Nick Altrock was arguably one of the best southpaws in baseball at one time, but a love for malt liquor, and a happy-go-lucky attitude, contributed to his increasing ineffectiveness. Several years after being the hero of the World Series, he found himself struggling in the Minors. Clark Griffith, owner/Manager of the Washington Senators, picked up […]
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*It should be noted that use of the Razzball Glossary is highly suggested in order to make any sense of the Title Heading of this article. It is likely that the development of Razzball’s own unique symbolic system may well create the long-term effect of the formation of a Greygambelian cult, but that is outside […]
Please, blog, may I have some more?It could be said that Mark Fidrych had the briefest, most spectacular pitching career in the history of baseball. He was 21 when he made the roster of the Detroit Tigers in 1976. He did not make his first start until May 15th that year, and then only because the starting pitcher was out with […]
Please, blog, may I have some more?Arlie Latham was one of the most colorful and biggest stars on Charley Comiskey’s rowdy St. Louis Brown squads of the 1880’s. There were no coaches back in baseball’s infancy; each player used to take turns coaching 1st and 3rd base. Arlie had a particular knack for the job; he used to run up and […]
Please, blog, may I have some more?There were scores of eccentrics, flakes, and colorful, picturesque characters in the history of the national pastime. However, none of them hold a candle to George “Rube” Waddell. His outlandish behavior is documented in countless stories, some of them no doubt susceptible to apocryphal exaggerations, but with the Rube, it was often difficult to discern fact […]
Please, blog, may I have some more?In a prior article posted in Razzball, “An Audacious Account of the Evolution of the Rules of Baseball,” I touched upon the various exploits of Michael “King” Kelly. However, some of Kelly’s antics were so outrageous, so entertaining, and his impact on the evolution of the game so profound, that I thought that he was […]
Please, blog, may I have some more?Most players answer questions yes or no. I end up with a two-page dissertation on the Coriolis effect on how the ball spins. I’m not putting people on. I’m telling the truth. But people consider me flaky. The word “sinister” comes from the Latin word for left-handed, you know. — Bill Lee, 1978 Bill Lee […]
Please, blog, may I have some more?About five weeks ago, Andrew L, one of the managers in our RCL League (The ECFBL), was perusing the names of some of the players chosen in the recent MLB draft. Dominating the headlines were Trevor Gretzky, the son of Wayne Gretzky, arguable the greatest player in the history of hockey, as well as Pudge […]
Please, blog, may I have some more?The date: October 14, 1908. The place: Bennet Field, Detroit. The event: Game 5 of the World Series. On that day, Orval Overall of the Chicago Cubs outpitched the Tigers’ ace Billy Donovan, winning the clinching game of the World Series 2-0. Overall allowed the Tigers just three hits and had a formidable ten Ks. […]
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An Audacious Account of the Evolution of the Rules of Baseball
May 23, 2011 | Y to Z | 48 Commentsby: Paulie Allnuts
According to baseball mythos, on a spring day in the year 1839, in the bucolic town of Cooperstown, New York, Abner Doubleday, who would later be a hero at the Battle of Gettysburg, sat down and composed the Rules of Baseball. He was said to have designed the diamond, indicated fielder positions, and wrote down […]
Please, blog, may I have some more? Baseball Flakes, Anecdotes and Other Oddities
April 21, 2011 | Y to Z | 43 Commentsby: Paulie Allnuts
Going back to the long-lost days of my youth, I have always been captivated by baseball lore and anecdotes. In one of the first books I devoured on the subject listed the players that were found worthy of enshrinement in the Hall of Fame. I was fascinated by this list, reading over and over again […]
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