Alabama, the Cradle of Baseball Greatness
A little while ago I started to realize that Alabama has produced some of the greatest players in baseball history. I remembered reading Bill James making a point somewhere in his Historical Baseball...
View ArticleRemembering a Baseball Player So We Don’t Forget the Mistakes of Our Past
A good friend of mine lost a good friend yesterday. My friend is Claire Smith, and her friend was Alfred “Slick†Surratt. Slick was a player for the Kansas City Monarchs, a teammate of Satchel...
View ArticleSweet or Oh So Sour
Black and white. Cut and dry. Or, in the case of aspiring baseball players from San Pedro de Macorís, red and blue. There is a wide disparity between those who reach the high levels of professional...
View ArticleThe Beacon of Birmingham
In the midst of a dark and all-too predictable world, Rickwood Field became a beacon. Birthed out of a conversation with Connie Mack, the ballpark started with a handful of rivals but outlasted each of...
View ArticleHumdingers and Head Scratchers
Why not start the new year with a jolt? From a man who mixes pot and pancakes, throws his own pitch (the Leephus), and has something to say about everything comes “Baseball Eccentrics.” Read Bill...
View ArticleStanley “Doc” Glenn Fondly Remembered in Quebec
Word came down the other day that 84-year old Stanley “Doc†Glenn had passed away on April 16. Glenn, a rangy 6’ 2†son of a Virginia fisherman who once described himself as a journeyman catcher,...
View ArticleAn Interview with Bob Kendrick: President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
One of the more under-appreciated elements of baseball history is the Negro Leagues. Barred from playing in the Majors, black players instead played at the highest level of competition in their own...
View Article“Pop” Paved the Way
If I were to ask you who were the best black baseball players, Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson and Oscar Charleston might readily come to mind. Chances are it would take you awhile to think of John Henry...
View Article2012 Milestones (And Beyond): Wins
Champagne has been quaffed in St. Louis, free agents have already begun signing with new teams (where have you gone, Jonathan Papelbon?) and the winter meetings are right around the corner. Those of...
View ArticleBill Veeck Day
Today is Bill Veeck Day. It is the day that Paul Dickson’s biography of Bill Veeck is officially released, the day “Sport Shirt Bill” is back with us once again. Like a bad penny, he has returned. It...
View ArticleNegro Leagues Players Who Have Been Overlooked by the Hall of Fame
When I set out to write my book, Baseball State by State, which features all-time teams by players’ state of birth, I originally did not include Negro Leagues players. I quickly realized the error of...
View ArticleBaseball with Matt’s First Ever Analysis of a Poem
Hey baseball fans! I’m going to do something that I’ve never done before on Baseball with Matt: I’m going to analyze a poem! But don’t worry; the poem is about baseball. This poem is probably my...
View ArticleAn Interview with the President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
Hey baseball fans! I have an interview for you today! This interview is with the President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri: Bob Kendrick! Kendrick has been involved with...
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