sports
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Besides the Yankees, the other teams that I can never root for in any sport are teams I think of as mere “Expansion Teams.” I put Expansion Teams in quotes because I am well aware that my definition of what makes a team an “Expansion Team” is peculiarly personal and completely and wholly subjective. Let Read more
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Spring has made its way to the North Country and the baseball season starts in less than 2 weeks. Everything is right with the world. Each morning I open the sports page of the StarTribune hoping to read about spring training. Inevitably there is more coverage of the Minnesota Vikings and the NFL. Don’t get Read more
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On September 15th, 1902, at West Side Grounds Chicago’s infield combo of Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, and Frank Chance pulled off their first double play to back up Carl Lundgren’s 6 – 3 win over the Reds. These are the saddest of possible words:“Tinker to Evers to Chance..” With the possible exception of Lawrence Thayer’s Read more
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One of the advanced stats that you hear most often referred to these days is one called Wins Above Replacement, which is commonly abbreviated as WAR. I have spent a fair amount of time trying to understand and appreciate this stat. Many of the podcasts, articles, and books I read regularly rely heavily on this Read more
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On September 12th, 1979, future Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox collected his 3,000th hit against Jim Beattie during a 9-2 win over the rival New York Yankees. In 1967, Carl Yastrzemski had one of the best seasons anyone has ever had in the history of baseball. He won the Triple Crown, leading the league Read more
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On September 11, 1985, at Riverfront Stadium in front of 47,237 hometown fans, Reds’ player-manager Pete Rose collected his 4,192nd career hit to pass Ty Cobb. Cobb had actually had his last at bat on the same date 57 years earlier. With his 4,191st hit, Rose became the all-time major league hit leader. Pete Rose Read more
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On September 10th, 1963, Roberto Clemente provided a 420-foot footnote to a Sandy Koufax masterpiece. Roberto’s fourth career home run off Sandy is a typical Clemente clout off an atypical Koufax offering. “Koufax threw 133 pitches,” notes columnist Jim Murray. “3 were sliders, a pitch the Pirates didn’t know Sandy had picked up in the last ten days. Roberto Clemente Read more
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On September 8th, 1965, Bert Campaneris of the Kansas City A’s became the first major leaguer to play all nine positions in a game. Campy accomplished the unusual feat, which was prompted by A’s’ owner Charlie Finley, during a 5-3 loss to the California Angels. Usually a shortstop, Campy caught the ninth inning and was Read more
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On August 18th, 1902, The first unassisted triple play ever in a professional game was executed by first baseman Hal O’Hagan, of the Rochester Bronchos (Eastern League) against Jersey City. There have been only 15 Unassisted Triple plays in the history of Major League Baseball: The most famous of these rare events, of course, is the one Wabbsganss pulled of during Read more
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