January 27, 2020

On Tuesday, January 21, Major League Baseball (MLB) greats Derek Jeter and Larry Walker were elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Jeter, an outstanding all-around shortstop, earned 99.7 percent of the possible votes (396 of 397) in his first year of eligibility. Walker, a powerful outfielder in his 10th and final year of eligibility, received 76.6 percent of votes cast, just exceeding the 75 percent required for election. The former catcher Ted Simmons, elected in December 2019 by the Modern Baseball Era Committee, will also be enshrined in the Hall of Fame on July 26, 2020. Joining the players will be the sportswriter Nick Cafardo, the broadcaster Ken “Hawk” Harrelson, and the former players’ union executive Marvin Miller.

The longtime Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter will headline baseball’s Hall of Fame class in 2020. Credit: © Rebecca Cook, Reuters/Landov

Derek Jeter, who was born in New Jersey and grew up in Michigan, played 20 MLB seasons from 1995 through 2014 with the New York Yankees. He won five Gold Glove awards as the best defensive shortstop in the American League (AL). He also won five Silver Sluggers as the best hitter at his position. A career .310 hitter, Jeter was a 14-time All-Star, hit 260 home runs, and his 3,465 career hits are the most ever by an MLB shortstop. Known for his leadership as well as his playing ability, Jeter served as team captain of the Yankees from 2003 through 2014. During Jeter’s time in New York, the Yankees won seven AL pennants and five World Series.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum honors players and other individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the sport. It is located in Cooperstown, New York. Credit: National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

The Canadian Larry Walker played 17 seasons for the Montreal Expos, Colorado Rockies, and St. Louis Cardinals from 1989 to 2005.  Walker blossomed in Montreal, where in 1992 he made the first of five career All-Star teams. It was in Denver, however, that Walker made his case for the Hall of Fame. In nine full seasons with the Rockies, he batted .300 or better seven times and led MLB in hitting in 1998 (.363), 1999 (.379), and 2001 (.350). In 1997, he hit .366 with 49 home runs and 130 runs batted in (RBI’s) and was named the National League (NL) Most Valuable Player. Walker ended his career with 2,160 hits, 383 home runs, 1,311 RBI’s, and a .313 lifetime batting average.

Michigan’s Ted Simmons played 21 seasons with the Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, and Atlanta Braves from 1968 to 1988. Simmons become an everyday catcher in 1971, and in 1972 he made the first of eight All-Star teams. An exceptional switch-hitter, Simmons hit .300 or better seven times, hit 20 or more home runs six times, and topped 90 RBI’s eight times. He retired with 248 home runs, 2,472 career hits (second all-time to Iván Rodríguez among MLB catchers) and 1,389 RBI’s (second to Yogi Berra among catchers).

Nick Cafardo, a longtime beat writer for the Boston Red Sox, joined the Hall of Fame as the winner of the J. G. Taylor Spink Award “for meritorious contributions to baseball writing.” Hawk Harrelson, who hit 131 home runs as an MLB player in the 1960′s, broadcast MLB games–mainly for the Chicago White Sox–from 1975 through 2018 and entered the Hall as the winner of the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasters. Marvin Miller oversaw the advent of player free agency during his tenure as the executive director for the Major League Baseball Players Association from 1966 to 1982.

Hall of Fame voting is based upon a player’s record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team or teams on which the player played. Votes are cast by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America with at least 10 consecutive years of service. To be eligible, ballplayers must have spent at least 10 seasons in the majors and been retired for 5 years. Exceptions are made in the case of severe injury or sudden death, such as with Roberto Clemente. Eligible players remain on the Hall of Fame ballot for 10 years, after which they can gain entry only though the select eras committees. The eras committees, made up of former executives, managers, players, and umpires, also choose nonplayers such as Cafardo, Harrelson, and Miller for entry into the Hall of Fame.

November 6, 2019

Last week, on Oct. 30, 2019, the Washington Nationals defeated the Houston Astros 6-2 to win the Major League Baseball (MLB) World Series four games to three. It was the first MLB title in the history of the Nationals, a team that originated in 1969 as the Montreal Expos. The franchise moved from Montreal to Washington, D.C., following the 2004 season. Washington entered the playoffs as a National League (NL) Wild Card team, having finished second in the NL East at 93-69. For the American League (AL) champion Astros, the World Series defeat was something of a surprise. The team was a heavy favorite to win it all after leading MLB with 107 regular season wins.

