The MLB legend forged an amazing career despite having to fight to pursue his dreams
Miller Huggins was in a position to do just about anything he wanted with his life. He was college educated at a time when just a fraction of the population was similarly privileged. He also ultimately held a law degree from the University of Cincinnati. With so many options for him to pursue as a career, he could think of nothing else except baseball, to which he threw himself into wholly and found unimaginable success.
At just 5’6” and barely 140 pounds soaking wet, Huggins wasn’t exactly the picture of the vibrant athlete. However, he loved competing and his hustling…
The circumstances of the baseball legend’s early demise may actually be different than what is commonly believed
Legendary Hall-of-Fame pitcher Christy Mathewson died when he was just 45. His untimely demise from tuberculosis has long been tied to supposed gas poisoning he suffered while serving overseas during World War I. However, a closer examination on one of the most well-known stories in baseball history, casts doubt on its veracity.
The greatest pitcher in New York Giants’ history was as well known for his ability on a mound as he was for his clean-cut behavior off it. An early major league idol, he wowed fans, teammates and opponents with his dominance. In a 17-year playing career (1900–1916), he…
The former star baseball player had an incredibly colorful career
Pride plays a big role in baseball. Players typically believe they have participated when circumstances were most difficult and their experience in the game came against the best competition. Former outfielder Count Campau enjoyed a lengthy career and if his recollections were any indication, he was fueled by personal conviction that he always had to meet a certain standard of play.
Campau was as colorful as he was talented. He was also a nomad, playing for no less than three different big-league teams over three seasons and more than 15 other squads in the minors. Between 1885–1905 as a professional…
Before baseball’s color barrier was broken, there were many amazing players kept out of Major League Baseball
Sadly, racism kept players of color from playing Major League Baseball up until 1947, when Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers broke the unwritten, yet strictly enforced color barrier. Leading up to that time (and after), Black players excelled in the Negro Leagues, displaying talent that was equal to or superior to that of players in the big leagues. While white players frequently played against those in the Negro Leagues, what did they think about their unfairly excluded contemporaries?
The Pittsburgh Courier was a distinguished African-American weekly newspaper that included a robust sports section. Famed writer and editor Wendell Smith…
Long a food of the poor, the classic meatloaf has evolved into an American cultural favorite
For many people, one of the most satisfying comfort foods is meatloaf. Meaty and filling, it pairs perfectly with mashed potatoes and vegetables, especially when big appetites are involved. The dish is an American classic, but how old is it and where exactly did it come from?
The typical meatloaf is ground meat (usually beef) combined with seasonings and binders like eggs and bread crumbs. It is then baked and often topped by a glaze or gravy. …
The pharma company is expanding in the midst of much research and development
Pharma stocks can be like ice cream flavors. There are lots of them and a new popular variety practically every week. That also comes with a lot of volatility, as the drugs and treatments they are researching and developing can succeed but can also fail spectacularly. One company in the sector that seems to have widespread attention of analysts is Sorrento Therapeutics (SRNE). What has gained them such positive energy and where are projections indicating this commodity’s stock price might go?
Founded in 2009, according to their website, clinical stage Sorrento Therapeutics applies “cutting-edge science to create innovative therapies that…
MLB’s Fall Classic was subject to some interesting proposals of change by one of its former players and managers
Fielder Jones was a solid baseball man. In addition to 15 years as a star outfielder in the big leagues, he was also on the bench as a manager for parts of 10 seasons. One might think this would give him special insight to the game when it came to making useful suggestions. Reviewing one idea he had about “fixing” the World Series was offered as proof that may not have been true; or was he simply a man ahead of his time?
Jones was a well above average player for the Brooklyn Superbas and Chicago White Sox (1896–1908). He…
The legendary pitcher remains one of the greatest players in baseball history
Pitcher Christy Mathewson was the first big-league superstar player of the 20th century. The right-hander was not only dominant on the mound, but revered for his clean living and pleasant demeanor off it. Playing for the New York Giants for 16 of his 17 seasons (1900–1916), he quickly became the most famous person in the Big Apple. At the height of his popularity, he gave an interview and a rare inside peek into his background and how he grew from a small factory town boy to the king of Gotham.
Despite humble origins growing up in a small Pennsylvania factory…
The former baseball player had his standout career mostly defined by one mistake he made as a youngster
By all reasonable statistical standards, first baseman Fred Merkle had a perfectly good 16-year major league career. Unfortunately, most of what he accomplished on the field doesn’t seem to be remembered . Instead, one mistake he made in a critical game when he was a young player was something fans never forgot, nor would they let him, as it came to define his entire career in the sport — something he lamented even years after he last played.
The big right-handed hitter came up as a teenager with the New York Giants in 1907, playing with them for the first…
The former manager and front office man was an important MLB pioneer who is now mostly forgotten
Baseball talent, especially in the past, was often synonymous with spending most or all of a career with a single franchise. However, there were also well-regarded baseball men who led a more nomadic existence, including former manager Frank Bancroft, who enjoyed an extremely successful career despite rarely staying in one place for long. His heavy involvement in the early days of baseball helped establish a strong foundation for the game that has lasted for well over a century. …
