‘Mancation’ In Cincinnati
Two months ago I told you about my "Mancation" (men only, we visit different cities, check out a ballgame and the shuls, etc.).
Reflections On A Pair Of Detroit Favorites
Detroit is in mourning.
The most popular sports figure around these parts will no longer be wearing a Detroit Tigers uniform.
New York Visit: Memories Of Scooter And More
My recent stay in New York included two trips to Yankee Stadium, one to Shea Stadium and one to KeySpan Park, home of the Brooklyn Cyclones, the minor league club of the Mets in Coney Island.
Off-Season Musings
Shawn Green didn't provide the power the Mets were hoping for last season as he hit only 10 home runs in 446 at bats.
Rocky Colavito, A Mid-Century Champion
On the last day of spring training in 1960, Colavito, his fans and the baseball world were shocked as he was traded to Detroit for Harvey Kuenn.
The Late, Great Frank Robinson
He was intelligent and a commanding presence, though much softer than his reputation as a player.
A Taste Of Summer
Spring training is underway in Arizona and Florida and we're all looking forward to our favorite teams coming home to start the regular season in April.
Good ‘Ol Trusty Rusty
I had many conversations with Rusty, who was considered baseball's most eligible bachelor, while on the baseball beat.
Fond Memories Of Some Personal Favorites
I have many memories of him talking to Ralph Branca, who also pitched for the Tigers in the mid-fifties.
Jackie Robinson And Hank Greenberg: Forever Linked
While Pittsburgh embraced Greenberg, Robinson had a more mixed reception in Brooklyn. The borough’s Jewish fans welcomed him, as did most of the rest of the Ebbets Field faithful.
A True American Hero
Those of us who grew up when television was considered kosher in its black and white days remember "The Stratton Story," a 1949 movie that aired often on TV in the '50s starring Jimmy Stewart as Chicago White Sox pitcher Monty Stratton, who lost a leg in an off-season hunting accident in 1938 near his Greenville, Texas home.
1956: Nasser, Larsen, And A Rebbi’s Slap
For Americans, baseball provided an escape, and Jewish Americans followed the exploits of their favorite teams and of the relatively few Jews who wore baseball uniforms.
The Jewish Ed Mayer
I always seemed to end up with, what they call in card-collecting circles, "commons." To me, Ed Mayer was even less than a common.
2014 Preview
The snow has melted in most parts of the country and here in Florida, where I have my winter dugout in the Orthodox enclave of Century Village in West Palm Beach, I had the opportunity to take in several spring training games.
What I Did On My ‘Mancation’
Last year I told you about my "mancation" (men only) to a city to check out its Jewish community and major league team and ballpark. Last year it was Pittsburgh and Cincinnati; this year's first "mancation" destination was Cleveland.
Ruminations On The 2014 Season
The two World Series combatants, the Kansas City Royals and the San Francisco Giants, were Wild Card teams (meaning they didn't win their respective divisions) that got hot at the right time.
Talking Philadelphia Baseball With Allen Rothenberg
I spoke twice during Pesach. The first topic was the Holocaust and Jewish ballplayers and the second was how I, a frum-from-birth Jew, ended up in major league baseball.
Designated Hebrew
The year 1973 was an interesting one indeed.
Forty years ago, the Conservative movement’s commission on law and standards adopted a new regulation admitting women into the traditional minyan.
Baseball, Finances, And A Senator Named Bunning
Baseball fans know C. C. Sabathia signed a $161-million, seven-year contract with the Yankees. Not many fans know C. C. is short for Carsten Charles.
The Great Careers Of Jake Pitler & Max Patkin
Max Patkin had a long career in baseball as an entertainer. His trademark was wearing a baggy uniform with a large question mark on his back instead of a uniform number.
Jews And Baseball A Hundred Years Ago
Jake Pitler was a caring Jew who agonized over the plight of his fellow Jews on the other side of the ocean as he continued his baseball career.
Hammerin’ Hank Greenberg’s Last Season
Greenberg threatened to retire rather than play for the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates, considered the worst team in the National League with no hope of reaching the World Series in 1947. Entertainer Bing Crosby one of the team of new owners on the Pirates lured Greenberg to Pittsburgh by making him the first player in baseball to earn $100,000.
Don Larsen’s Perfect Game, 66 Years Later
The night before the perfect game, Larsen dined with the Richmans and told the future writer that he was going to pitch a no-hitter the next afternoon. He pulled out a dollar from his wallet and instructed Milt to give it to his mother for a donation to her synagogue.
Wiping Off The Old Crystal Ball For 2009
The baseball spotlight, as always, is on New York.
Baseball’s Back! Predictions For The 2011 Season
Every team has a bad week. Good teams, however, go through it less often. It all play out over the course of the season, so don't pay too much attention to where good teams are listed in the standings early on.
Will The Cubs’ Championship Drought Finally End?
Most baseball fans have heard of Merkle's Boner, but how many actually know when or how it happened?
War, FDR, And Black Baseball Players
"I consider baseball a very good thing for the population during the war," Roosevelt stated.
Spring Training Is Finally Here!
It hit me like a baseball bat on my head. I had been sitting next to Red Smith, the legendary sports columnist who knew Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb and other baseball greats.
Baseball Shakes Off Its Winter Slumber
Baseball is back. And for the first time, half the 30 major league clubs are holding spring training in the Phoenix area.
Those Who Left Us
As of early December, some 72 former major leaguers had died in 2012. The number is much higher than any of us would have guessed.