Baseball

Famous Sports Stars

Hank Aaron Biography - Played In Negro League And Major League, Chronology, Awards And Accomplishments, Hank Aaron: Chasing The Dream - SELECTED WRITINGS BY AARON:

1934- American baseball player The baseball legend Hank Aaron holds the major league record for the most career home runs (755) and made his way into the record books with 12 other career firsts, including most games, at-bats, total bases, and runs batted in (RBI). "Hammerin' Hank" made history on April 8, 1974, when he surpassed Babe Ruth's home run record of 714; he w…

1 minute read

Jim Abbott Biography - The Abbott Switch, Into The Majors, Chronology, Down, But Not Out, Career Statistics

1967- American baseball player With 95-mph fastballs, Jim Abbott would be considered a gifted pitcher by any standard. What made Abbott stand out during his amateur and professional career was the challenge he overcame to deliver his strikeouts. Abbott was born with a deformed right arm, and played baseball virtually one-handed. A product of Flint, Michigan, Abbott was brought up by his father, Mi…

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Grover Cleveland Alexander - Chronology, Career Statistics, Related Biography: Catcher "reindeer" Bill Killefer, The Winning Team

1887-1950 American baseball player Grover Cleveland Alexander serves as an icon for his generation of professional baseball players. While perhaps not the model or disciplined athlete—in fact, by most accounts, he was far from that—Alexander was a product of the times in which he lived. His adult years spanned two World Wars, the first, in which he served as an army sergeant in Franc…

11 minute read

Sparky Anderson Biography - The Early Years, Chronology, The Big Leagues, Sparky In Detroit, Awards And Accomplishments - SELECTED WRITINGS BY ANDERSON:

1934- American baseball manager George "Sparky" Anderson became a big league manager at the age of thirty-five and left the game with 2,228 victories after twenty-six years running the Cincinnati Reds and the Detroit Tigers. Although there are only two managers in baseball that have won more games, Connie Mack and John McGraw, Anderson is the last person to take credit for his succes…

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Ernie Banks Biography - Childhood In Texas, Enters Negro Leagues, "mr. Cub", Chronology, Awards And Accomplishments - CONTACT INFORMATION

1931- American baseball player Hall of Famer Ernie Banks was the greatest and most popular player in the history of the Chicago Cubs, a man so closely associated with the franchise both during and after his playing days that he was known as Mr. Cub. Over the course of 19 seasons, he played 2528 games in which he got 2583 hits, 512 home runs, and 1636 runs batted in. He turned in such an awesome pe…

1 minute read

James "Cool Papa" Bell Biography - Chronology, Awards And Accomplishments, "plays For Love Of Game", Inducted Into Hall Of Fame

1903-1991 American baseball player Negro league baseball lore is full of colorful tales, several of which revolve around the exploits of speedster James "Cool Papa" Bell. Teammate Satchel Paige once claimed that Bell was so fast that he could switch the light in their hotel room and jump into bed before the light went out. Rumor also had it that Bell had once been called out because …

5 minute read

Johnny Bench Biography - Growing Up, Drives The "big Red Machine", Chronology, Matures As Player, Awards And Accomplishments - CONTACT INFORMATION

1947- American baseball player The name Johnny Bench is synonymous with baseball catcher. When Bench came on the Major League Baseball scene in 1968 with the Cincinnati Reds, he became Johnny Bench the first catcher ever to win the National League Rookie of the Year award by showing fans what a good catcher can be both behind the plate and at bat. With his keen eyesight, strong throwing arm…

1 minute read

Yogi Berra Biography - Childhood In St. Louis, Signed With Yankees, Chronology, Developed Star Qualities, Coach And Manager

1925- American baseball player As a player, manager, and linguist of sorts, Yogi Berra has endeared himself to baseball fans since World War II as a hard-working, rough-edged original. As a New York Yankee he developed into a masterful catcher as well as an outstanding hitter. He won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in 1951, 1954, and 1955, and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.…

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Barry Bonds Biography - Family Tree, Big League Numbers, Big League Attitude, Professional And Personal Moves, Chronology - CONTACT INFORMATION

1964- American baseball player Professional baseball player Barry Bonds may be the sports world's most vivid study in contrasts. Revered for his practically unmatched athletic prowess—he appears poised to break Hank Aaron's record of 755 career home runs—he is, at the same time, despised by many for his aloof, or even downright rude, behavior both onand off-field. He ha…

