LOOKING BACK AT THE 1914 "MIRACLE" BOSTON BRAVES ...
THE GREATEST COMEBACK IN MLB HISTORY ... 110 YEARS AGO
Braves left fielder, Joe Connolly reported that x-rays of his left leg, broken last September when he overslid a base in St. Louis, have come back negative and that he has been given a clean bill of health to report to spring training.
Joe Connolly was a prominent member of the 1914 Boston Braves World Champions. He was an excellent defender in left field and the Boston Sunday Post wrote, "he is fairly fast, the possessor of a strong wing (arm) and he covers a good extent of territory."
Connolly made his professional debut as a pitcher in 1906 with the Putnam, Connecticut team of the New England League. From 1908 to 1912, he divided his playing time with Class-A Little Rock and Class-B Zanesville teams, playing some outfield when he was not pitching. In 1911 he led the league hitters with a .355 batting average,.
Joe was sold to the Boston Braves in 1913 and became the team's regular left fielder. The sportswriters often referred to him as the Braves' “slugger” or “star.” His rookie season ended prematurely when he broke his ankle, but he led the team with a .281 BA, 57 RBIs, and a .410 slugging percentage.
In 1914, Connolly was the offensive star of the Braves and usually hit third in the batting order. He led the team with a .306 BA and finished second in the NL batting race to Brooklyn's Jake Daubert. He also led the team with nine home runs and 28 doubles.
Joe, however, went just 1-for-9 with one RBI, during the World Series. Nevertheless, the respect for him was further highlighted by a comment made during the World Series by his manager George Stallings. "Connolly showed a remarkable instance of pure grit when he went head-first into the left-field bleachers in a fruitless attempt to snag a line drive that went for a double."

Brooklyn Dodgers spring training in Cuba, 1942

Red Ruffing lost more than 20 games twice while pitching for the last-place Red Sox and won at least 20 for four straight years with the World Series champion Yankees.
Ruffing joined the Red Sox in 1924, just as the club plunged into the bleakest period in its history. The Sox finished last in each of his five full seasons, losing more than 100 games three times.
Although Ruffing was the Red Sox’ top pitcher, he showed no sign of greatness. Today he would be tagged with the backhanded compliment “inning eater.” Relying primarily on a whistling fastball, he posted a better-than-average ERA only once, and then just barely better.
After he batted .314 in 1928 however, while losing a league-leading 25 games, the Sox considered shifting him to the outfield. But he had a bad foot from an injury that slowed him down too much.
Red Sox owner Bob Quinn faced one of his frequent financial crises in May 1930. He said he’d have to raise $67,000 in 48 hours to make a payment. So he swapped the 25-year-old Ruffing to the Yankees for backup outfielder Cedric Durst plus $50,000 and, an additional $50,000 loan from Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert.
Sound familiar? Dejavue when Frazee had to make a loan payment in 1920 and sold Babe Ruth to get the cash from Ruppert ten years before.
The deal made Ruffing’s career. The turnaround in his fortunes began the first time he took the mound for the Yankees. He would go on to have a Hall of Fame career, while Cedric Durst, played in 102 games for the Red Sox, both in left field and in right, hit .245 with 24 RBIs, and in February was released.

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Sandy Koufax holds up four balls with zeros on them, one for each of his no-hitters. Koufax threw his fourth no-hitter and downed the Chicago Cubs, 1-0, with a perfect game. September 9, 1965.

Rod Carew acknowledges the cheers of the fans after his 3000th hit, August 5, 1985

Nolan Ryan tips his cap after striking out Oakland’s Marty Perez to tie Sandy Koufax’s all-time major league record in 10-plus strikeout games of 97 in Anaheim in this July 4, 1977. He ended up with 215.

The Bash Brothers with Reggie Jackson, 1987.

Lefty Grove and Connie Mack, 1931

Hack Wilson taking a tremendous cut. Hack had 56 Home Runs and 191 RBIs in 1930.

