 |
| Photo by Daiji Umemoto on Unsplash |
In the anthology of baseball literature, Power Ball is similar to Michael Lewis' Moneyball in the sense that it attempts to give readers an up-to-date snapshot of how much technology has changed the national pasttime. Moneyball is near a quarter century old though, so Neyer brought us up to date, except now it is already eight years behind the times. The fifteen second rule, and debates about the possibility of robot umpires had not yet been conceived. Even so, Power Ball makes a true contribution toward understand how the game has evolved and yes, we really have come a long ways.
 |
| The Last Boy. |
Ball Four by Jim Bouton was an early introduction to baseball literature. Any and all books about Ty Cobb that I could find pre-1968 were read with earnest zeal. The Curse of Rocky Colavito by Cleveland sportswriter Terry Pluto. The Last Boy by Jane Leavy. Shoeless Joe, by W. P. Kinsella. (I heard Mr. Kinsella speak at a UMD writers event back in the late 1980s. Shoeless Joe was the basis for Field of Dreams, one of the great baseball movies Hollywood has produced.) Bernard Malamud's The Natural resulted in another great baseball flick. (The ending will surprise you.) Eight Men Out, about the Black Sox throwing the 1919 World Series. Men At Work: The Craft of Baseball by George Will is a classic.
Well, on to our list of important dates. This is a continuation of my February 25, 2020 blog post highlighting important dates in baseball history for April according to Robert Lookup. (I added one from this month, which you will note if reading this.)
* * * *
IMPORTANT DATES -- MAY
* * * *
May 1, 1920
Joe Oeschger of the Braves and Leon Cadre of Brooklyn pitch 26 innings in a 1-1 tie. Longest game ever. (EdNote: What a contrast to today's game where pitchers are on a pitch count leash and a time constraint.)
May 2, 1939
Lou Gehrig did not play against the Tigers at Briggs Stadium, ending his streak of 2,130 consecutive games played. (EdNote: This "Iron Man" record was surpassed 56 years later by Cal Ripken, Jr. who went on to set the current record by playing in 2,632 consecutive games.)
May 3, 1936
Joe DiMaggio plays his first game.
May 3, 1963
Pete Rose hits his first Home Run.
May 3, 1964
Tommy John pitches his first victory.
May 4, 1904
Cy Young (Red Sox) hurls a Perfect Game against the A's, besting Rube Waddell 3-0.
May 7, 1917
Babe Ruth (Red Sox) allows two hits in a 1-0 victory over Walter Johnson. Ruth knocks in the lone run with a sacrifice fly.
May 11, 1917
Pete Schneider of Vernon, CA (Pacific Coast League) hits five homers and a double, driving in 14 runs.
May 12, 1955
Sam Jones of the Cubs pitches no hitter after walking three Pirates in the ninth and striking out three to get the win.
May 13, 2025
Pete Rose is posthumously removed from Major League Baseball's permanently ineligible list, making him eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame, after being banned in 1989 for betting on games. (Shoeless Joe Jackson and others are also reinstated.)
May 14, 1920
Walter Johnson wins his 300th game with a 9-8 win over the Tigers.
May 14, 1988
Jose Oquendo (Cards) becomes the first non-pitcher in 20 years to get a decision, a 7-5 loss to the Braves, when Ken Griffey knocked in two runs with two outs in the 19th inning.
May 17, 1979
Phillies beat the Cubs 23-22 in ten innings at Chicago when Mike Schmidt hits his second home run of the game.
May 30, 1904
Frank Chance, first baseman for the Cubs, is hit five times by Cincinnati pitchers in a double header, a record. The two teams split.
Bob Dylan'a Theme Time Radio Hour ~ Baseball
No comments:
Post a Comment