Baseball got its start as a pastime played by gentlemen, who believed in the importance of vigorous exercise. Once it took off in popularity and became a national obsession, everyone joined in -- drunks, flakes, oddballs, eccentrics, gamblers, miscreants -- you know, the people who made the game interesting. Before I ever dug into baseball's … Continue reading Baseball in the genteel 19th Century (dodging mattresses & bullets)
Given the death count of 2020, writing stories about the gravesites that I've visited has had to take a back seat to keeping up with current obituaries. That's unfortunate, because it's a lot of fun to dig through newspaper archives to glean information about a forgotten outfielder or someone who pitched in a single game. … Continue reading A year’s worth of baseball history: the best of RIP Baseball’s Grave Stories
Here lies Charles Comiskey, one of the pioneers of baseball and a founder of the American League. Unfortunately, his legacy in the game has been tarnished, as his (inaccurate) portrayal as the miserly owner of the Chicago White Sox has been tied to the Black Sox scandal of the 1919 World Series. What is true … Continue reading Grave Story: Charles Comiskey (1859-1931)