Leo Durocher arguing with an umpire.

Karl Wallenda walked across the Vet in 1972 in between games of a double header was given $3000.00

Baseball fans stand on Coogan’s Bluff to watch the New York Giants play the Chicago Cubs, Polo Grounds, New York City, September 23, 1908.

Bill Veeck in front of the eploding scoreboard.

3 UCLA punters- Jackie Robinson, Charley Fenenbock and Bill Overlin, September 14, 1939.

Dizzy Dean playing the tuba. 1934

Short baseball video with Buster Keaton:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=891955722675711&__cft__[0]=AZX5bPMGhzNNgqoAKAkeNSmHF0762N1Hp5l0v3axxMDdlaFbN ttbRluWuhftps3Y_IWXTXYV8VSeNbCQ-3sr5fVx5IlYX9A4vAdD8bkWgWt4whRO5Uv_WJ--YJ5yLTocNSV4RlJIq36F3OzqztGW219txjl2XPnSQfODE4XYQc ozyn1CjJAee2GMR61ciCZ0St4&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R

I wish they did this without the coloring..


107 Years Ago Today: Babe Ruth and the Boston #RedSox team arrive to spring training camp in Hot Springs, Arkansas by horse-drawn carriage! (March 5, 1917) ---edit/color by BSmile #MLB #Baseball #History #SpringTraining

Pie Traynor and Herb Pennock were already connected in history by a broken no-hitter in the 1927 World Series. Twenty-one years later, they crossed paths again with their calls to Cooperstown.

Great player. A little underrated I think.

Rod Carew with his hardware.

Babe getting hair and makeup done on the set of The Babe Ruth Story.

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Jim Palmer was nicknamed 'Cakes' for his habit of eating pancakes on the days he pitched

Babe goofing around with his sister Mamie before a game- 1928.

Braves starting rotation - Steve Avery, John Smoltz, Pete Smith, Greg Maddux, and Tom Glavine, 1993

Illinois Trust and Savings Bank, 1903 Chicago Banker's League Champions.

Adding an upper deck to right field at Yankee Stadium, 1937

Banner celebrating the Cincinnati Reds 1919 World Series victory.

Between 1975 and 1998, Dennis Eckersley pitched for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Oakland Athletics, and St. Louis Cardinals. Eckersley had success as a starter, but gained his greatest fame as a closer, becoming the first of two pitchers in major league history to have both a 20-win season and a 50-save season in a career.
Eckersley was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2004, his first year of eligibility.
Career highlights and awards:
6× All-Star (1977, 1982, 1988, 1990–1992)
World Series champion (1989)
AL MVP (1992)
AL Cy Young Award (1992)
ALCS MVP (1988)
2× AL Rolaids Relief Man Award (1988, 1992)
2× MLB saves leader (1988, 1992)
Pitched a no-hitter on May 30, 1977
Oakland Athletics No. 43 retired
Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame
Athletics Hall of Fame
Major League Baseball All-Time Team

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Willie Mays, Harvey Kuenn, Felipe Alou and Willie McCovey

One of the toughest photos in baseball history

Here's a bit of trivia with which to perplex and frustrate, and possibly start a fist fight. In 1947, Cleveland Indians star Al Rosen (who looks like he's recently been in a fist fight in this picture) made his Major League debut before he'd had his sixth birthday. What's more, he's just one of six players in AL/NL history to do so. The others were Sargent "Sadie" Houck (Boston Red Caps, 1879), Ed Appleton (Brooklyn Robins, 1915), Roy Parker (St. Louis Cardinals, 1919), Jerry Fry (Montreal Expos, 1978), and Terrence Long (New York Mets, 1999). It's true. Look it up.

