With attention focused on Jackie Robinson this week, it would be inappropriate if we didn’t take a moment to also remember Larry Doby (December 13, 1923 – June 18, 2003). A native of Camden, South Carolina, he was the second black player to play in the modern major leagues and the first to do so in the American League. Unlike Robinson, Doby also did it without spending one day in the minor leagues. A...
Before I left for Afghanistan in mid-March, I drove across Florida from my home in Tampa to my parents’ home in Melbourne. Along the way, on Florida State Road 520, just outside of Cocoa, Florida, I saw the remains of what was once the home of the Florida State League’s Cocoa Astros, the spring home of the Houston Astros, and for a season, the spring home of the then-Florida Marlins. Sadly, even at 55...
When the Baker Bowl was first opened, it was praised as the finest baseball palace in America. By the time it was abandoned, it had been a joke. The little known first home of the Philadelphia Phillies (as well as the Philadelphia Eagles) opened in 1887. N. Broad St., W. Huntingdon St., N. 15th St. and W. Lehigh Avenue surrounded it. It was rebuilt in 1895 and recognized as the first cantilevered design in...
Ten years ago, I was an intern at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. It was easily the most awe-inspiring summer of my life. One of the amazing opportunities I experienced was seeing several Oneonta Tigers games at . Now, I know what you’re thinking. Trish, is this a glorified high school field? In some ways, it sadly is. (That’s not even a shot at the Tigers.) Located an hour from...
Many, many moons ago, I was a young baseball fan growing up on the not-so mean suburban streets of Melbourne, Florida. Times were different back then. It was a time when you had to memorize phone numbers and Cheers ruled nighttime television. But despite the chaos and tumultuous times, there was one video (on VHS, of course) that always helped me though the darkest of days. It’s guiding light and steady beacon of humor...
Why are mascots important to minor league baseball? In the current economy, you would think a budget-friendly version of our national pastime could stand on its own. Let’s face it though. There’s a lot of competition for our entertainment time and dollars. With rosters full of “Who are you?” and “Didn’t you used to be?” there are more empty ballparks and folded franchises than we care to admit to. Mascots give your team brand...
(This interview was printed in our second book The Bus Leagues Experience Volume 2, currently available on Amazon for only $8.) This Part 3 of our extensive interview with Miami-based baseball historian Kurt Schweizer. Part 1 and Part 2 are available here. You can find more of Kurt’s efforts on his Original Miami Marlins Facebook page, his feature story on growing up on Miami baseball, and his photo essay of Miami Stadium. Bus Leagues Baseball: Have you...
(This interview was printed in our second book The Bus Leagues Experience Volume 2, currently available on Amazon for only $8.) This is Part 2 of our interview with Kurt Schweizer. You can find Part 1 here. Bus Leagues Baseball: When did you start documenting the end of Miami Stadium? KS: Well, I knew, going back to about the early-90s, that its days were really numbered. There was a fight to save it from demolition, that was...
(This interview was printed in our second book The Bus Leagues Experience Volume 2, currently available on Amazon for only $8.) In an effort to continue exploring the history and impact of Minor League Baseball in Florida, I’ve been corresponding with Kurt Schweizer, unofficial historian of minor league baseball in Miami, especially the original Miami Marlins. With the Florida Marlins renaming themselves the “Miami Marlins” and moving into a new stadium in 2012, I thought it would...
(This interview was printed in our second book The Bus Leagues Experience Volume 2, currently available on Amazon for only $8.) This is part two of my interview with Tampa writer/blogger Clark Brooks. In Part 1, we talked about Clark’s background working with the old Tampa Tarpons. Bus Leagues Baseball: So were there any future major leaguers that you may have hung out with while working with the Tarpons? Clark Brooks: I was pretty good friends with...
2012 05 14 Scranton Wilks Barre/ Empire State Yankees vs Pawtucket Red Sox
