As part of my exploring and photographing baseball graves, I ended up as the chair of the 19th Century Grave Marker Project, one of the many great committees and offshoots of SABR. Our group's mission is to preserve history by identifying 19th-Century ballplayers, pioneers and other noteworthy baseball figures who are in unmarked graves or … Continue reading Hick Carpenter’s grave is unmarked no longer
We touched a little on the relationship between Bill Dickey and Lou Gehrig in my recent Grave Story on Dickey. Not only were they roommates on the road, but they were also good friends, and Gehrig’s illness and death had a profound affect on Dickey. Though these are events that took place more than 80 … Continue reading From the Luckiest Man to a pariah
The Chicago White Sox have a long and frequently glorious history--with legendary teams, renowned players and memorable moments. But you lose one lousy World Series on purpose, and that's all anybody talks about. There's so much more to the White Sox than the fact that a bunch of their players threw the 1919 World Series. … Continue reading Losing to win: Tony La Russa & the 1981 split season
Part 1| Part 2 | Part 3 Mike Sadek, 74 (d. Jan. 20): Mike Sadek spent 8 seasons as a backup catcher for the Giants, from 1973 to 1981. He saw his most action in 1980, when he hit .252 with a home run in 64 games. He joined the Giants front office as a … Continue reading In Memoriam 2021 (Part 4)
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 4 Don Leppert, 90 (d. Jan. 5): Second baseman Don Leppert had 8 hits in 70 at-bats for the 1955 Baltimore Orioles. Originally a Yankee farmhand, Leppert was part of a 1954 trade that sent Don Larsen and Bob Turley to New York and Gus Triandos and Gene … Continue reading In Memoriam 2021 (Part 3)
Part 1 | Part 3 | Part 4 Chuck Dobson, 77 (d. Nov. 30): Chuck Dobson won 75 games for the Athletics and Angels between 1966 and 1975. He had a 15-5 record for Oakland in 1971, but an injury suffered toward the end of the year kept him off the team when it won … Continue reading In Memoriam 2021 (Part 2)
To date, the baseball world has bid farewell to about 100 former ballplayers and managers. Some of them were Hall of Famers, and others played in just a game or two. But every one of them played a part in the history of baseball, so it's time to take a look back at their stories. … Continue reading In Memoriam 2021 (Part 1)
The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) 19th Century Grave Marker Project completed its latest grave marker installation on Saturday, November 6. We held a dedication ceremony in Rosehill Cemetery to honor 19th Century home run king Ed Williamson (also known as Ned Williamson). There is a full story about Ed's life and times available … Continue reading SABR completes Ed Williamson Grave Marker Project
I'm working on a larger story about Shoeless Joe Jackson, but before we get into his life, let's talk about the city of Greenville, S.C. It's a charming town with a fine minor-league ballpark and plenty of good shops and restaurants. But if you're a baseball history fan, there is another big reason to visit. … Continue reading Greenville still loves Shoeless Joe Jackson
(Note: For the full story on John Reilly's life, click here.) On June 11, 1880, John Reilly boarded the steamer SS Narragansett, which was traveling from New York City to Providence. He’d later achieve fame first as a slugging first baseman and then as a lithographer, but at the time he was a 21-year-old Cincinnati … Continue reading John Reilly survives a shipwreck but breaks his heart
RIP Baseball 