The Washington Nationals celebrate winning the World Series at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas, on Oct. 30, 2019. The Nats beat the Astros 6-2 in game seven to win the series four games to three. Credit: © Mike Ehrmann, Getty Images

The Nats’ game seven win at Houston’s Minute Maid Park capped a World Series in which the visiting team won every game—a first in MLB history. The Nats won games one and two in Houston, dropped games three through five at home in D.C., and then rebounded in Houston to win games six and seven. Typically, teams playing at home have a slight advantage. For Washington, D.C., it is the city’s first baseball title since the Washington Senators, an AL team, won the World Series in 1924. That Senators’ team became the Minnesota Twins in 1961. A second Senators team floundered in D.C. until becoming the Texas Rangers in 1972. D.C. then went without an MLB team until the Nats arrived in 2005.

The Nats got off to a strong start in the 2019 World Series, defeating the two favorites for the AL Cy Young Award (given to the best pitcher in the league)—Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander—in games one (5-4) and two (12-3). Of course, the Washington starters were pretty good, too: veteran ace Max Scherzer won game one and 18-game winner Stephen Strasburg notched the “W” in game two.

The Astros had their work cut out for them as the series moved to D.C., and the team went to work in style. MLB’s best regular season ball club dominated the Nats on their home field, easily winning games three (4-1), four (8-1), and five (7-1). Momentum seemed to have fully swung in Houston’s direction as the series returned to Texas, but the orange-clad fans at Minute Maid Park were disappointed as the Nats and Strasburg beat Verlander a second time (7-2) in game six.

In the winner-take-all game seven, Astros starter Zack Greinke cruised early, giving up just one hit through six innings. For the Nats, a gassed and ailing Max Scherzer did not have his best stuff. He allowed numerous Astros to reach base, but Houston scraped across just two runs against him in five innings. Nationals lefty Patrick Corbin then took over, crisply throwing three scoreless innings to hold Houston at bay.

The Nats finally got to Greinke in the seventh inning as third baseman Anthony Rendon ripped a home run to left. After a walk to the young Nats slugger Juan Soto, Astros manager A. J. Hinch replaced Greinke with reliever Will Harris. Nats designated hitter Howie Kendrick touched Harris for a two-run homer, giving Washington a 3-2 lead. The Nats then added insurance runs in the eighth and ninth to make it a 6-2 game. Washington manager Dave Martinez brought in closer Daniel Hudson for the bottom of the ninth, and Hudson recorded the final three outs on just 12 pitches. Nats pitcher Stephen Strasburg was named World Series Most Valuable Player, but the award could have gone to a number of other Nats players who played brilliantly in the series.

October 7, 2019

As the 2019 Major League Baseball (MLB) postseason rolls along in cities across the United States, World Book looks back 100 years ago to the Black Sox scandal, a conspiracy to fix the 1919 World Series played between the Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds. The conspiracy involved a number of White Sox players taking money from gamblers to throw (intentionally lose) games in the series. The scandal shocked baseball fans and hurt the game’s reputation. It also led to the lifetime bans of eight White Sox players, the introduction of a league commissioner, and strict rules prohibiting gambling in baseball. The name Black Sox was chosen to symbolize the tarnished reputation of the White Sox team.

The 1919 Chicago White Sox pose for a team photo. The eight players banned for life because of the Black Sox scandal were Eddie Cicotte (1st row, 3rd from left); Happy Felsch (2nd row, 3rd from right); Chick Gandil (2nd row, 2nd from right); Joe Jackson (3rd row, 2nd from right); Fred McMullin (3rd row, 5th from right); Swede Risberg (3rd row, 5th from left); Buck Weaver (2nd row, 1st from right); and Lefty Williams (1st row, 2nd from right). Credit: Public Domain

In the early 1900’s, gambling in baseball was fairly common, and there were often reports of players—who were poorly paid by today’s standards—throwing games to make extra money. In 1919, the White Sox enjoyed a terrific season and were heavily favored to win the World Series. Right before the series, however, large sums of money were bet on the Reds to win, causing many people to suspect the series might be fixed. Several White Sox players underperformed in the series, which the Reds eventually won.