1 minute read

Ila Borders Biography - Dreamed Of Pitching Professionally, Played In Men's Minor League, Chronology, Awards And Accomplishments

1975- American baseball player The pitcher Ila Borders broke baseball's gender barrier in 1997, when she became the first woman to Ila Borders pitch in the men's minor leagues. Accomplishing a goal she had set since girlhood, Borders pitched her first professional game, for the Northern League's St. Paul Saints, on May 31, 1997. In her three years in the minor leagues, …

1 minute read

Lou Brock Biography - Reared In Small Southern Town, Slugged Way Onto College Baseball Team, Chronology, Awards And Accomplishments - SELECTED WRITINGS BY BROCK:

1939- American baseball player During the 1970s, Lou Brock did for base-stealing what slugger Mark McGwire did for the homerun in the 1990s: Brock turned the pursuit of the stolen base into a national pastime. In the history of baseball, few players have covered the 90 feet between the bases more productively. During his 19-year career, Brock stole 938 bases, making him the most prolific base-stea…

1 minute read

Mordecai Brown Biography - Pitched In As A Pitcher, Chronology, Later Career, Career Statistics, Awards And Accomplishments

1876-1948 American baseball player Of all the young men in history who aspired to play professional baseball, Mordecai Brown wished it perhaps most of all. After a childhood accident left him with a badly mangled right hand, he learned to throw a natural sinker ball despite the handicap. He spent fourteen years in the major leagues and was enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame, as one of the most…

2 minute read

Roy Campanella Biography - A Born Catcher, An African American First, Chronology, It's Good To Be Alive - SELECTED WRITINGS BY CAMPANELLA:

1921-1993 American baseball player Known as "Campy" by his friends, colleagues, and fans, Roy Campanella is considered by many to be the best baseball catcher in the history of the game. He is often mentioned in the same breath as the great catcher Yogi Berra, who played for the opposing professional league, the American League. Named the National League's Most Valuable Player…

1 minute read

Jose Canseco Biography - Cuban-born, Starred On Star Team, Surprise Trade, Career Statistics, Announced Retirement - CONTACT INFORMATION

1964- Cuban baseball player Sportswriters once chronicled Jose Canseco's exploits both on and off the baseball diamond with a mix of reverence and disbelief. The Oakland Athletics (A's) outfielder hit impressive home runs, helped take his team to three American League pennants and a World Series win, and was the first baseball player in history to achieve the "40-40" re…

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Roger Clemens Biography - Child Of The Heartland, Early Prodigy, Work Ethic, Chronology, Boston Bound, Career Crisis - CONTACT INFORMATION, SELECTED WRITINGS BY CLEMENS:

1962- American baseball player His native talents alone would have been enough to make Roger Clemens one of baseball's greats. His six foot four, two hundred and twenty-pound frame is capable of hurling a baseball at speeds approaching one hundred miles per hour. His split-finger fastball—only eight miles per hour—dives away as it reaches the plate, confounding the baseball&#x…

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Roberto Clemente Biography - Chronology, Clemente, Clemente's Personality, Clemente's Legacy, Awards And Accomplishments

1934-1972 American baseball player Hall of Fame baseball player Roberto Clemente was the first great Hispanic star in major league baseball. Playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates, he had a lifetime average of .317 and 240 home runs; had four seasons Roberto Clemente with 200 or more hits; and won twelve Gold Gloves in eighteen seasons. He also won the National League Most Valuable Player award…

5 minute read

Ty Cobb Biography - Chronology, Awards And Accomplishments, Cobb, Selected Writings By Cobb:, Career Statistics, Further Information

1886-1961 American baseball player Ty Cobb is arguably the greatest baseball player who ever put on spikes. During his 24-year career, he established records in virtually every area of the offensive game. His .367 lifetime average stands as the best in baseball history, a virtually unattainable goal for hitters. He is also number one among all-time runs scored leaders, number two in hits and tripl…

16 minute read

Dizzy Dean Biography - Born To Sharecroppers, Honed Pitching Skills In Army, Pitched Way To World Series, Chronology

1910-1974 American baseball player During the 1930s, baseball fans flocked to stadiums across the United States to get a peek of Dizzy Dean, the anchor of the St. Louis Cardinals' pitching staff. Dean was a dominant pitcher, to be sure—with his intimidating fastball, Dean hurled his way to four consecutive strikeout titles (1932-1935) and had four seasons with 20 or more wins. Over h…

