Crosstown Crosshairs

  May 20, 2012 Sox, Cubs,  NATO   The whole world is watching.  And now it knows how bad the Cubs really are. And how good the White Sox could be. If they keep playing the Cubs. On a hot spring weekend in Chicago when world leaders and angry protesters came to town for the […]

2012 Milestones (And Beyond): Home Runs

Depending on which camp you’re in, 2012 will either tickle you pink or make you throw up in your mouth.  With 629 home runs already under his belt, Alex Rodriguez is only one away from tying former teammate Ken Griffey Jr. at 630 and 31 away from catching Willie Mays for fourth place on the […]

Fun With Retrosheet: Nelson Cruz Made Me Do It

Normally, I try to find someone else to blame for suggesting one of these posts, but this silly one is all mine. After noticing that Nelson Cruz had seven RBIs in the eleventh innings of Texas’ playoff series with the Tigers, I wondered what player had the most extra-inning HRs and RBIs in a season […]

Inspiration in Baseball

Ben Ulene started the Double Play Foundation in December of 2009 when he was going through his closet and noticed how many old baseball jerseys he had accrued over his adolescence and that he no longer had use for. “I thought that there had to be some way that these uniforms could be used again, as each one had been used for only one 3-month season and then put away, ” Ben told me. It was at that moment that he decided to pass-on his once prized possessions to others who may not be as fortunate as himself. He named his cause, The Double Play Foundation (DPF) and told me it was because “just like in a double play where one batted ball is used to get two outs, one baseball uniform is being used twice, doing double duty.”

Lazzari’s Baseball Roundup 5

TRIVIA QUESTION: The 1990 Chicago White Sox–who finished 2nd in the AL West under manager Jeff Torborg–had three players who stole more than 30 bases apiece. Can you name this trio? Answer to follow……….There have been many questionable decisions over the years regarding baseball’s postseason awards, but how ’bout this one for pure insanity: In […]

‘Roids, Aging, and The Pride of the Goldpanners

The original habitat for this post can be found here. It has been twenty years since this photo was taken, yet I saw it for the first time yesterday.  Why is this photo not more celebrated? Anybody know where I can get a fake ID? Perhaps, I’m exaggerating the comedic value of a photograph, as […]

Pete Rose: Justice Delivered, But Only Temporarily And Only In Theory

Twenty five years ago today one of the most hallowed records in baseball history was broken when Pete Rose singled to left field against San Diego Padres pitcher Eric Show (who’s tumultuous life and death were chronicled by ESPN’s Outside the Lines) for career hit number 4,192, passing the legendary Ty Cobb. Fireworks instantly went off […]

610 is the new 600

After about 50 chances at home run number 600, Alex Rodriguez finally became the seventh player in history to hit 600 career home runs. The fans went wild, the anticipation is over, and the history is made. Yay! But here is my question: what is so special about 600? Why does all the excitement come […]

Great What-If Matchups

One of most baseball historians’ favorite things to speculate about is how certain players would have done if their careers had happened in different times and places and against different opponents. How spectacular would Ozzie Smith have been on a dirt infield with a small glove instead of on Astroturf? Suppose Ted Williams had been […]