In 1920, a grand jury investigated allegations of corruption during the 1919 World Series. Three White Sox players confessed to taking bribes. Seven players were eventually tried for conspiracy. The players were acquitted in 1921. MLB’s newly appointed commissioner, Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, banned all eight of the players accused in the scandal from baseball for life. Landis later banned or suspended other MLB players suspected of gambling or other infractions. Landis’s actions restored the public’s faith in the game. New rules stated that any player, umpire, or other baseball official who bet on games unconnected to the bettor would be suspended for one year. Players or others who gambled on games in which they were involved would be “permanently ineligible”—banned for life.

Star outfielder “Shoeless” Joe Jackson was banned from Major League Baseball because of the Black Sox scandal. He is seen here with the Cleveland Naps before his trade to Chicago in 1915. Credit: Public Domain

The eight players banned from baseball because of the Black Sox scandal were pitchers Eddie Cicotte and Claude “Lefty” Williams; infielders Arnold “Chick” Gandil, Fred McMullin, Charles “Swede” Risberg, and George “Buck” Weaver; and outfielders Oscar “Happy” Felsch and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson. Evidence suggests that Weaver was not in on the fix, but he was banned for being aware of the plan and doing nothing to stop it.

The American author Eliot Asinof’s 1963 book about the scandal, Eight Men Out, was made into a popular motion picture of the same name in 1988.

August 28, 2019

On Sunday, August 25, an all-star baseball team from River Ridge, Louisiana, won the Little League World Series (LLWS), defeating a team from Willemstad, Curaçao, 8-0. (River Ridge is a suburb of New Orleans. Curaçao is an island in the Caribbean Sea.) The LLWS is a competition played each year in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, among kids aged 11 to 13. The tournament, first played in 1947, includes 16 Little League teams from the United States and the rest of the world. Little League Baseball is the world’s largest organized youth-sports program, with nearly 180,000 teams.

Louisiana’s Eastbank Little League all-stars pose with the LLWS championship banner on Aug. 25, 2019. Credit: Courtesy of Little League Baseball and Softball

The ballplayers from Louisiana’s Eastbank Little League dominated the LLWS final at South Williamsport’s Howard J. Lamade Stadium. Starting pitcher Egan Prather went the distance, limiting the Curaçao team to just two hits and no runs over the game’s six innings. Egan fanned six batters and surrendered just two walks. On the offensive side, Louisiana busied the bases with 10 hits and 5 walks. Louisiana outfielder Reece Roussel scored three runs and had two hits, giving him a record-setting 17 hits in the LLWS (in just 23 at-bats—a .739 batting average). Third baseman Marshall Louque drove in three runs while going 3 for 3. Curaçao starter Kevin Rosina gave up three runs in four innings. Reliever í-Zion Mogen allowed five runs in his two innings. Louisiana played flawless defense, and Prather recorded the final out in the sixth on an infield line drive.

Little League World Series Logo.
Credit: © Little League

After a joyful celebration beside the pitcher’s mound, members of the Louisiana team thanked their Curaçaoan opponents. They then raced to the center field wall to rub the bronze bust of the stadium’s namesake, Howard J. Lamade—a longstanding tradition for the winning team. (Lamade was a Pennsylvania newspaper publisher and a key figure in the early years of Little League Baseball.)

The Eastbank all-stars rolled through the United States bracket of the tournament, winning all five of their games by a combined score of 36-8, including a 9-5 win over Central East Maui Little League (Hawaii) to reach the LLWS final. The championship was the first for the state of Louisiana. The Pabao Little League squad from Willemstad, Curaçao, fought through the tough international tournament, edging the all-stars from Chofu City, Japan, 5-4 to reach the final. Curaçao’s only LLWS title came in 2004. The 2019 tournament’s 32 games drew a total of some 300,000 fans.