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Joe DiMaggio Biography - Hometown Sensation, Off To A Fabulous Start, The Streak, Chronology, Postwar Comeback, Awards And Accomplishments

1914-1999 American baseball player One of the greatest of all baseball players, Joe DiMaggio played the game with grace (one of his nicknames was the Yankee Clipper), power (the other nickname was Joltin' Joe), and an all-around level of skill that few others have approached. His talent, combined with his desire to win and his team's sustained success, led to him become an icon of po…

1 minute read

Larry Doby Biography - Early Life, Chronology, Enters Major Leagues, Becomes A Star, Career Statistics, Seeks Manager's Job

1924-2003 American baseball player Larry Doby is the invisible man in the struggle to bring black players into major league baseball. For most of his career Doby lived in the long shadow cast by Jackie Robinson, the first African-American to play major league baseball. Doby, who joined the Cleveland Indians just eleven weeks after Robinson made his debut with Brooklyn was the second black player t…

1 minute read

Dave Dravecky Biography - Getting The Bad News, A Brief, Bright Comeback, Life Goes On, Career Statistics - CONTACT INFORMATION

1956- American baseball player Fate has been both kind and cruel to baseball's Dave Dravecky. First he was gifted with a talent for pitching that led him to the major leagues and two All-Star games. Then that same gift was cruelly taken away as cancer destroyed Dravecky's left arm—his throwing arm. But Dravecky, whose Christian faith led him through the hard times, has devoted…

1 minute read

Leo Durocher Biography - Hardscrabble Childhood, Early Career, Captain Of Gashouse Gang, Becomes Player-manager, Creates Controversy - SELECTED WRITINGS BY DUROCHER:

1905-1991 American baseball player Leo ("The Lip") Durocher will be forever identified with the phrase "nice guys finish last," which was the title of his autobiography and is in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations. Durocher is also famous for having said he would trip his own mother if she were rounding third base and he could prevent her from scoring a run. New York…

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Carlton Fisk Biography - Made Strong Red Sox Debut, Chronology, Awards And Accomplishments, Fisk Extends The Series To Seven Games

1947- American baseball player The New England-born baseball player Carlton Fisk is one of the sport's most legendary catchers, having caught more games (2,226) than any other player in history. In his 11 seasons with the Boston Red Sox and 13 seasons with the Chicago White Sox, Fisk set a major league record for the most home runs by a catcher (351). Fans remember one home run in particula…

1 minute read

Rube Foster Biography - Boyhood And Early Barnstorming Career, Moves North, Earns Nickname, Chronology, Chicago American Giants

1879-1930 American baseball player Andrew "Rube" Foster, founder and first president of the Negro National League, is known as the Father of Black Baseball. An outstanding pitcher who began his own career as a player at age 17, Foster supported black teams throughout his life and worked for the legitimization, respect, and financial success of African-American baseball. A creative an…

1 minute read

Josh Gibson - Chronology, Career Statistics, Related Biography: Manager Judy Johnson, Awards And Accomplishments, Further Information

1911-1947 American baseball player Josh Gibson Josh Gibson has been called the greatest hitter in the history of baseball, better in the eyes of some than Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, or Mickey Mantle. Sketchy record-keeping in the Negro leagues makes it impossible to quantify Josh Gibson's career definitively. However, historians of black baseball estimate that, i…

12 minute read

Hank Greenberg Biography - Preferred Baseball To Schoolwork, First Jewish Baseball Star, Chronology, Highest-paid Player, Career Statistics - SELECTED WRITINGS BY GREENBERG:

1911-1986 American baseball player The American baseball star Hank Greenberg, celebrated in the 1930s and 1940s for his powerful batting and multiple homeruns, was baseball's first legendary Jewish player. With the Detroit Tigers from 1933 to 1947, and with the Pittsburgh Pirates for the last year of his playing career, Greenberg led the American League four times in home runs. The peak yea…

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Ken Griffey Jr. Biography - Spent Childhood At Ballpark Watching Father, Picked No. 1 In Baseball Draft, Chronology, Awards And Accomplishments - CONTACT INFORMATION

1969- American baseball player With his leaping-over-the-wall catches and power-packed home run swing, Ken Griffey, Jr., is one of the best all-around players major league baseball has ever seen. His mastery of both the offensive and defensive aspects of the game, coupled with his childish enthusiasm and glittery smile, made him one of the game's most popular heroes. In 1994, Griffey receiv…

1 minute read

Tony Gwynn Biography - Young Athlete, "mr. Padre", Chronology, Awards And Accomplishments, Tony On Tape, Winning Through The Pain - CONTACT INFORMATION

1960- American baseball player Tony Gwynn is one of the greatest players and most prolific hitters in major league baseball history, ranking with Ted Williams and Stan Musial for batting average. Finishing his twenty-year career with the San Diego Padres at age forty-one in 2001, he recorded a .338 overall average, with 3,141 career hits, putting him in sixteenth place for the most hits in major l…

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Rickey Henderson Biography - Known As Stolen Base King, Broke Records In Steals, Runs, And Walks, Chronology - SELECTED WRITINGS BY HENDERSON:

1958- American baseball player One of baseball history's most prolific and long-careered players, Rickey Henderson is the sport's all-time leader in stolen bases, runs, and walks. With his powerful batting and speed, he has been deemed one of baseball's greatest leadoff hitters, and holds the record for most home runs at the start of a game (75). Since his 1979 major-league de…

1 minute read

Jim "Catfish" Hunter Biography - Raised On A Farm, Signed With The Kansas City A's, Earned The Cy Young Award - SELECTED WRITINGS BY HUNTER:

1946-1999 American baseball player Jim "Catfish" Hunter was a master hurler whose presence on the mound struck fear in his opponents. During his 15-year baseball career, Hunter took part in eight All-Star Games, won 20 or more games five seasons in a row (1971-1975), and pitched in six World Series, coming away a winner five times. What endeared Hunter to the hearts of his fans, howe…

1 minute read

Joseph "Shoeless Joe" Jackson Biography - Humble Beginnings, A Major League Player, Black Sox Scandal, Chronology, Awards And Accomplishments

1888-1951 American baseball player Joseph Jefferson "Shoeless Joe" Jackson was one of the most talented baseball players of all time. Babe Ruth, who acknowledged that Jackson "was the greatest hitter I'd ever seen," copied his style, and Ty Cobb once called Jackson "the greatest natural hitter I ever saw." In a still-contested decision, Jackson was …

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Randy Johnson Biography - Born In Walnut Creek, California, Drafted By Montreal Expos In 1985, Chronology, Grief Strengthens His Game - CONTACT INFORMATION, SELECTED WRITINGS BY JOHNSON:

1963- American baseball player Standing at least a head taller than most of his fellow players, Randy Johnson is one of the tallest players ever to play in Major League Baseball (MLB). At six feet, ten inches, Johnson's towering stature has earned him the nicknames "Big Unit" and "Big Bird." But it's not Johnson's height but his incredible pitching …

1 minute read

Al Kaline Biography - From The Sandlot To The Stadium, The Tigers On A Tear, Chronology, Awards And Accomplishments

1934- American baseball player Known as "Mr. Tiger," Albert William (Al) Kaline devoted his entire twenty-one year playing career (1953-1974) to the American League Detroit Tigers. Indeed, only Kaline and 1920s legend Ty Cobb played twenty or more seasons in a Detroit uniform. The Hall of Famer distinguished himself throughout his competitive years as a power hitter and gifted right-…

1 minute read

Harmon Killebrew Biography - From Idaho To Stardom, Pennant In 1965, Mvp Season, Chronology, Personal Struggles, Charity Endeavors

1936- American baseball player Harmon Killebrew ranks seventh on baseball's all-time home run list, having hit 573 homers in his twenty-two-year career. Killebrew homered once every 14.2 atbats. He played all but one season with the Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins franchise, playing his final year with the Kansas City Royals in 1975. Killebrew, an eleven-time all-star, won or tied for t…

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Sandy Koufax Biography - Preferred Basketball As Youngster, Overcame Ball-control Problem, Chronology, Plagued With Sore Arm - SELECTED WRITINGS BY KOUFAX:

1935- American baseball player During his prime, Sandy Koufax dominated major league baseball with his powerful, yet fatally fragile left arm. From 1962 to 1966, Koufax pitched four no-hitters (including a perfect game) and struck out more than 1,400 batters, winning 111 games and losing only 34. What makes Koufax's story so marvelous, however, is his transformation. During his early years,…

1 minute read

Connie Mack Biography - From Player To Manager, Fifty Years Of Ups And Downs, Chronology, Awards And Accomplishments - SELECTED WRITINGS BY MACK:

