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...
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...
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...
I went to a major-league game in Baltimore this Sunday. Rangers at Orioles, with a few of our old Z-meter regulars playing, like Felix Pie and Elvis Andrus. But my real Bus Leagues surprise came when I took the advice of an usher and visited the Sports Museum that was recently built next to Camden Yards. I was wandering around in the rather gloomy basement display area and found this: This bus was actually...
As part of my memorabilia column for ESPN the Magazine, I recently interviewed a woman by the name of Delores Knox. Her father, J. Leonard Mitchell, was an outfielder with several Negro League clubs of the 1920s, and later went on to help run a few clubs when his playing days were over. I only used a few quotes from the longish interview I did with Mrs. Knox, so I wanted to share the...
OK, I’ve been back from the trip to Cooperstown for a couple of days now, but this is the first time the house has been quiet and empty, so now is the time to share the photos and stories. As mentioned in a previous piece, Brian (OMDQ) and I (Extra P) had a long-standing plan to meet at the Hall of Fame at the end of this baseball season. We managed to make that...
2012 05 14 Scranton Wilks Barre/ Empire State Yankees vs Pawtucket Red Sox