July 24, 2019

On Sunday, July 21, the Major League Baseball (MLB) greats Harold Baines, Roy Halladay, Edgar Martínez, Mike Mussina, Mariano Rivera, and Lee Smith were inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Rivera, the MLB career leader in saves, was the first player unanimously voted into the Hall of Fame, having received 100 percent of the possible votes in his first year of eligibility. Halladay, an outstanding starting pitcher who died in an airplane crash in 2017, was also elected on the first try. Voters named him on 85 percent of the ballots, well above the 75 percent required for election. Martínez, a slugging infielder and designated hitter, made the Hall with 85 percent of the vote on his tenth and final time on the ballot. Mussina, another starting pitcher, earned 77 percent of the vote on his sixth try. The former pitcher Lee Smith and the outfielder-designated hitter Harold Baines were elected in December 2018 by the Modern Baseball Era Committee. Joining the players were the broadcaster Al Helfer and the sportswriter Jayson Stark.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum honors players and other individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the sport. It is located in Cooperstown, New York. Credit: National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

Some 55,000 people packed the grass field outside the Hall of Fame’s Clark Sports Center, where a ceremony initiates the exclusive club’s newest members each year. On stage with the newcomers were 53 members elected in previous years and decades. “Moose” Mussina was the first to take the stage and deliver an acceptance speech. Mussina pitched 18 seasons with the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees from 1991 to 2008. A durable and consistent winner, Mussina started at least 24 games, pitched at least 150 innings, and had at least 11 wins from 1992 to the end of his career. He led the AL in wins in 1995 (19), made five All-Star teams, won seven Gold Gloves as his league’s best fielding pitcher, and reached the 20-win mark for the first time in 2008, his last season in the majors. Mussina retired with 270 wins and a career 3.68 earned run average (ERA).

National Baseball Hall of Fame logo.
Credit: © National Baseball Hall Of Fame

Up next was Brandy Halladay, who represented her late husband, Roy. “Doc” Halladay pitched 16 seasons for the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies from 1998 to 2013. Halladay stumbled through his first few MLB seasons, but he harnessed his talent in 2002 with a 19-7 record and a 2.81 ERA. In 2003, he won 22 games and the Cy Young Award as his league’s best pitcher. Halladay went on to make eight All-Star teams and win a second Cy Young Award in 2010. Injuries hampered his last seasons and he retired with 203 wins, 67 complete games, 20 shutouts, and a career 3.38 ERA.

Harold Baines then spoke for 10 minutes, a lengthy time for the soft-spoken slugger. Baines played 22 MLB seasons from 1980 to 2001. He spent the majority of his career with the Chicago White Sox, but he logged significant time with four other teams during his long career. Baines played outfield before transitioning into a full-time designated hitter. A remarkably consistent and productive hitter, Baines hit 20 or more home runs 12 times and drove in 80 or more runs 11 times. He made six All-Star teams and retired with 2,866 hits, 384 home runs, 1,628 RBI’s (runs batted in), and a career .289 batting average.

Edgar Martínez took the podium after Baines. Martínez played 18 seasons with the Seattle Mariners from 1987 to 2004. He did not earn regular playing time until 1990, when he started at third base and hit .302. Two years later, he hit .343 to win the American League (AL) batting title. In 1995, by then primarily a designated hitter, Martínez led the league in hitting again with a stout .356 average. He went on to hit .312 for his career, during which he was named to seven All-Star teams. He retired with 2,247 hits, 309 home runs, and an outstanding career on-base percentage of .418.

Lee Smith, a dominant closing pitcher, took the role of set-up man at Sunday’s ceremonies. Smith played 18 seasons from 1980 to 1997. Known best for his early years with the Chicago Cubs, Smith pitched for seven other teams during his career. Smith led the National League (NL) in saves in 1983 (29) and averaged 33 saves his next four seasons with the Cubs. Pitching for the St. Louis Cardinals, Smith led the NL in saves in 1991 (47) and 1992 (43). In 1994, at age 36, he led the AL in saves (33) with the Baltimore Orioles. Smith retired with a career 3.03 ERA and a then-MLB record 478 saves, a mark that was later passed by Mariano Rivera—who fittingly wrapped up the day’s speeches.

In 2019, Mariano Rivera became the first player unanimously voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Credit: © Scott Anderson, Dreamstime

Rivera, the greatest closing pitcher in MLB history, played 19 seasons for the Yankees from 1995 to 2013. Rivera started 10 games his rookie season, but quickly shifted to the bullpen, where he became the team’s regular closer in 1997. Rivera saved 43 games that season, and went on to record at least 28 saves in 15 consecutive seasons (averaging 40 over that period). He retired as the all-time career leader in saves (652). Rivera made 13 All-Star teams, was a key part of five Yankees World Series titles, and posted a sparkling 2.21 career ERA.

