Crash, Nuke, Annie, and the Bulls of Durham

“I believe in the Church of Baseball.”  So begins Bull Durham, a 1988 cinematic voyage exploring the charm of the minor leagues. Written and directed by former minor league ballplayer Ron Shelton, Bull Durham expresses a journeyman’s wisdom and...

Rusty Staub: Bonus Baby

When Daniel Joseph Staub signed a major league contract, he fell under the “bonus baby” nomenclature.  Nicknamed “Rusty” by a nurse upon his birth on April 1, 1944, Staub became so known.  In a 1967 article for Sports Illustrated, Gary Ronberg...

An Author’s Journey to the Baseball Hall of Fame

Cooperstown, New York has a quaintness that makes Mayberry, North Carolina look like a metropolis. Last week, I visited Cooperstown for the second time this year. That is to say, the second time ever. In April, I spoke at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum...