A little holiday fun … here are some baseball trivia questions: 1. Only four players have hit 50-plus home runs for teams that won the World Series. Can you name the four? Answer: This is one of my favorite trivia questions. The obvious answer is Babe Ruth, who hit 50 home runs in 1927 and…
Month: November 2015
The Trout Chronicles
From NBC SportsWorld: Upon further review, Mike Trout got jobbed. Playing the Numbers
Sherman’s Warriors
From NBC SportsWorld: Then his family went to work on him. His daughter, Sarah, told him that coaching was his life. His son, Matthew, told him to forget all those business opportunities and do what he loved. But, mostly, it was Karen, who said, “Coaching is your gift. You were put on this earth to…
Dear Elizabeth
Dear Elizabeth, The last thing you want at this point in your life is Dad advice. I didn’t want any when I was 14 either. So … don’t think of this advice. Think of this as a story about a kid I met. Well, Jarryd Wallace is 25. He’s a kid to me. Don’t worry….
Manager of the Year
NBC SportsWorld Few have written more “Ned Yost baffles me” columns than I have. Still, I have to admit that when I look at the voting for Manager of the Year this year, I’m every bit as baffled as I am by any Yost decision. The first-place votes went to: Jeff Banister: 17 A.J. Hinch:…
Another Browns Week
From NBC SportsWorld Rooting for the Browns to win at Pittsburgh used to mean everything to me. There really wasn’t much chance for that this week. But at least I had some text exchanges with Michael Schur to keep my mind off the horrors. Just the Pitts
The Last Days of Peyton
From NBC SportsWorld: Two years ago, Peyton Manning had the greatest statistical season of his numerically dazzling career. You remember — he was 37 years old and two years removed from a horrible neck injury. People went into the season more worried more about his safety than his passing numbers. He threw for an NFL record 5,477…
Unanimity and the Hall of Fame
From NBC SportsWorld: I wrote a little something (in honor of Ken Griffey) about the BBWAA’s history of never electing a player into the Hall of Fame unanimously. I have heard some sensible people say that there’s something poetic and even romantic about this, something that speaks to the imperfections of all baseball players. I…
Buck turns 104
“We were in Houston in springtime.” That was how I began my first book, The Soul of Baseball: A Road Trip Through Buck O’Neil’s America. It was the story of my year traveling the country with Buck O’Neil, baseball player, manager, scout, pioneer, storyteller and eternal optimist. Buck would have been 104 today. The Houston story remains…
Bucksense
Several of you have reached out because I have not been adding many new posts lately (except links to my NBC work). It’s true — I’ve been absolutely swamped for the last few months. I have started some pieces to put on here but just have not finished them. I think it will pick up a…