Major League Baseball (MLB) Logo.
Credit: © Major League Baseball

Al Helfer, who called games for eight MLB teams from 1933 through 1969, joined the Hall of Fame as the 2019 winner of the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasters. Jayson Stark, a beat writer for the Phillies for 20 seasons before covering baseball for ESPN and then The Athletic online magazine, earned entry as the 2019 winner of the J. G. Taylor Spink Award “for meritorious contributions to baseball writing.”

Hall of Fame voting is based upon a player’s record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played. Votes are cast by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, which consists of writers with 10 consecutive years of service in the association. To be eligible, ballplayers must have spent at least 10 seasons in the majors and been retired for 5 years (exceptions are made in the case of severe injury or sudden death, such as with Roberto Clemente). Eligible players remain on the Hall of Fame ballot for 10 years, after which they can gain entry only though the select eras committees. The eras committees, made up of former executives, managers, players, and umpires, also choose nonplayers such as Helfer and Stark for entry into the Hall of Fame.

July 12, 2019

On Tuesday night, July 9, the American League (AL) topped the National League (NL) 4-3 in a crisply played Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star Game at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio. The AL jumped out to a 4-1 lead and held on for its seventh consecutive win. The All-Star Game features the best MLB players in a midseason interleague exhibition. Cleveland Indians right-hander Shane Bieber, pitching before an adoring home crowd, struck out three National Leaguers in the fifth inning to earn the game’s Most Valuable Player award. Events surrounding the All-Star Game were rock music themed, as Cleveland is home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

The 2019 MLB All-Star Game logo honors the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, where the American League topped the National League 4-3 at Progressive Field on July 9, 2019. Credit: © Major League Baseball

Los Angeles Dodgers lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu, a first-time All-Star, started the game for the NL, and eight-time All-Star Justin Verlander of the Houston Astros took the hill for the AL. Both sides then rolled out new arms every inning, using 18 of the 31 pitchers invited to the game. Another Dodgers left-hander, Clayton Kershaw, surrendered the game’s first run in the second inning on a double by Astros outfielder Michael Brantley, scoring fellow Astro Alex Bregman. Minnesota Twins shortstop Jorge Polanco delivered an RBI (run batted in) single in the fifth for a 2-0 AL advantage, but Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon homered in the sixth to cut the lead in half.

In the seventh inning, Oakland Athletics third baseman Matt Chapman scored on a double play and Texas Rangers slugger Joey Gallo homered to extend the AL lead to 4-1. New York Mets rookie Pete Alonso brought the NL closer with a clutch two-out, two-run single in the eighth, but New York Yankees fireballer Aroldis Chapman fanned the side in the ninth to seal the 4-3 AL victory. AL pitchers set a record by striking out 16 NL hitters, the most ever in a 9-inning All-Star game.

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout, seen here hitting at San Francisco’s Oracle Park, played in his eighth-straight All-Star Game on July 9, 2019. Trout wore number 45 during the game to honor his late teammate, Tyler Skaggs. Credit: Keith Allison (licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0)

The AL squad was led by Alex Cora, manager of the 2018 World Series champion Boston Red Sox. Dave Roberts, manager of last year’s NL champion Dodgers, led the NL side for the second-straight year. A moment of silence before the game honored Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs, who passed away suddenly at age 27 on July 1, 2019 (there has been no official cause of death). Angels All-Stars Mike Trout and Tommy La Stella both wore Skaggs’s number 45 on their jerseys, and all players wore a black 45 patch on their uniforms.

Major League Baseball (MLB) Logo.
Credit: © Major League Baseball

Cleveland has now hosted six All-Star games (1935, 1954, 1963, 1981, 1997, and 2019), more than any other city. In the 1997 game, a 3-1 AL victory, the AL began an era of dominance over the NL, and the American Leaguers have now won 19 of the past 23 games. Overall, however, the history is nearly even. Since the first All-Star Game in 1933, the AL has won 45 times and NL squads have won 43 (along with 2 ties). The AL has outscored the NL by a scant 3 runs (373-370) in All-Star play. There was no All-Star Game in 1945 because of World War II travel restrictions, and from 1959 through 1962, there were two All-Star games each year.

In other All-Star festivities, a pair of slugging rookies took the Home Run Derby to new heights on Monday night. The Blue Jays’ 20-year-old Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., broke the single-round home run record (40) as well as the derby total record (91), but the Mets’ phenom Alonso bested Guerrero (son of Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero) 23-22 in the final round for the title. On Sunday evening, the best of Minor League Baseball squared off in the All-Star Futures Game. The AL and NL future stars battled to a 2-2 tie.

July 1, 2019

Last week, on June 26, Tennessee’s Vanderbilt University Commodores defeated the University of Michigan Wolverines 8-2 to win the College World Series (CWS). Vanderbilt won the best-of-three series two games to one for its second national baseball title. After a hard-fought series filled with future Major League Baseball (MLB) stars, the final out in the ninth inning—a pop fly to center—prompted a happy black-and-gold Commodore “dogpile” in the infield at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska.

J.J. Bleday of the Vanderbilt Commodores singles in a run in the fourth inning of game three of the College World Series Championship Final on June 26, 2019, at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. Credit: © Peter Aiken, Getty Images

The College World Series is the culmination of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Baseball Championship tournament. The tournament begins with 64 teams, but only the final 8 advance to the CWS. (World Series is an MLB trademark licensed to the NCAA.) Michigan finished second in the Big Ten Conference before battling its way to the tense CWS bracket. Michigan downed Texas Tech and Florida State on the way to the finals. Vanderbilt won the east division of the Southeastern Conference and rolled through the early parts of the tournament to reach the CWS. The Commodores then knocked off Louisville and Mississippi State to reach the finals.

The first NCAA College World Series was played in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in 1947. Credit: © NCAA

In game one of the CWS Finals, Michigan jumped out to a 2-0 first inning lead, and then steadily pulled away for a 7-4 victory. Lefty Wolverine ace Tommy Henry (drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the June 2019 MLB draft) pitched into the ninth, striking out eight Commodores and allowing three earned runs. First baseman Jimmy Kerr (a Detroit Tigers draft pick) and catcher Joe Donovan went deep for Michigan, and Vanderbilt outfielder J.J. Bleday—the fourth overall pick (Miami Marlins) in the draft—blasted his 27th home run of the season, the most in NCAA Division I this year. (Thirteen Vanderbilt players were chosen in this year’s MLB draft, the most of any CWS team.)

In game two, Vanderbilt rolled to a 4-1 win behind the power pitching of freshman Kumar Rocker, who struck out 11 Wolverines in 6.1 innings. The Commodores scored first on a fielder’s choice in the fourth. An inning later, wild pitches by Michigan allowed two more Commodores to cross the plate. Vanderbilt catcher Philip Clarke (drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays) clubbed a solo homer in the seventh, and reliever Tyler Brown recorded the final eight outs to seal the Commodore victory.

In the deciding game three, Michigan notched a run in the top of the first, but Vanderbilt centerfielder Pat DeMarco (drafted by the New York Yankees) ripped a long ball to left to tie the game in the bottom of the second. A bases loaded walk and a clutch two-out, two-run single gave Vanderbilt a 4-1 lead in the third. A pair of runs in the fourth and a single tally in the seventh padded the Commodore lead. Michigan scraped a run across in the eighth, but Vanderbilt too added a run for a commanding 8-2 advantage. Desperate for a rally in the ninth, all Michigan could muster was a base on balls before the series-ending third out. Towering Vanderbilt starter Mason Hickman struck out 10 batters over 6 innings for the win.

The CWS win was Vanderbilt’s second. The team’s previous title came in 2014 over Virginia. Michigan won the CWS in 1953 and 1962. The CWS has been held in Omaha, Nebraska—a central and generally neutral location—since 1950. The series was played at historic Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium—once the largest minor league stadium in the United States—through 2010. TD Ameritrade Park has hosted the CWS since it opened in 2011.

March 29, 2019

Yesterday, March 28, was the first fully scheduled day of the 2019 Major League Baseball season. As bats and balls connected across the United States and Canada, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City celebrated the national pastime with a special exhibit: “Baseball at The Met.” The exhibit, which runs until August, features the enduring art and charm of nearly 140 years of baseball trading cards.

“Baseball at The Met” includes this baseball card of Pepper Martin, who played 13 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1928 to 1944. Credit: Pepper Martin, St. Louis Cardinals (1933), commercial lithograph from Delong Gum Company (Boston); The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection/Metropolitan Museum of Art

The main attraction of “Baseball at The Met” is the baseball card portion of the museum’s Jefferson R. Burdick Collection. Burdick (1900-1963), an electrician in Syracuse, New York, collected more than 300,000 pieces of popular art during his lifetime. Aside from baseball cards, Burdick saved advertisements, post cards, posters, and other forms of popular art. His collection is a significant part of The Met’s ephemera—things intended for temporary use that survive as collectable art—and it helps illustrate the history of popular printmaking in the United States.

Burdick donated his valuable collection of more than 30,000 baseball cards to The Met. The cards represent the most comprehensive public collection outside the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. The Met’s exhibition highlights some 100 cards that date from baseball’s early days in the 1880′s to the “golden age” of the 1950′s. The cards depict baseball legends through illustration, lithography, photography, and early three-dimensional holography.

This uncut sheet of 1941 baseball cards, part of The Met’s Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, includes popular players of the era: “Eddie” Miller, Max West, “Bucky” Walters,”Duke” Derringer, “Buck” McCormick, Carl Hubbell, “The Horse” Danning, “Mel” Ott, “Pinky” May, “Arky” Vaughan, Debs Garms, “Jimmy” Brown. Credit: Uncut sheet from the Play Ball, Sports Hall of Fame series (1941), commercial lithograph from Gum, Inc. (Philadelphia); The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection/Metropolitan Museum of Art

The first baseball cards were intended for adults. They were used as advertising inserts—along with cards of actors, Civil War heroes, and politicians—by tobacco companies beginning in the 1880′s. The first chewing gum baseball cards aimed at kids did not appear until the Goudey Gum Company’s first series in 1933. By the 1950′s, kids across the United States were collecting baseball cards, and the hobby was nearly as popular as the game itself.

In 1951, Topps, the largest baseball card producer, introduced a 52-card deck of playing cards featuring baseball’s most popular players. The following year, Topps created a 407-card set sold in packets of five (ensuring tradable “doubles”), along with a semi-petrified stick of gum, for 5¢. Today, those penny cards can have astronomical value: a mint-condition (flawless) Mickey Mantle rookie card from that set sold for $2.9 million in 2018. (Mantle’s card is not the priciest on record, however. A 1909 card of Pirates great Honus Wagner sold for $3.12 million in 2016.) Like all collectibles, baseball cards have higher value if they are rare, and they must be in excellent condition.

In 1992, Topps dropped gum from the menu and concentrated solely on its lucrative market in baseball (and other sports) cards. Other major baseball card producers since the 1950′s have included Bowman, Donruss, Fleer, Panini, and Upper Deck. Beyond The Met, baseball cards are displayed in fans’ homes across the United States, and baseball card shows and conventions continue to be popular events.

March 22, 2019

On March 20, the Seattle Mariners defeated the Oakland Athletics 9-7 in the opening game of the 2019 Major League Baseball (MLB) season. Part of a special Japan Opening Series played at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, the game opened the 150th season of professional baseball. (All other teams will start the season in the United States and Canada next week.) To mark the aniversary, MLB players will wear a special “MLB 150″ patch on their caps for opening day, and a similar patch will adorn their uniforms all season.

MLB players will wear this 150th anniversary logo on their uniforms throughout the 2019 season. Credit: © MLB Advanced Media

The Cincinnati Reds claim unique ownership to the 150th anniversary of pro baseball. In 1869, the Cincinnati Red Stockings (as the team was then called) became the first officially all-professional baseball team. That year, the Red Stockings played a 57-game season, competing against amateur and semi-professional teams in cities and towns throughout the Midwest and East Coast of the United States. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Red Stockings finished the season a perfect 57-0.

