 15 year period for various blogs. This was first posted on July 31, 2011. Here in the North Country, the climatological pendulum we live under has reached the longest and hottest end of its summer arc. Our minds are on things of summer: cold beer,… Read more
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On July 30th, 1959, future Hall-of-Famer Willie McCovey had four hits in four at-bats in his Major League debut with the San Francisco Giants. He had two triples in a 7-2 win over Philadelphia. When I think of Willie McCovey, I always think of my father. When I was a kid and I would say something… Read more
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On July 29th, 1955, Smoky Burgess of the Cincinnati Reds hit three home runs and drove in nine runs in a 16-5 rout of the Pittsburgh Pirates at Crosley Field. “Smoky Burgess did not possess the physique of a Greek god, nor even that of the average major leaguer. Standing in at a pudgy 5’8”, Burgess… Read more
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In the joint at the corner I had coffee and eggs and looked at the papers. One of them was the tabloid I had telephoned the day before. When I picked it up, I felt a sudden, lunging fear. But there was no banner headline. I got brave and turned to the inside. (cf. Dewey,… Read more
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