Jackie Robinson and the Hall of Fame

Though not technically the first black player in the major leagues—that distinction belongs to Moses Fleetwood Walker of the American Association’s Toledo Blue Stockings in 1884—Jackie Robinson destroyed the unspoken yet visible barrier constructed in the late...

The Death of John McGraw

John McGraw was to baseball what Henry Ford was to the automobile.  They did not invent their respective industries.  They reinvented them. Straddling the line separating the 19th and 20th centuries, McGraw ended his career as a baseball player by performing the...

Mays As A Met

Willie Mays ended his career where he began it.  New York City. His was a career of milestones.  As a rookie, Mays was a witness to baseball history.  On October 3, 1951, he was in the New York Giants on-deck circle when Bobby Thomson hit the Shot Heard ‘Round...

New Jersey’s Hall of Famers

New Jersey is more than the land of Bruce Springsteen, Tony Soprano, and the Meadowlands.  It is also the home state for three players in the Baseball Hall of Fame. In a career spanning 1888 to 1901, Billy Hamilton played for the Kansas City Cowboys, the Philadelphia...

1963: The Year of the Rookie

1963 was the Year of the Rookie, offering standout players from hitting masters to ace pitchers. Pete Rose débuted in ’63 with the Cincinnati Reds.  Nicknamed “Charlie Hustle” for his aggressive style of play, Rose compiled a record indicating...