The 2019 baseball season is in full swing. Along with a full
slate of exciting games, comes regular remembrances of players, teams and occurrences
from the past. This is the next edition of the Baseball Historian’s Notes.
-There is an exciting new baseball museum exhibit at the
Detroit Historical Museum. “Detroit
Stars & The Negro Leagues” opened June 22nd to much fanfare,
including hosting remarks by Joyce Stearnes Thompson, the daughter of former
Stars’ outfielder Turkey Stearnes. The exhibit has a variety of displays,
including relics, from the days of the famed Negro League team.
-Billy Martin Jr., the son of the late pugnacious New York
Yankees infielder and well-known manager, recently sat down for an interview
with the Post Bulletin. A sports
agent and president of an independent baseball league, he is steeped in the
game much like his father. The younger Martin, who has represented the likes of
pitcher Tom
Koehler, believes his father should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame, citing
his impact on the game in multiple roles. His induction could eventually become
a reality, depending upon the whims of the Veterans Committee.
-Nearly 85 years after he last made an appearance in a major
league game, slugger Babe Ruth
remains an American baseball legend of mythical proportions. His memorabilia is
among the most coveted, and that was proven yet again by the sale
of one of his game-worn jerseys from his time with the New York Yankees from
the late 1920s, fetching a record price of $5.64 million. The jersey was part
of an auction of other Ruth items made available by members of his family,
including his granddaughter, Linda Ruth Tosetti. Naturally, the previous record
was another Ruth jersey, which sold for $4.4 million back in 2012.
-Larry Stone of The
Seattle Times celebrated
the 50th anniversary of the lone season of the Seattle Pilots.
Although the team was a miserable 64-98, they brought the fun and exciting experience
of major league baseball to the northwest. Their sudden departure in the spring
of 1970 to move to the Midwest and become the Milwaukee Brewers left a
surprising void that was eventually filled by the emergence of the Seattle
Mariners.
-Yankees’ left-handed starting pitcher C.C.
Sabathia recently notched his 250th
career victory, throwing six solid innings against the Tampa Bay Rays. The
38-year-old is now in his 19th season. He became the 48th
pitcher to reach the 250-win level, and just seven weeks earlier had become the
17th pitcher to surpass 3,000 career strikeouts. Although not a slam
dunk, he is continuing to build a strong case for the Hall of Fame. No longer
the dominant force he once was, each accomplishment he continues to accrue is
only going to give voters more to think about when his time comes to be on the
ballot.
-His connection to PEDs has helped keep Roger Clemens
out of the Hall of Fame thus far in his first seven tries on the ballot. Otherwise,
the owner of 354 career wins and seven Cy Young Awards could have been a no-brainer
first-ballot selection. While he waits to see how his candidacy plays out, he
has added another Hall-of-Fame induction to his resume. The Pawtucket Red Sox,
the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, recently
added the right-hander to their Hall of Fame. Although he pitched in a
total of just nine games for the franchise, his 2-3 record and 1.63 ERA, along
with his legendary status made him a natural fit. In the meantime, he will
continue to wait and see if Cooperstown eventually comes calling.
-Mariano
Rivera, the best reliever in the history of baseball, just played in his first
Old-Timer’s game for the New York Yankees. Naturally, he played center
field and hit an inside-the-park home run, only adding to the legend of the
hurler who spent his entire 19-year big league career in pinstripes. He also
pitched the final inning of the game, saving the win for his team—something he
did a record 652 times while a member of New York’s active roster.
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You can check me out on Facebook or follow me on Twitter @historianandrewI have also authored a number of books (eBook and paperback) an topics of baseball that are available on Amazon.
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