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Paul Konerko was born on this date in 1976, in Providence, Rhode Island.
Konerko signed his first professional contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1994, after being selected as the 13th overall pick in the first round of the MLB Draft. He made his MLB debut in 1997. However, it was after being traded to the Chicago White Sox in 1999 that Konerko truly found his place in the MLB, becoming one of the most beloved figures in the team's history.
During his playing career, Konerko was known for his clutch hitting and leadership on and off the field. He was a key player in the White Sox's 2005 World Series championship run, the team's first in 88 years, and was named the American League Championship Series MVP.
Over the course of his career, Konerko was selected to six All-Star games and hit over 400 home runs in his career, solidifying his status as one of the premier hitters of his era. His number 14 was retired by the White Sox in 2015.
After his retirement Konerko moved on to coaching, but not at the level you'd think. During 2020, he and former MLB reliever J.J. Putz both coached their sons' team in under-11 baseball.

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Kent Tekulve was born on this date in 1947, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He signed his first professional contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1969 and made his MLB debut in 1974.
During his playing career, Tekulve was renowned for his distinctive sidearm, submarine pitching style, which became his trademark. He played a crucial role in the Pirates' 1979 World Series Championship, saving three games in the series. Tekulve was also named an All-Star in 1980.
Over his career, he accumulated more than 1,000 appearances, which is an amazing number for a reliever. He had ten season where he appeared in more than 70 games, with his highest being 94 appearances in 1979.
After retiring in 1989, Tekulve didn't stray far from baseball, transitioning into broadcasting where he was a member of both the Phillies and Pirates broadcast teams over the years. He even dabbled in coaching in the Frontier League and working as an advanced scout.
Happy birthday, Kent!

Fernando Valenzuela played 17 MLB seasons, from 1980 to 1991 and 1993 to 1997. While he played for six MLB teams, his longest tenure was with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Historically, there is no match to Valenzuela’s 1981 season. Only one pitcher in Major League history has won the Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year in the same season — Valenzuela. Add to that, he was the National League starting pitcher in the All-Star Game that season, and he won a World Series championship.
His six-season span from 1981–1986 will forever be regarded as one of the elite runs by a Dodger pitcher — six All-Star selections, three top-three finishes in the Cy Young Award balloting, two Silver Slugger Awards and a Gold Glove Award, 97 wins, 84 complete games, 1,258 strikeouts and a 2.97 ERA. In eight postseason starts, he was 5–1 with a 2.00 ERA
Valenzuela's no-hitter on June 29, 1990, is regarded as one of the greatest performances ever at Dodger Stadium.
Career highlights:
6× All-Star (1981–1986)
World Series champion (1981)
NL Cy Young Award (1981)
NL Rookie of the Year (1981)
Gold Glove Award (1986)
2× Silver Slugger Award (1981, 1983)
NL wins leader (1986)
MLB strikeout leader (1981)
Pitched a no-hitter on June 29, 1990
Los Angeles Dodgers No. 34 retired

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A poster of the Yankees spring training in Bermuda. The Yankees were the first team to have Spring Training outside of the US, 1913.

Babe Ruth batting in his first official game with the Boston Braves. 1935. The Rucker Archive

March 5, 1936 - The St. Louis Cardinals - without the brothers Paul and Dizzy Dean, who are once again holdouts - visit Cuba and are beaten by the Cuban all-stars. Luis Tiant, Sr., whose son Luis Jr. will win 229 major league games, is the starting pitcher for the Cubans.

Telegram from Babe’s publicist Christy Walsh to Babe’s widow Claire following Babe’s death. Dated August 16, 1948

73 Years Ago Today: Charlie Brown plays baseball for the first time in a Peanuts comic strip! (March 6, 1951)

Link to "Safe at home" trailer. A Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle video..

https://fb.watch/qEAhXOCA7o/

Pete Gray, the one-armed outfielder for the Browns, takes a practice swing. He was born this day in 1915.

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Urban Shocker of the St. Louis Browns pitched two complete games against the Chicago White Sox and won both, 6-2, September 6. 1924.

