#baseball-history

#baseball-history

In 1901, the American League declared itself a competitor to the NL, jumping up from its minor league status (where it had been called the Western League). The two leagues agreed to play a World Series in 1903, and for the next 90-odd years the leagues served as heated rivals. The NL's dominance in the All-Star Game from 1963 to 1982 -- it won 19 of the 20 contests -- was offered as proof of its superiority, certainly by its players and fans.

In August 2024, the state of California declared every Nov. 1 as "Fernando Valenzuela Day" to coincide with the date the beloved Los Angeles Dodgers legend was born. Valenzuela passed away in October 2024 at the age 63, just three days before the Dodgers faced the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the World Series. California State Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva introduced the measure for Fernando Valenzuela Day to highlight the positive impact he had on the Latino and Hispanic community.

1991 - The Braves fall to the Twins 4-3 in 11 innings as Kirby Puckett does it all for Minnesota. Puckett prevented two runs with a leaping catch against the plexiglass in left center in the third. He then gives the Twins the lead with a sacrifice fly in the fifth. The Braves tie the game back up, but Puckett ends it when he homers off Charlie Leibrandt on the first pitch of the 11th to send the series to a Game 7.

Yankee Elimination Day is finally here! With the Blue Jays defeating the Yankees in the ALDS last night, a wave of celebration and good spirits has washed over this lonely planet of ours. In light of the, uhh, not great manner in which the Red Sox were recently eliminated, the holiday is likely to prompt some bittersweet - and perhaps even reflective - emotions this year. But that doesn't mean it doesn't still have a lot to offer in terms of spirituality and fun.

Daniel Conrad has had a lot of time to think about his highs and lows as a baseball fan. There he was in Yankee Stadium on Oct. 1, 1961: The day Roger Maris broke Babe Ruth's unbreakable record with his 61st home run. One year later he was seated within Manhattan's cavernous Polo Grounds, watching the New York Mets host the San Francisco Giants. The Mets lost 120 games that year and 111 more in '63, but they always won when Conrad was in attendance.

On Oct. 3, 1990, West Germany and East Germany ended 45 years of postwar division, declaring the creation of a reunified country. Also on this date: In 1944, during World War II, U.S. Army troops cracked the Siegfried Line north of Aachen, Germany. In 1951, the New York Giants captured the National League pennant by a score of 5-4 as Bobby Thomson hit a three-run homer off Ralph Branca of the Brooklyn Dodgers, which became known as the Shot Heard Round the World.

Today is Monday, Sept. 29, the 272nd day of 2025. There are 93 days left in the year. Today in history: On Sept. 29, 1954, Willie Mays of the New York Giants made a running, over-the-shoulder catch of a ball hit by Vic Wirtz of the Cleveland Indians in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series; The Catch would become one of the most famous plays in baseball history. Also on this date: In 1789, Congress officially established a regular army under the U.S. Constitution.

Full disclosure, the editors of the book, Attorneys in the Baseball Hall of Fame, Louis H. Schiff and Robert M. Jarvis, sent me a review copy, but I've been trying to get it from the library, and we'll be honest, I'll buy this book because it's going to sit in my office as a resource. How? We'll see but I keep a dictionary of etymology and the Dickson Baseball Dictionary on the desk too. You just never know.

"I think if we expand, it provides us with an opportunity to geographically realign," Manfred said on the broadcast. "I think we could save a lot of wear and tear on our players in terms of travel. And I think our postseason format would be even more appealing for entities like ESPN, because you'd be playing out of the east and out of the west."

Greg Maddux was re-acquired by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug. 19, 2008, in exchange for Minor League pitchers Eduardo Perez and Mike Watt.

Dan Ardell holds the unique distinction of having the only hit in Major League Baseball that ended in a walk-off loss, a peculiar highlight of his brief career.

Mike Tauchman made Crosstown Classic history by homering against Chris Flexen, becoming the first player to switch sides and achieve this feat in the rivalry.

Jesse Chavez finishes his career with a 4.27 ERA and a 4.24 FIP over 657 appearances across 18 seasons from 2008 until today.

From 1947 to 1956, Reese appeared in no fewer than 140 games and was one of the pillars of the franchise. Reese wasn't an MVP-level player, but he was what embodied that caliber teammate and role model.

Shane Smith represented the Chicago White Sox in the 2025 MLB All-Star game, becoming the first White Sox rookie pitcher to achieve this milestone, making franchise history.