The task of driving a milk wagon was a particularly dangerous affair, as drivers had to contend with delicate glass bottles, disgruntled customers, disgruntled horses, and careless drivers all too willing to slam into the poor wagons. By the early 1920s, milk wagon drivers had added another name to the long list of perils: the […]
Author: Mary Craig
Game 135 Recap: Cubs 14, Braves 12
What You Need To Know: The Cubs again produced a stellar offensive performance, putting the Cubs out to a 4-0 lead on a René Rivera grand slam in the bottom of the 2nd. After Lester surrendered 2 home runs to make it 4-3 and the teams exchanged runs, the Cubs opened up the floodgates in […]
Punching Up: Jack Doyle And Leadership
In baseball, leadership is often viewed as critical to a team’s success, but it is also incredibly difficult to quantify, taking on many forms and adapting to the particularities of the game. There are both silent and vocal leaders, ones who allow their play to speak for them and others who distinguish themselves in their […]
Game 128: Cubs 17, Phillies 2
What You Need To Know: Determined to atone for their putrid offensive performance last night, the Cubs’ bats laid it on so thick tonight that even Kyle Hendricks battled his instincts to join in on the fun, walking away with two hits including a two-run single. Also contributing significantly were Rizzo, who drove in five […]
Game 124 Recap: Cubs 13, Reds 9
What You Need To Know: Early on, it seemed the story of tonight would be Billy Hamilton and the Reds rendering the Cubs helpless. Hamilton led off the first with a single and then came around to score the game’s first run. In the third, he robbed Kris Bryant of a hit and the Cubs’ […]
Ernie Banks, Operation PUSH, and the Quest for a Black Manager
Long after most sensible people had retired for the day, and in front of a sparse crowd at San Diego Stadium, a called third strike immediately changed the course of baseball, until it didn’t. In the top of the 11th inning of a tedious game more suited for the doldrums of August than May, Billy […]
The Bizarre Career of Al Lary
Baseball seasons are frequently comprised of bizarre, incredible, and seemingly insignificant moments, crafted by an amalgamation of heroes, legends, and no-names. For many baseball players, there is little glory attached to the short-lived occupation and much effort put into producing a moment one’s family might remember. This difficult task becomes doubly so for those toiling […]
The Riot That Nobody Predicted
On August 25th, 1948, the House Un-American Activities Committee first televised one of its sessions, a stand-off between former State Department official, now-accused Soviet Spy Alger Hiss and former US Communist party member, now-Time Magazine editor Whittaker Chambers. The day, dubbed “Confrontation Day,” grabbed national headlines across the country, promising to be the first of many […]
Bill Nicholson, The Unconventional Wartime Hero
Several days after a massive typhoon wiped out a number of US ships and officers in the south Pacific, Bill Nicholson found himself in the office of the Draft Board, waiting to hear whether his draft exemption would continue. As his teammates, one by one, joined the nameless masses fighting against fascism in Europe and […]
Charles Weeghman and Why Fans Get to Keep Foul Balls
In a game overflowing with wonder, one of baseball’s greatest allures is the prospect of attending a game as a child and leaving with a foul ball. Although the probability of this occurring is miniscule, the prospect remains no less thrilling from game to game, lasting long into adulthood, the joy shifting from obtaining a […]