May 30, 1997 ... Mo Vaughn had perhaps his best day ever in a Red Sox uniform against the Yankees at Fenway Park in this game. In five plate appearances, he was perfect. He singled off the wall, homered into the Red Sox bullpen, homered to left-center, walked, and homered into the Red Sox bullpen again, as the Sox beat the Yankees 10 to 4.
After Mo's third home run of the game, it was expected that the Fenway fans would give the Sox first baseman a curtain call and they did. Who could doubt him after he hit everything in sight? It wasn't just the fans who appreciated what they saw here, it was his teammates.
The official distance of his home runs was 392 feet, 447 feet, and 410 feet. Total: 1,249 feet, or 71 feet shy of a quarter-mile.

"It's supposed to be fun, the man says 'Play Ball' not 'Work Ball' you know." ~ Pittsburgh #Pirates legend Willie Stargell

Dodgers holding tryouts in Puerto Rico for local players including bottom right of the photo wearing a #12 on his back - 18-year-old Roberto Clemente, Sept 17, 1952.

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On June 3, 1932, Lou Gehrig was the first American League player and the first player in the modern era to hit four consecutive home runs in a single game during the New York Yankees' 20-13 win over the Philadelphia Athletics at Shibe Park. He hit another long shot in the ninth inning that flew to deep center field but was caught short of the wall.

The dedication of two sculptures, located 60 feet-six inches apart, depicting Johnny Podres pitching to Roy Campanella during the seventh game of the 1955 World Series, takes place on the south lawn of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, March 6, 2001.

A sweaty Joe DiMaggio extends his hitting streak to 41 games, 1941

Roy Campanella, Larry Doby, Don Newcombe and Jackie Robinson at the 1949 All-Star Game.

Today In 1952: Baseball legend Satchel Paige offers some sage advice to a young Little League player during St. Louis Browns training camp in San Bernardino, California!

In 1958, after a game against Pittsburgh, a 19-year-old baseball player named Vada Pinson hit his first Grand Slam HR, securing a 4-0 win for his team, the Reds, with the help of Hal Jeffcoat. However, Vada later described this milestone as a curse that affected his performance. He began to think of himself as a power hitter, which caused his average to suffer. As a result, he was sent down to Seattle, where he played for the rest of the season and hit an impressive 346 average. Vada returned to the Reds in 1959 as the starting CF.

March 3, 1916 - Jack Dunn, owner of the International League Baltimore Orioles, buys the park built by the Baltimore Terrapins of the Federal League.

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Frank White is a former baseball player who spent 18 years with the Kansas City Royals.
A smooth fielder, White was a five-time All-Star. He won the Gold Glove Award eight times, including six consecutive seasons from 1977 to 1982. In 1977, he played 62 consecutive errorless games. In 1980, White was awarded the inaugural American League Championship Series MVP award in the 1980 ALCS against the New York Yankees, leading the Royals to their first World Series appearance.
Although in his early years he was a singles hitter who contributed little to the Royals' run column, White improved markedly as an offensive player during his career, hitting 22 home runs two years in a row, in 1985 and 1986. Since the 1985 World Series was played without the designated hitter, White hit cleanup during that series, in place of Hal McRae. Until White, the only other second baseman to hit cleanup in a World Series was Jackie Robinson. In the 1986 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, his solo home run in the seventh off Mike Scott was the deciding run in a 3–2 American League victory.
White retired as a player in 1990, after 18 seasons with Kansas City, having played 2324 regular season games with a .255 average, 160 home runs and 886 RBIs. Defensively, White posted a .984 fielding percentage at second base and .983 fielding percentage overall. He also hit for the cycle twice in his major league career, on September 26, 1979, in a 4–0 victory over the California Angels and on August 3, 1982, in a 6–5 win over the Detroit Tigers.
White set a major-league record jointly with teammate George Brett, by appearing in 1,914 games together. The record stood until 1995, when it was broken by the Detroit Tigers' Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker.
Frank White's career highlights and awards:
5× All-Star (1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1986)
World Series champion (1985)
ALCS MVP (1980)
8× Gold Glove Award (1977–1982, 1986, 1987)
Silver Slugger Award (1986)
Kansas City Royals No. 20 retired
Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame

Today In 1960: "Home Run Derby" makes its TV debut! ~ Mickey Mantle vs. Willie Mays!