1862-1956 American baseball manager Baseball was manager Connie Mack's lifelong career. He retired as manager of the Philadelphia Athletics in 1950 after fifty years on the job, spanning the first half of the twentieth century. Mack was known and loved for his gentlemanly conduct both in and out of the dugout. He represented a fatherly figure to his players and built teams through his super…

1 minute read

Greg Maddux Biography - Medar's Influence, Getting His Start, The Youngest Cub, Career Statistics, A Standout Player - Giving Back

1966- American baseball player Greg Maddux's record speaks for itself: he is simply one of the best pitchers ever to play the position. The first player ever to win four consecutive Cy Young Greg Maddux Awards, he also shines defensively, as evidenced by his 13 consecutive Golden Glove Awards since 1990. In 2002, Maddux posted 16 wins, becoming only the second player after Cy Young t…

1 minute read

Mickey Mantle Biography - Growing Up, The Early Years, Chronology, The Powerful Star Is Born, Tragic Hero? - Semi-Pro During High School, SELECTED WRITINGS BY MANTLE:

1931-1995 American baseball player Many argue that he was the greatest baseball player ever, and were it not for the almost constant menace of alcohol and health-related maladies during his long and successful career as a New York Yankee, chances are there would be no argument. Mickey Mantle played in twenty All-Star games, and he holds the record for most career World Series home runs, runs score…

1 minute read

Billy Martin Biography - "belli," But Tough, New York Yankee, Chronology, The Hard Years, Career Changes - SELECTED WRITINGS BY MARTIN:

1928-1989 American baseball player Billy Martin Billy Martin was known as a "scrapper" for his tendency toward fist fights and arguments, but he was a spirited and brilliant baseball manager who brought his teams to the top of their league every time he took the helm. He was inclined to express his opinions, a trait that got him into trouble more than once. Martin began playin…

1 minute read

Pedro Martinez Biography - Chronology, Career Statistics, Awards And Accomplishments, Further Information

1971- Dominican baseball player Pedro Martinez is arguably the most dominant pitcher of his era. Hailing from the Dominican Republic, Martinez followed his brother Ramon to the United States and pitched with him for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1992-93, and with the Boston Red Sox from 1999-2000. He quickly developed a reputation Pedro Martinez that followed him from Los Angeles to Montreal…

4 minute read

Willie Mays Biography - Growing Up, A Way Out, Tough Times In The North, Chronology, The First Full Season - Several Father Figures, CONTACT INFORMATION

1931- American baseball player He hit more than 600 home runs. He could reach base almost at will. He had defensive skills that boggled the mind. Willie Mays was one of the finest baseball players to ever step on the baseball field. In a twenty-two-year professional career with the Giants of New York and San Francisco, Mays consistently appeared near or at the top of almost every major statistic. …

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Mark McGwire Biography - Early Life, Chronology, Potent College Player, The Stuff Of Legend, Breaks Roger Maris's Record - SELECTED WRITINGS BY MCGWIRE:

1963- American baseball player Mark McGwire Future Hall of Famer Mark McGwire smashed once and for all one of baseball's most sacrosanct records: 60 home runs hit in one season by Babe Ruth in 1927. Roger Maris had hit 61 homers in 1961. But he had hit only one home run more than Ruth, and in a season that was about a week longer than in the Bambino's day. McGwire surpassed Ru…

1 minute read

Joe Morgan Biography - Growing Up, Playing With Houston, Chronology, Awards And Accomplishments, The Big Red Machine

1943- American baseball player Joe Morgan Joe Morgan was the heart and soul of the Big Red Machine, the Cincinnati Reds team of the 1970s that some baseball observers consider the greatest team of all times. Morgan was that rarest of combinations: a five-time Gold Glove second baseman who could hit for average and power, and one of the premier base stealers of his era. He was also the field…

1 minute read

Jim Morris Biography - Derailed By Arm Injuries, Tried Out For Major Leagues, Chronology, The Rookie, Further Information - SELECTED WRITINGS BY MORRIS:

1964- American baseball player The relief pitcher Jim Morris became one of baseball's oldest rookies in 1999, when at age 35 he signed with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. A high school science teacher and baseball coach who had formerly played in the minor leagues, Morris stunned the Devil Rays' talent scouts with his 98-mile-per-hour fastball. Although he played for only two seasons and …

1 minute read

Stan Musial Biography - The Longshot, Meteoric Rise, Chronology, Awards And Accomplishments, Stan The Man, Baseball Ambassador - SELECTED WRITINGS BY MUSIAL:

