Baseball’s postseason is a magical time of year. Of the fortunate
teams that make it to the last leg of the season, legends will be made and
history written from the intense competition that determines the annual champion
in the World Series.
The 2014 League Championship Series are currently being
waged and have already created some amazing moments. Accordingly, a number of
items in this week’s baseball historian’s notes relate back to postseasons past
with teams and players that were once in the same position as the Kansas City
Royals, Baltimore Orioles, San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals are
this year.
*The October 4th game between the San Francisco Giants and
Washington Nationals lasted a whopping 18 innings before ending in a 2-1
victory for the Giants. Not only was it an exciting contest, it was also the
longest game in MLB postseason history, which has stretched for over a century.
The game
was so long (six hours and 23 minutes) that it spanned across two days and
losing pitcher Tanner
Roark actually turned
another year older before it was over. To see some of the other longest
games in postseason history, check out this list
by USA Today’s Ted Berg.
*1947 and Jackie
Robinson are synonymous for even the most casual fans of baseball in
describing the integration of the game. While Robby certainly paved the way for
many others who came after him, his early years in the majors were certainly no
walk in the park. Joe Distelheim, over at The
Hardball Times, has written an interesting
article arguing that baseball became truly integrated in 1951, when black
players had a better foothold and more teams were willing to utilize them.
*Despite baseball’s integration, black players, coaches and
other employees continued to experience discrimination. Tommy Harper,
who had an excellent 15-year major league career as an outfielder, experienced
that first hand. Playing for the Boston Red Sox from 1972-74, and later working
as a coach and front office staff in the early 1980s, he successfully sued
the team in 1985 for improper termination and discriminatory practices.
Just recently, Harper sat down with The
Boston Globe and provided more details about his experiences. It’s
important to note he later returned to work for the team under different
ownership and was lauded by them for helping bring to light and fix those
issues that cast a long shadow on their organization.
*With the World Series on the horizon, it’s a good reminder
that the Black Sox scandal of 1919 is now 95 years distant in our historical
rearview mirror. Some players on the Chicago White conspired with gamblers to
throw that year’s Fall Classic to the Cincinnati Reds. Although they were
acquitted (wink, wink) in a court of law, eight of those players were
ultimately banned from baseball for life, sparking nearly a century’s worth of
debate over their innocence and punishment. An excellent
write-up of the saga recently appeared on History.com.
* William
“Bad Bill Eagan had a nondescript playing career during the latter part of
the nineteenth century. However, off the field was a different matter
altogether. According to a Chicago Tribune
article, “stories of his badness are told all over the league.” He became
notorious for his erratic behavior, which was inflamed by alcohol. A number of
times he was imprisoned for drunkenness, violence, and once for the attempted
murder of his wife. Despite his actions,
he was continuously given chances by teams because of his ability to play ball.
It is an intriguing comparison given the rash of current athletes in trouble
with the law, and show that sometimes things elude change. His story is told in
two parts (here
and here)
over at the Baseball History Daily.
*The 58th anniversary of Don Larsen throwing the only perfect
game in World Series history was celebrated on October 8th. In Game 5 of that
year’s series, the right-hander for the New York Yankees shut down the Brooklyn
Dodgers in spectacular fashion. This video, which includes a
lot of vintage footage and interviews, captures the magic of that game.
The Dodgers’ lineup, which featured four future Hall-of-Famers,
could not muster any offense against Larsen. Backed by a two-run home run by
Mickey Mantle off Brooklyn starter Sal Maglie, the Yankees took the game
2-0, and went on to win the series in seven.
*Dizzy Dean
was one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history. Between 1933 and 1936 he
won 102 games (including 107 complete games) for the St. Louis Cardinals. Injuries
curtailed his playing career but he became a well-known announcer and public
figure later in life due in large part to his “aw-shucks” countrified persona—as
seen in this classic clip
from the television show Hee Haw.
*A baseball myth is that former All-Star closer Donnie Moore
shot his wife and then killed himself in 1989 because he couldn’t live with
having relinquished a home run to the Red Sox’s Dave
Henderson in Game 5
of the 1986 ALCS; something which ultimately helped shift momentum of the
series to Boston. Michael McKnight of SI
Longform has completely debunked that with his thorough re-telling of the hurler’s final
troubled years. A violent past, alcohol abuse, troubled family life and a dwindling
career were the actual contributing factors to his actions.
The homer relinquished to Hendu may have been a defining
moment of Moore’s career but he battled demons far darker throughout his life than
that one pitch. The entirety of Game 5 is available for free on YouTube.
*Although outfielder Curt Flood
hit .293 over 15 major league seasons, his refusal to play is what he is best
known for. In 1969, he declined to report to the Philadelphia Phillies after
being traded to them by the Cardinals. His actions challenged MLB’s
reserve clause, which essentially made players paid indentured servants to
teams, and ultimately paved the way for players to have the rights of free
agency. The New York Times has
released a short documentary on this titled Rebel
Without a Clause. It’s required viewing for any fan of baseball, especially
since Flood isn’t remembered nearly as much as he should be given his impact on
the game.
You can check me out on Facebook or follow me on Twitter @historianandrew
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