Behind the Bag

Jackie Robinson awaits his first at bat in the majors, Ebbets Field, 4/15/47, by Irving Haberman. From the blog: How did the press cover the "first" #JackieRobinsonDay? Coverage from the NYT, Sporting News, Brooklyn Eagle, & Pittsburgh Courier #Jackie42 behindthebag.net/2018/04/15/…

"Let’s score some runs, boys-they will not get another run off of me.” - Jerry Koosman, 1969 World Series, Game 5. O's didn't and #Mets were champs, thanks to two Kooz gems, especially Game 2 (2 hits, 8.2 IP) to even Series. Franchise's winningest lefty, number retired 2021 #RIP

#OTD in 1953: “That little stinker is the best damned ball player they got.” - Dodgers manager Chuck Dressen. Billy Martin caps his World Series MVP performance (.500, 12 hits, 8 RBI, 23 TB, 1.478 OPS) with a walk off single in Game 6 for the #Yankees 5th straight championship

#OTD in 1904, Sportsman’s Park: Highlanders’ Jack Chesbro won his 40th, blanking Browns 6-0 to stay 1/2 game behind Boston. “Tell our friends in New York that we will win the flag.” – Mgr Clark Griffith. Despite close race & Chesbro’s still AL record 41 wins, NY finished 1.5 back

"I didn't run around the bases - I rode around them on a cloud. I heard yells, I saw flying, I noticed people jumping in the air. What a feeling! I hope this cloud I'm on never gets to find a landing field. I could keep riding it the rest of my baseball life." - Bobby Thomson

#OTD 75 years ago: “Well they beat us. That’s all. But tomorrow…it’ll be a different day and a different game.” - Giants manager Leo Durocher, after the Dodgers tied the NL playoff with a 10-0 victory at the Polo Grounds, setting up a winner-take-all Game 3. Anything can happen!

Bobby Shantz is 101 today! 75 years ago today at Yankee Stadium (his 26th birthday), A’s Shantz delayed 1951 Yanks pennant-clincher with a CG 6-hitter, 4-1, for his 18th win, his 6th straight win and 4th over Bombers that year. He’d do even better in 1952 with 24 wins and AL MVP

Would Pete Alonso (if he takes the AL lead) be the first player to lead both the NL and AL in RBIs? Well, no. Nap Lajoie led the NL in 1898 and the AL in 1901 & 1904. Pete *would* be the first to do so *in their shared history* (since 1901). Quite a feat but don’t sleep on Nap!

Howie on Mets Extra on WFAN, May 29, 1990! Bonus: Ron Darling does an advertisement as well. Brings back many memories. @HowieRose youtu.be/wA_zIdYTRXo?is=aSMv…

“Levsen Hurls Double Victory Over Red Sox, gives four hits in each tilt of iron man stunt” - Plain Dealer. #OTD 100 years ago, Cleveland’s Emil “Dutch” Levsen was the last hurler to start and win both games of a doubleheader, and the last to pitch 2 complete games on the same day

#OTD 100 years ago (8/22/26), Redland Field: #Reds SS Horace (Hod) Ford “had a tremendous day in all respects,” going 6 for 9 in DH sweep of Braves to move to within 1 game of 1st (finishing 2GB). More known for his glove, he’d get MVP votes for defense for 5th place Reds in 1928

In the Year of the Pitcher (1968), White Sox lefty Tommy John was one of the best, with a 1.98 ERA to earn his first All-Star nod, & perhaps his last if not for the procedure that bears his name to make 3 more All Star games with Dodgers/Yanks in 1978-80 in a 26 year career #RIP

Butch Huskey may have had his finest day on 9/15/1997, going 4-5 with 2 HRs to beat the Phillies at the Vet 10-5, the 2nd HR (his 9th in 21 games) being one of the few to reach the 600 level of the old stadium. “It’s a long way up there” said Butch. #RIP Mr. Huskey #Mets

“I demanded to be recognized for what I accomplished, nothing more.” - Bill White, Hall-Of-Famer

Friday, May 10, 1946, Yankee Stadium: Ted Williams, Johnny Pesky & Dom DiMaggio ready their bats for a big Yankee series; Williams & Pesky went hitless but DiMaggio would knock in the game winner in the 7th as the 21-3 #RedSox won 5-4 for their franchise-best 15th straight win

#OTD 90 years ago, 7/19/1936, Sportsman’s Park: #Cardinals Joe Medwick has 7 hits in 7 consecutive at bats in a DH sweep of Bees to move to within 1 game of Cubs in NL. Redbirds would fall short in ‘36 despite Medwick leading league in hits, doubles, RBI, TB

Sept. 27, 1988, NY Daily News announces that John Sterling has joined the #Yankees as play-by-play announcer. #RIP

"I thought it would go over...I was hoping it would. But I was too happy to think...we always felt we could pull it out - but I didn't think I'd be the guy to do it." 10x All-Star, 8 GGs, 2x #Pirates WS Champ (1960, 1971), HOF 2001. #RIP Bill Mazeroski