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=355420760460509&__cft__[0]=AZVZRkkwrXYjF8gD_wZ2p05dmS9pe3YSlI-umZC_cDjzIVb5TVGbUWI2ym5bJ0m0CJHp8O-gGsynSKl1ZdQZi4pqN5O0Zb3XddjM9K_2kD_3s9BiIuPFEnchA 4RpNZMSBNjJ0z--le6rbme8oayN4KalURbFc3yfIytmmWbvRYXcctEu4pTjy0Ctfn F216WjwuA&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R

Jackie Robinson, Dan Bankhead, Don Newcombe, and Roy Campanella with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Each starred in the Negro leagues prior to their time with the Dodgers.

Vin Scully in the WMGM booth calling a game at Ebbets Field, 1953

Lou enjoys a beer and a cigarette after a game in Detroit in 1936

In MEMORY of WILLIE STARGELL on his BIRTHDAY - (March 6, 1940 - April 9, 2001)
MLB career years: Pittsburgh Pirates (1962–1982)
Born Wilver Dornell Stargell, nicknamed "Pops" later in his career, American professional baseball left fielder and first baseman who spent all of his 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) (1962–1982) with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Among the most feared power hitters in baseball history, Stargell had the most home runs (296) of any player in the 1970s decade. During his career, he batted .282 with 2,232 hits, 1,194 runs, 423 doubles, 475 home runs, and 1,540 runs batted in, helping his team win six National League (NL) East division titles, two NL pennants, and two World Series championships in 1971 and 1979, both over the Baltimore Orioles. Stargell was a seven-time All-Star and two-time NL home run leader. In 1979, he became the first and currently only player to win the NL Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award, the NL Championship Series MVP Award and the World Series MVP Award in one season. In 1982, the Pirates retired his uniform number 8. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988.
Early life -
Stargell was born in Earlsboro, Oklahoma, but later moved to Florida with an aunt after his parents divorced. Later, he returned to Alameda, California, to live with his mother. He attended Encinal High School, where his baseball teammates included future MLB players Tommy Harper and Curt Motton. Stargell signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization and entered minor league baseball in 1959.
Stargell played for farm teams in New Mexico, North Dakota, Iowa, Texas, North Carolina, and Ohio. While on the road with some of those teams, Stargell was not allowed to stay in the same accommodations as the white players. Lodging for black players was located in the poor black areas of those towns. While in Plainview, Texas, he was accosted at gunpoint by a man who threatened his life if he played in that night's game. Stargell played and nothing came of the incident. He might have quit baseball over the racial difficulties that he experienced, but he was encouraged by letters he received from friend and baseball scout Bob Zuk.
Later life -
After retirement, Stargell spent two years as a first base coach for the Atlanta Braves from 1986 to 1988, wearing his customary #8. He was the first minor-league hitting coach for Chipper Jones. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988, his first year of eligibility. He had an awkward interaction with the Pirates that season when the team wanted to schedule a Willie Stargell Night to honor his Hall of Fame election. Stargell refused to participate in the team's plans, still stinging from the team's refusal to even consider him for its managerial job that season.
In the 1985 trial of alleged cocaine dealer Curtis Strong, Stargell was accused by Dale Berra and John Milner (both former Pirates teammates) of distributing "greenies" (amphetamines) to players. Berra said that he obtained amphetamines from Stargell and Bill Madlock; he said he could get them from Stargell "on any given day I asked him for one." Stargell strongly denied these accusations. Commissioner Peter Ueberroth later cleared Stargell and Madlock of any wrongdoing.
Stargell returned to the Pittsburgh club in 1997 as an aide to Cam Bonifay, the team's general manager. He also worked as a special baseball adviser to Pirates owner Kevin McClatchy, who called Stargell "the ultimate class act". Stargell was hospitalized for three weeks in 1999 to treat undisclosed medical problems with one of his organs. A source close to the Pirates blamed Stargell's health problems on his gaining weight after retiring as a player. Stargell lost some of that weight, but gained weight again while working for the Pittsburgh front office.
After years of suffering from a kidney disorder, he died of complications related to a stroke in Wilmington, North Carolina. In his later life, Stargell had also suffered from hypertension and heart failure. A segment of Stargell's bowel was removed more than two years before he died. He had been in the hospital recovering from gallbladder surgery at the time of his death. On April 7, 2001, two days before Stargell died, a larger-than-life statue of him was unveiled at the Pirates' new stadium, PNC Park, as part of the opening-day ceremonies. As his death occurred on the same day as the official opening of the stadium against the Reds, the statue served as a de facto memorial for Stargell.