1920- American baseball player The greatest baseball player in one of the greatest baseball towns in the United States, Stan "The Man" Musial spent his entire career twenty-three-year career with the St. Louis Cardinals, including sixteen consecutive seasons when he hit .300 or better. Musial was a first-ballot Hall of Famer, one of the best hitters of all time, and one of the game&#…

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Hideo Nomo Biography - Super Tornado, L.a. Dodger, Japanese Superstar, Chronology, Traveling Years, Return To The Dodgers - CONTACT INFORMATION

1968- Japanese baseball player Pitcher Hideo Nomo, nicknamed "Tatsumaki" (the Tornado) for his unusual windup delivery, was the first Japanese major league baseball player to join the American major leagues. After playing four years with Japan's Kintetsu Buffaloes, he joined the Los Angeles Dodgers, in 1995. He was voted Rookie of the Year with the Dodgers and led the National…

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Sadaharu Oh Biography - Zen And The Art Of The Flamingo Stance, Home Run Record, From Player To Manager To Hall Of Fame - SELECTED WRITINGS BY OH:

1940- Japanese baseball player Undoubtedly the greatest hitter in Japanese baseball, Sadaharu Oh holds the all-time record for most home runs in his career-an astonishing 868, surpassing the U.S. record of 755 held by Hank Aaron. Oh won 9 Gold Glove awards and 9 most valuable player awards, and played on 11 championship-winning teams and in 18 All-Star games. He combined martial arts, Zen, and bas…

1 minute read

Satchel Paige Biography - Growing Up, Chronology, Awards And Accomplishments, Played In The Negro Leagues, In The Big Leagues - SELECTED WRITINGS BY PAIGE:

1906-1982 American baseball player Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige, one of the game's true natural talents, was an African-American man living during the height of the Jim Crow days in a South where the color-barrier was thick and seemingly insurmountable. Yet in spite of the odds, Paige transcended place, time, and sport, and became one of the greatest players baseball has ever …

1 minute read

Gaylord Perry Biography - Minor Setbacks, Chronology, The Spitball Artist, Time Catches Up With A Pitcher, Awards And Accomplishments - SELECTED WRITINGS BY PERRY:

1938- American baseball player Gaylord Perry Gaylord Perry has held many distinctions—in 1982, he was the oldest player in the major leagues; he was also the fifteenth pitcher in the game's history to record 300 lifetime victories. He's played in All-Star games representing both the American and National leagues, taken home two Cy Young Awards (the first player to do so…

2 minute read

Lou Piniella Biography - Born In Tampa, Florida, Wins Al Rookie Of The Year Award, Chronology, Awards And Accomplishments - SELECTED WRITINGS BY PINIELLA:

1943- American baseball player After nearly four decades as a winning baseball player and manager, Lou Piniella finally went home in late October 2002, accepting a job as manager of his hometown Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Born and raised in Tampa, Piniella had his work cut out for him, trying to put the Devil Rays on a winning track. Since first taking to the ball field in the spring of 1998, the Devil…

1 minute read

Kirby Puckett Biography - Humble Beginnings, Discovered By The Twins, Chronology, Injury And Glaucoma, Awards And Accomplishments - CONTACT INFORMATION

1960- American baseball player Baseball player Kirby Puckett played twelve seasons with the Minnesota Twins, from 1984 to 1996, helping his team win the World Series in 1987 and 1991. A superstar beloved of Minnesota fans, he was given the nickname "Puck" for his short stature and jovial nature. He was forced to retire as a player at age thirty-six after losing the sight in his right…

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Wesley Branch Rickey Biography - Raised On A Farm, Tentative Steps In The Big Leagues, Becomes Major League Executive, Develops Farm System - SELECTED WRITINGS BY RICKEY:

1881-1965 American baseball executive The names Rickey and Robinson will always be linked in the annals of sport because of their respective roles in breaking major league baseball's "color line," a seminal event which is regarded as having had a monumental effect — perhaps most of all symbolically, but also in a practical sense — on the Civil Rights movement. We…

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Cal Ripken Jr. Biography - All In The Family, The Road To Baltimore, Career Statistics, Seasons Of Change, Game After Game

1960- American baseball player Merely going on his playing accomplishments—a much-admired all-around slugger/shortstop, several Golden Glove and Player of the Year honors—Cal Ripken, Jr. may well be placed among professional baseball's elite. But beyond his talent, Ripken demonstrated a devotion to his game and to his team, the Baltimore Orioles, that moved him into the panthe…