This trading card shows the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings, baseball’s first all-professional team. Credit: © Mark Rucker, Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images

The first official game took place on May 4, 1869, in Cincinnati. On that day, the powerhouse Red Stockings drubbed their cross-town rivals, the Great Westerns, 45-9. The Red Stockings easily rolled over most of their opponents, but one team, the Unions of Lansingburgh (also called the Haymakers), gave Cincinnati a run for its money. On June 7, playing at the Haymakers home park in what is now Troy, New York, the semi-pro team fell short against the Red Stockings, 37-31. On August 26, the Haymakers gave the Red Stockings a worse scare at Cincinnati’s Union Grounds ballpark, playing to a 17-17 tie. The Haymakers left the field in the sixth inning after a disputed call by an umpire, however, and the team was forced to forfeit the game—another “W” for the Red Stockings.

Major League Baseball (MLB) logo.
Credit: © Major League Baseball

Cincinnati was not seriously challenged again that year, wrapping up the season on November 6 with a 17-8 win over the Mutuals of New York. In 1870, the Red Stockings’ winning streak reached 81 games before the team finally fell to the Brooklyn Atlantics 8-7 in 11 innings on June 14. The Red Stockings moved to Boston in 1871 (eventually becoming the Atlanta Braves), but the Cincinnati Red Stockings team was reborn in 1876 as part of the new National League. The team name was shortened to Reds in 1890.

In 1871, the National Association was organized as the first professional baseball league. Major League Baseball officially dates to the creation of the National League in 1876, so look for another “MLB 150″ in 2026.

January 30, 2019

On Jan. 31, 1919, 100 years ago tomorrow, American baseball star and civil rights icon Jackie Robinson was born in the southern Georgia town of Cairo. In 1947, Robinson became the first African American to play modern Major League Baseball (MLB). An immensely talented athlete—he hit, ran, and fielded his way to the Baseball Hall of Fame—Robinson is also remembered for his courage and demeanor in the face of brutal racism on and off the baseball field.

Jackie Robinson was born 100 years ago on Jan. 31, 1919. Credit: © MLB Photos/Getty Images

Tomorrow, the Jackie Robinson Centennial Celebration, a year-long tour organized by the Jackie Robinson Foundation, begins with a photograph exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York. Various other events will follow in cities across the country—including a speakers’ series, a jazz concert, and a traveling artifact exhibit. The tour ends in December with the grand opening of the new Jackie Robinson Museum in New York City. The Jackie Robinson Foundation provides scholarships and education programs for minority youths and oversaw the creation and funding of the museum.

Jackie Robinson, shown here sliding into home plate, was the first African American player in modern Major League Baseball. Credit: UPI/Corbis-Bettmann

Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born in Georgia, but his family took him to southern California when he was an infant. Robinson starred in football, basketball, baseball, and track in high school and at Pasadena Junior College. He transferred to the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1939. There, he earned varsity letters in the same four sports. In 1941, Robinson dropped out of UCLA to help support his mother by working at a youth camp. He also played minor league and semiprofessional football. (Jackie’s older brother, Mack, was also an excellent athlete: he was faster than all sprinters except teammate Jesse Owens at the 1936 Olympic Games.)

From 1942 to 1944, during World War II, Robinson served in the United States Army. Robinson started his professional baseball career in 1945 with the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro American League. The league was made up entirely of blacks. At the time, baseball was racially segregated—that is, black players were not allowed to play in the major or minor leagues. In 1946, Robinson broke through baseball’s racial segregation barrier by playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers’ minor league team in Montreal, Quebec.

In 1947, Robinson joined the Dodgers to become the first African American in the big leagues since the 1880’s. Robinson’s impact on segregation in sports went far beyond the Dodgers. After baseball desegregated, other professional sports quickly followed, and a number of previously segregated hotels and restaurants began to admit blacks. Robinson was a six-time National League (NL) All-Star and the NL Most Valuable Player in 1949. He retired after the 1956 season.

In 1956, Robinson received the Spingarn Medal. The medal is an award given annually to an outstanding African American. Robinson was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. He died on Oct. 24, 1972.

In 1997, on the 50th anniversary of Robinson’s breaking the MLB color barrier, his uniform number, 42, was retired across the league. No single player now wears 42, but every April 15—the date of his first MLB game—every player wears 42 for Jackie Robinson Day. In 2013, the motion picture 42 detailed Robinson’s life story. Robinson played himself in the 1950 film The Jackie Robinson Story.