1908: Cubs Can Count to 100

A huge crowd stormed the Polo Grounds in Manhattan and witnessed baseball history in the Cubs-Giants playoff game on October 8, 1908.

So, what were you doing in 1908? Unless you’re a centenarian you weren’t doing anything, but the Chicago Cubs were on their way to their second straight World Series title in 1908. They [...]

The Fabulous Firpo: Baseball’s First Fireman

Fred “Firpo” Marberry helped the Washington Senators to their only World Championship in 1924.
He’s one of baseball’s original saviors, a man ahead of his time, long forgotten in the roll call of baseball history.
He’s Frederick Marberry, known to his contemporaries as Firpo. He was a bullpen specialist before relievers became vogue, a fireman on call [...]

Yankee Help Line

The last three Yankee games I’ve seen in person, last year and this, they:

Beat the White Sox 16-3 last July
Beat the Orioles 12-0 last September
Beat the Mariners 13-2 last week.

In that Chicago game, they tied the team record with eight home runs. Shades of the 1927 Yankees.
When I’m not at the Stadium, [...]

Celtics-Lakers Would Be Historic NBA Final

Bill Russell and Red Auerbach combined to win eight NBA Finals against the Lakers.
They’re the Lennon and McCartney of basketball, the Rogers and Astaire of hoops, the Batman and Robin of the hardwood.
They’re the Celtics and the Lakers. These two trademark NBA fantasies have combined for 30 championships, 16 by the Celtics.
They’ve clashed 10 times [...]

For Starters, Red Sox Outsmart The Yankees

Theo Epstein and Red Sox Nation are happy with Dice K.
Let’s play a game. Choosing pitchers.
Since the 2004 season, which of these pitchers would you rather have on your staff?
Daisuke Matsuzaka or Kei Igawa?
Randy Johnson or Kurt Schilling?
Josh Beckett or Carl Pavano?
Most baseball experts would pick the trio of Dice K, Schilling and Beckett. Notice [...]

Let’s Go To The Videotape

According to a recent report on ESPN.com, major league baseball is planning to experiment with instant replay in the Arizona Fall League
In the immortal words of broadcaster Warner Wolf, let’s go to the videotape.
This past week at Yankee Stadium, both the Mets’ Carlos Delgado and the Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez were denied home runs by erroneous [...]

Lords Of The Ringless

Best Players Never to Win a World Series

Why is Ernie Banks smiling? He won’t like this list.

It’s the club nobody wants to belong to, like the best golfer never to win a major club or the guy at the front of the line when the ticket counter closes.
Just not good enough. Close but no [...]

When Rocky Beat The Champs

In 1968, the final year before divisional play, the Detroit Tigers won 103 games and the American League pennant, finishing 12 games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles. Denny McLain, baseball’s last 30-game winner, won both the MVP and Cy Young Award that season.
That year, the New York Yankees finished fifth, four games over .500. Despite [...]

Home, Sweet Home, Killing NBA Playoffs

If you like watching paint dry, you’ll love watching the NBA playoffs.
Once known for fast action, terrific player match-ups and fantastic finishes, this year’s playoffs have become as predictable as Hillary Clinton’s never-say-die mantra or the next full moon.
The home team wins all the time. The visitors don’t stand a chance. Sometimes the games are [...]

There’s No Defending D’Antoni Decision

So far Donnie Walsh, Knick fans are not impressed.
After denying reports for two days, Walsh has decided Mike D’Antoni is the coach best suited to bring the Knicks back to respectability. D’Antoni may have a “D” leading off his last name, but that doesn’t mean his teams practice the fine art of defense. At [...]