Kirk Gibson as a Michigan State Spartan football player.

The weirdest and wildest trade in all of sports took place on 3/5/1973 when New York Yankees pitchers and teammates Mike Kekich and Fritz Peterson became the centerpiece of media attention after the two decided to publicly announce that they had swapped wives. Both players lived in New Jersey with their families and were good friends. The couples attended a BBQ hosted by Maury Allen, a New York Post sportswriter on July 15, 1972. Both couples arrived separately, but on the way out, Peterson’s wife, Marilyn, left with Kekich and Kekich’s wife, Susanne, got in a car with Peterson. Both couples met at a diner after the party before heading home. They had so much fun that they decided to do it again the next evening. Eventually, Peterson fell for Kekich's wife and Fritz fell for Kekich's. The couples were having so much fun with their newfound arrangements that they decided to make it permanent, thus officially swapping wives ahead of the 1973 campaign. To make the story even more bizarre, it was the men who would change addresses therefore not only swapping wives, but also houses, children, and even the family dogs!! According to New York Magazine, Mike Kekich was quoted as saying: "Don't say this was wife-swapping, because it wasn't. We didn't swap wives, we swapped lives."

Ralph Garr playing for the White Sox, 1976.

Baseball fans climb the netting to retrieve a foul ball, causing a stoppage of play in a game between the Philadelphia Athletics and the Cleveland Indians at Shibe Park, Philadelphia, Pa., May 6, 1948.

Mariners legend Ron Wright

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Keith Hernandez played the majority of his career with the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets. Hernandez was a five-time All-Star who shared the 1979 NL MVP award and won two World Series titles, one each with the Cardinals and Mets. Since 1998, he has been a color commentator on the Mets television broadcasts.
A contact hitter with a .296 career average and a walk rate of 12.5%. For his defensive work, he received 11 consecutive Gold Glove awards, the most by any first baseman in baseball history. Hernandez is widely considered the best defensive first baseman of all time.
Career highlights:
5× All-Star (1979, 1980, 1984, 1986, 1987)
2× World Series champion (1982, 1986)
NL MVP (1979)
11× Gold Glove Award (1978–1988)
2× Silver Slugger Award (1980, 1984)
NL batting champion (1979)
St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame
New York Mets No. 17 retired
New York Mets Hall of Fame

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On This Date in 1973: Larry Hisle becomes the first designated hitter since AL owners voted 8-4 to adopt the new rule back on January 11.
He made owners look like geniuses, hitting two home runs and driving in seven.
The Yankees' Ron Blomberg took the first regular-season at-bat as a DH, but it was Tony Oliva who hit the first regular-season home run by a DH, off Oakland's Catfish Hunter.

If my posting pictures on here randomly is upsetting anyone, please message me. Every time I post it brings this thread back to the top and I hope it's not aggravating anyone. If so, please let me know and I'll stop.
And the irony is, when I post this it'll be at the top again.

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Big Red Basketball Machine.

1960 World Series - Forbes Field

Cito Gaston awaits a Tom Seaver pitch, 1975