ClimbingSky

Why Baseball, Books, and the Grateful Dead matter


BASEBALL

  • Midsummer

    Next week is the Midsummer Classic, otherwise known as the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. The only other use of the term midsummer that comes readily to my mind is Shakespearian, A Midsummers Night Dream. In my mind that seems quite appropriate. I must confess that I often wonder about those who do not like Read more

  • On July 2nd, 1963, at 12:31 A.M. in San Francisco, Willie Mays homered off Warren Spahn in the bottom of the 16th inning to give Juan Marichal a 1-0 victory in the National League’s longest game ended by a home run In 1963, my family lived in Santa Cruz, California. On the night of July 2nd when the Giants were playing Read more

  • Van Meter, Iowa

    On July 1st, 1951, Bob Feller pitched the third no-hitter of his career, tying the record of Cy Young and Larry Corcoran, as he beat Detroit’s Bob Cain 2-1. Hall of Famer Bob Feller began pitching in the Major Leagues for Cleveland while still a high school student in Van Meter, Iowa. He was considered one of the hardest throwers of Read more

  • Mark McGwire

    On June 28th, 1987, Mark McGwire homered twice to tie a Major League record with five homers over two games as the OAKLAND Athletics beat Cleveland, 10-0. Mark McGwire won the 1987 American League Rookie of Year vote when he hit 49 HR. Born to hit homers (he hit 583 HR in his 16 year Read more

  • The First One

    On June 24th, 1979, Rickey Henderson made his major-league debut for Oakland in a 5-1 loss to Texas in the first game of a doubleheader. Henderson had a single and double in four at-bats and stole the first base of his big-league career. If you have ever watched a game when a rookie gets his Read more

  • “Scrappy” Moore

    On June 21st, 1917, “Scrappy” Moore, played his first Major League game for the St. Louis Browns vs. the Detroit Tigers. William Allen “Scrappy” Moore was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1892. He pinch hit and played 3B in a total of 4 major leagues games in his career, all in 1917. He also Read more

  • On June 18th, 1976, Commissioner Bowie Kuhn voided the A’s sales, totaling $3.5 million, of Joe Rudi and Rollie Fingers to the Red Sox and Vida Blue to the Yankees, saying they were ‘not in the best interest of baseball.’ A’s owner Charlie Finley filed a $10 million damage suit against Kuhn, and would refuse Read more

  • Nolan Ryan

    On June 11th, 1990, the ageless Nolan Ryan pitched his unprecedented sixth career no-hitter, striking out 14 batters in a 5-0 win over the A’s. He became the first to pitch a no-hitter for three different teams, and the first to throw a no-hitter in three different decades. Those of us who watch sports know that some Read more

  • Joe Nuxhall

    On June 10th, 1944, pitcher Joe Nuxhall of the Cincinnati Reds became the youngest player in major-league history. Nuxhall, only 15 years, ten months old, pitched one-third of an inning in an 18-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. He managed to give up five walks and two hits before manager Bill McKechnie took him out. I am not Read more

  • Carlos Correa

    On June 8th, 2015, Carlos Correa played in his first Major League Baseball game. Since shortstop Carlos Correa plays currently for my local nine, the Minnesota Twins, I get to see him play regularly. When he and Byron Buxton are healthy, I don’t think there is a better shortstop-centerfielder combination in the game. Correa has Read more