The Sad Last Spring of Boston’s Braves
March 18 marks the 60th anniversary of that infamous day in 1953 when the Boston Braves abruptly abandoned the city of their birth for the greener pastures of Milwaukee.
How Many Wins Can A New Red Sox Manager Produce?
New manager John Farrell was hired by the Red Sox to get the team back to the playoffs. What does history tell us about new Red Sox managers and improved win totals? The Red Sox fired Billy Herman at the end of the 1966 season and replaced him with 37 year-old firebrand Dick Williams. Williams took the Red Flops of 1966 and turned them into the Impossible Dr [...]
March Baseball Madness
Red Sox outfield prospect Bryce Brentz accidentally shot himself in the leg cleaning his gun just before spring training this year. Brentz is not the first Red Sox prospect to recover from a gun injury during spring training. In 1978, left-handed pitching prospect Bobby Sprowl was shot in his left arm while sleeping in his Winter Haven, FL, apartment. Spr [...]
Braves Field: An Imperfect History of the Perfect Ballpark
After spending 2012 celebrating the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park it is timely to revisit the history of its near neighbor: Braves Field. When Braves Field opened in 1915 it was hailed as the “perfect ballpark.” The story of the planning and construction of “The Wigwam” is an important part of Boston’s baseball history.
Gringos in the Mexican League
The former Boston Red Sox two-time All-Star pitcher recalls his introduction to winter baseball in the Mexican League in 1953.