BASEBALL
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On July 20th, 1925, Brooklyn’s Dazzy Vance struck out 17 Cubs’ batters. The Dodgers beat Chicago 4-3 in 10 innings. What has happened to all the great baseball nicknames players used to have? Names like Dizzy, Dazzy, or Babe? My childhood team, the Oakland A’s, had an owner who loved nicknames, thought it was good for business… Read more
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It is customary at All-Star Break time for front offices, sports writers, and fans alike to take some time to assess their clubs. At a little over half-way through the 162-game schedule, what do we know about our teams’ strengths and weakness? What pieces could be added (if the team is still in the playoff… Read more
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Marianne Moore throwing out the first pitch 1968 Marianne Moore was a voracious reader. This encyclopedic nature of hers is at the heart of why she is a difficult poet. She brings more to a poem than any other poet I can think of and hence asks more of her readers than any other poet.… Read more
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On July 14th in 1967 and 1968, two different players went into the history books by hitting their 500th Major League homer. In 1967, Eddie Mathews of the Astros hit his 500th home run off San Francisco’s Juan Marichal at Candlestick Park helping the Houston defeat San Francisco 8-6. Then exactly a year later, in 1968, Hank Aaron got… Read more
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On July 13th, 1993, Minnesota Twins great Kirby Puckett homered and doubled in the 1993 All-Star Game at Camden Yards in Baltimore. Kirby was awarded the MVP award as the American League defeated the National League 9-3. I was lucky enough to move to the Twin Cities and to begin going to Twins games regularly in… Read more
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Some of the best baseball books are autobiographical. This is because baseball is the most measurable of games. We can look at a player’s statistics and the box scores of games and know the bones of the sport. The flesh of the sport is in autobiography. The Boys of Summer by Roger Kahn is two… Read more
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Anyone who knows me knows that I always wear hats. While some people are obsessed with shoes or concert t-shirts, for me it has always been hats. Especially baseball caps. I am always on the look out for a new hat. My newest hat, purchased for my upcoming trip at the beginning of next month… Read more
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On July 10th, 1968, The National league announced that it planned to break into two divisions for 1969. The Eastern Division would include the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Montreal Expos, Chicago Cubs, and St. Louis Cardinals. The Western Division would include the Los Angeles Dodges, San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds,… Read more
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On July 9th, 1986, Atlanta’s Dale Murphy ended his consecutive-game streak at 740 and does not play in the Braves 7-3 win over the Phillies. Murphy hadn’t missed a game since September 1981. Dale Murphy, who won back to back National League MVP awards in 1982 & 1983, is still not in the Baseball Hall of Fame.… Read more
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On July 8th, 1997, Cleveland catcher Sandy Alomar, Jr., slammed a two-run home run in front of the hometown crowd at Jacobs Field to give American League a 3-1 win in the All-Star Game. Alomar, who had a 30-game hitting streak to end the first half of the season, is named the game’s MVP for… Read more
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