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Frank Robinson Biography - Early Life, Joining The Big Leagues, Chronology, Awards And Accomplishments, The First Black Manager - CONTACT INFORMATION

1935- American baseball player Frank Robinson Frank Robinson was a ballplayer whose career was so outstanding that he starred in both major leagues, both as a player and as a manager. In 21 seasons as an active player, primarily with the Cincinnati Reds and the Baltimore Orioles, Robinson hit for both power and average, with a career average of .294, 586 home runs, and 1812 runs batted in. …

1 minute read

Jackie Robinson Biography - Born To A Sharecropper, Chronology, Multi-sport Star, Part Of Noble Experiment, The Negro Leagues: A Brief History

1919-1972 American baseball player Jackie Robinson is most remembered as the player who broke baseball's color barrier. By stepping into the white baseball world, the black Robinson changed the face of not only baseball, but the United States. Jackie Robinson Robinson integrated baseball during a time when schools, buses, restaurants, hotels, and drinking fountains remained segregate…

1 minute read

Alex Rodriguez Biography - Great Expectations, Breakthrough To Stardom, Chronology, Record Contract, The Lone Ranger, Awards And Accomplishments

1975- American baseball player At a very young age, Alex Rodriguez was being compared to the greatest shortstops in baseball history. Few if any shortstops had ever combined consistent and slick fielding with powerful offensive production the way Rodriguez did in his early years. At age 26 he established a new all-time record for home runs by a shortstop in a single season, and the following year …

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Pete Rose - Born In Cincinnati, Makes Major League Debut, Leads Reds To Nl Championship, Chronology, Related Biography: Baseball Player Ray Fosse - CONTACT INFORMATION

1941- American baseball player Baseball's all-time leader in hits, singles, at-bats, and games played, Pete Rose has often been compared to the legendary Ty Cobb, whose decades-old hitting record Rose broke on September 11, 1985. Curiously, the comparisons Pete Rose between Rose and Cobb don't end with their outstanding hitting abilities. Late in their respective careers, both…

1 minute read

Babe Ruth Biography - Becomes A Professional Ballplayer, Chronology, World Series Hero, Career Statistics: Batting, Joins The New York Yankees - SELECTED WRITINGS BY RUTH:

1895-1948 American baseball player As befitting his legendary status in American popular culture, Babe Ruth's exact birth date is a matter of debate. For most of his life Ruth, himself, believed he had been born in Baltimore, Maryland, on February 7, 1894, but when he applied for a passport, the date on his birth certificate read February 6, 1895. Ruth continued to celebrate his birthday on…

2 minute read

Curt Schilling Biography - Chronology, Awards And Accomplishments, Career Statistics, The Power Of Two, Further Information - CONTACT INFORMATION

1966- American baseball player At 6'4" and 215 pounds, Curt Schilling is an intimidating presence on the pitcher's mound. By 2002 the 37-year-old starting pitcher could boast 45 wins in two years with the Arizona Diamondbacks, tying Jim Palmer's record of consecutive wins set during the Curt Schilling 1975-76 season. But those who know him well know a different C…

8 minute read

Marge Schott Biography - Born In Cincinnati, Chronology, Awards And Accomplishments, Further Information - CONTACT INFORMATION

1928- American baseball executive Throughout the decade and a half that she was owner of Major League Baseball's (MLB) Cincinnati Reds, Marge Schott managed to offend just about everyone—including players, fans, and her fellow owners—with the use of racial slurs and other insensitive remarks. Twice suspended by the MLB for such comments, Schott remained feisty and combative un…

1 minute read

Bud Selig Biography - Born In Milwaukee, Seeks Ball Club For Milwaukee, Heads Major League Executive Council, Chronology - CONTACT INFORMATION

1934- American baseball commissioner As Major League Baseball (MLB) commissioner for more than a decade (the first six as acting commissioner), Bud Selig has won few friends. In fact, he seems to have an uncanny ability to do things that will enrage the maximum number of people in and around the game. Even when Selig engineered a last-minute compromise settlement between players and owners to aver…

1 minute read

Sammy Sosa Biography - Born In Dominican Republic, Makes Professional Debut In Florida, Chronology, Criticism Of Sosa's Style Mounts - SELECTED WRITINGS BY SOSA:

1968- Dominican baseball player Relatively unknown outside Chicago, Cubs outfielder Sammy Sosa burst upon the national scene with a vengeance during the summer of 1998, as he battled Sammy Sosa Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals for the single-season home run record. Although McGwire eventually won the competition, besting Roger Maris's 1961 record of 61 homers by nine for a new…

1 minute read

Casey Stengel Biography - Young Athlete, "casey At The Bat", Clown And Hero, Shifting Ball Clubs, Managing The Yankees - SELECTED WRITINGS BY STENGEL:

1890-1975 American baseball manager Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel is a legendary figure in baseball, as well known for his comedic talent and long-winded, convoluted way of speaking, called "Stengelese," as for his gift for managing some of the best and worst baseball teams in U.S. history. He led the New York Yankees to ten American League pennants and seven World Ser…

1 minute read

Darryl Strawberry Biography - Grew Up In Compton, Drafted By New York Mets, Chronology, Substance Abuse Problems, Signed With New York Yankees - SELECTED WRITINGS BY STRAWBERRY:

1962- American baseball player When Darryl Strawberry was sentenced to an eighteen-month prison term in April 2002 for violating the terms of his court-ordered drug treatment, it marked the lowest point in a decline that had stared two decades earlier. Signed to the New York Mets in 1980 right after he had finished high school, Strawberry's career as a baseball player got off to a promising…

1 minute read

Ichiro Suzuki Biography - Born In Kasugai, Japan, Comes Into His Own In 1994, Mariners Seek Out Suzuki's Services - CONTACT INFORMATION

1973- Japanese baseball player Ichiro Suzuki—already a bona fide hero in his native Japan—made a sensational debut in American baseball in the opening years of the 21st century. Suzuki, adjudged the best-known person in Japan—even better known than Emperor Akihito, who came in second—in a popularity poll during the 1990s, ended his first two seasons in Major League Base…

1 minute read

Ted Turner Biography - Brash And Abrasive, Looked To Expand, Chronology, Awards And Accomplishments, Clashed With Baseball Hierarchy - SELECTED WRITINGS BY TURNER:

1938- American baseball executive World-class sailor. Sports impresario. Stadium developer. Philanthropist. Media maverick and tycoon. Ted Turner These are just some of the many roles played by Robert Edward Turner III, better known as Ted Turner. "He has set ocean racing records that will never been equaled. (With the launch in 1980 of Cable News Network) he has revolutionized the b…

1 minute read

Mo Vaughn - Honed Batting Skills, Plagued By Injuries, Chronology, Related Biography: Hitting Coach Mike Easler

1967- American baseball player Known as much for his athletic prowess as for his good-guy persona, baseball player Mo Vaughn is one of the most popular sports figures of the 1990s and early 2000s. During his heyday with the Boston Red Sox in the mid-90s, the hefty slugger built a reputation as one of the most powerful hitters in the game. Vaughn was also widely regarded as the clubhouse leader who…

2 minute read

Honus Wagner Biography - Born In Western Pennsylvania, Breaks Into Major Leagues, Retires From The Pirates In 1917, Chronology

1874-1955 American baseball player Considered by many baseball experts the greatest shortstop of all time, Honus Wagner was one of the National Baseball Hall of Fame's five original inductees in 1936. Among his fellow inductees were Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth. At first glance, Wagner looked somewhat ungainly and awkward. Stocky, barrel-chested, and bow-legged, he nevertheless exhibited great spe…

less than 1 minute read

Ted Williams Biography - Young Ball Player, Military Service And Continuing Career, "terrible Ted", Chronology, Awards And Accomplishments

1918-2002 American baseball player Baseball player Ted Williams—nicknamed the Splendid Splinter, Thumper, and Teddy Ballgame—has been called one of the two greatest hitters of all time, along with Babe Ruth. Over his nineteen seasons with the Boston Red Sox, Williams had a .344 batting average, even though he lost nearly five seasons in his prime to service as a combat pilot in World…

less than 1 minute read

Dave Winfield Biography - Close Family, Blossoming Sports Career, Winfield Foundation, Difficult Decade With The Yankees, Chronology - CONTACT INFORMATION

1951- American baseball player Baseball player Dave Winfield is one of only a handful of players to achieve 3,000 hits and 400 home runs in his career, joining other Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Stan Musial, Mel Ott, Frank Robinson, and Carl Yaztrzemski. Winfield also won seven Gold Glove awards for his outfield skills during his twenty-two-season career. A 6'6"…

less than 1 minute read

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