Frank “Home Run” Baker tied for the American League lead in homeruns in 1914. He hit 9.
Happy B-day, Aaron Boone!
March 9, 2010 3 Comments
On this day 36 years ago, former Yankee infielder Aaron Boone was born in La Mesa, California.
Boone will always be remembered by Yankee fans for his walk-off homerun to clinch the ‘03 ALCS versus Boston. Aaron led off the bottom of the 11th inning with the game tied 2-2 in a real nailbiter. He launched the first offering from wiley knuckleballer Tim Wakefield into the left field seats, sending the home crowd into mania and the team to the World Series.
Aaron was born into a baseball family. Grandfather Ray Boone (d. Oct. 17, 2004) was an infielder with Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago (he was traded there in a move that included Red Sox mgr. Terry Francona’s father Tito), Milwaukee, Kansas City, and finally Boston. His 2-time All Star career spanned from 1948 to… (more…)
Happy B-day, Myril Hoag!
March 9, 2010 Leave a Comment
On this day in 1908, Myril Hoag (d. July 28, 1971) was born in Davis, California.
Hoag came up with the Yankees in 1931 after an outstanding season in the Pacific Coast League, where he batted .337. An excellent article in Baseball in Wartime perfectly defines his career with the Yanks:
Hoag failed to live up to the hype his first two years with the Yankees and saw only limited duty as a back-up outfielder. He was back in the minors in 1933 playing a full season with Newark of the International League before returning to New York in 1934.
Hoag remained in a utility role with the Yankees and suffered serious head injuries when a collision in the outfield with Joe DiMaggio resulted in brain surgery. However,… (more…)
Happy Birthday, Babe Ruth!
February 6, 2010 Leave a Comment
Happy 115th Birthday to the Sultan of Swat, the Bambino, the great #3 …George Herman “Babe” Ruth!
Some selected reading:
Official Site
“The only real game, I think, in the world is baseball.”
Quotes from the Baseball Almanac
“Don’t ever forget two things I am going to tell you. One, don’t believe everything that’s written about you. Two, don’t pick up too many checks.”
Stats from Baseball Reference
162 game average: .342/.474/.690, 46/143
The Moneyballin’ Press, circa 1932
“Many rumors concerning the likely salary Babe Ruth will draw with the New York Yankees in 1933 are floating around Gotham, but neither the Bambino nor Col Jacob Ruppert, the club owner, has intimated what the figure might be.”
“To hell with… (more…)
Happy Birthday, Major League Baseball; William Hulbert, In Memorium
February 2, 2010 554 Comments
You won’t find his name on MLB.com in a blustery article, and you won’t find today’s date mentioned in any major baseball article today. Bud Selig won’t designate a day to honor his memory. He was overlooked for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame until an act of the veteran’s committee in 1995 recognized him, ignored by Cooperstown for 113 years even though he was born two miles away in Burlington Flats, NY. “Major League Baseball” would not exist in its current form without his contribution. On February 2nd, 1876, in New York City, William Hulbert, of what would become the Chicago Cubs, called together the principle owners of the seminal baseball clubs in order to form what would become the National League.
Hulbert established the central… (more…)
