The Midnight Massacre

Not since 1957, when the Dodgers and the Giants vacated Brooklyn and Manhattan, respectively, had baseball in New York City suffered an emotional blow equivalent to the impact on June 15, 1977, when the New York Mets committed an unpardonable sin in the eyes of the...

George Steinbrenner Buys the Yankees

Midwesterners are a stoic lot; stereotypically speaking, they’re quiet but not timid.  Theirs is a mission of doing a job without complaint, fanfare, and insolence.  To be from the Midwest, certainly, is to have a work ethic in your DNA where seeking attention...

Shoeless Joe Jackson’s Hometown

When the Greenville Drive ball club of the South Atlantic League takes the field, they continue a baseball legacy kindled, in part, by Greenville’s most famous resident.  Shoeless Joe Jackson. Sitting in South Carolina’s northwestern region, Greenville...

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...

Ralph Houk: Filling Casey’s Shoes

When Ralph Houk took over the manager job for the New York Yankees, he had big shoes to fill.  Casey Stengel’s shoes. Houk guided the Yankees from 1961 to 1973, then took the helm of the Detroit Tigers from 1974 to 1978.  He finished his managerial career with...