Connie Mack celebrating his 50th year as Philadelphia Athletics manager at Shibe Park, 1950.

Mike Gazella was one of the least-known players on perhaps the most famous team of all time, the 1927 New York Yankees. He played 54 games at third base and shortstop, hitting .278. His major league career was all with the Yankees, in 1923 and 1926-28.
He did not appear in the 1927 World Series, but was in the 1926 World Series for one game without an at-bat.
Gazella is described as a hard-nosed, scrappy guy who once told off the whole Yankee team when he felt they weren't playing up to their ability.
He was both a football and a baseball star at Lafayette College, where he attended from 1920-23.
He played with Atlanta Crackers of the Southern Association in 1923.
Gazella scouted for the Yankees in the late 1940s

Jim Rice was born on this date in 1953, in Anderson, South Carolina.
He signed his first professional contract with the Boston Red Sox and made his MLB debut in 1974.
During his playing career, Rice quickly became one of the most feared hitters in the league. He was an eight-time All-Star and won the American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in 1978.
Notably, Rice led the AL in home runs three times and in RBIs twice. All this culminating in his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009.
After retiring, Rice has done some coaching and been a commentator for Red Sox pre-game and post-game shows for NESN.
Happy birthday, Jim!

Carl Furillo makes a catch against the scoreboard at Ebbets Field.

A young baseball fan had the encounter of a lifetime when 98-year-old pitching legend Bobby Shantz signed his Topps 1952 Most Valuable Player baseball card!

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1906421563106410&__cft__[0]=AZWVvyN_noPwSdTmg3ofqOel9QXE0flVIzNMbTb-EWIbVch1GKhmxxfndr6bzhYPG8MUphiTLGIWwCqxXDaL3wxT71 n_gDnQmOcprxSUgAGCazhZpGVY4TLxXYsuXxhvbda7PxookR-I-qan3TV1lgERiYI6fjkhgw7_wJM63Wd5IPz3VXkLK8DiqQB1JWj yhso&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R

Jerry Garcia

.

Bert Campaneris of the Kansas City A's becomes the 1st player in major league history to play all 9 positions in one game, September 8, 1965.

A catching lineup for the ages. Dickey, Berra, Howard and Munson.

Don Drysdale throws four scoreless innings against Philadelphia before finally allowing a run, after 58 23 shutout innings, June 8, 1968.

Nolan Ryan pitches from the Angels Stadium mound in Palm Springs during spring training,1973

March 7, 1919 - Christy Mathewson, back from World War I, rejoins the New York Giants as pitching coach and heir apparent to John McGraw.

Jeffrey Alan Burroughs was born on this date in 1951, in Long Beach, California.
Burroughs signed his first professional contract with the Washington Senators in 1969, after being selected as the first overall pick in the MLB Draft, and went on to debut in 1970.
The Senators moved to Texas and Burroughs career took off. He was named the American League Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1974 and was selected for the All-Star team twice, first in 1974 and again in 1978.
Overall, his career spanned 16 seasons, during which he played for several other teams, including the Atlanta Braves, Seattle Mariners, Oakland Athletics, and Toronto Blue Jays.
After retiring as a player, Burroughs coached his son Sean to two Little League World Series victories. Sean was later a 1st round draft pick with the Padres.
Happy birthday, Jeff!

.

18-year-old Bob Feller with his manager Steve O'Neil before his season debut in 1937.

Rookie Johnny Bench

One of the greatest moments in sports history!! A father son back to back home will never be done again!!!

.

"Lew Fonseca - though the 1929 AL batting champ had a distinguished playing career, his long-term contribution to baseball was pioneering the use of film to analyze and promote the game. Fonseca became interested in cameras while acting in ""Slide, Kelly, Slide,"" a 1927 comedy starring Joe E. Brown. He used film to detect flaws in his players as manager of the Chicago White Sox (1932-34). Fonseca became director of promotions for both the AL and NL.
Versatile in the field and spectacular at the plate, 1929 was Fonseca's only season as a regular at one position (first base with Cleveland), and he responded by hitting .369. He topped the .300 mark six times, but had trouble staying healthy. He suffered a broken leg in 1928, and a broken arm in 1930. A torn ligament in his leg ended his career."

Dick Allen telling Mauch "I think I just might hit the first one outta this joint"

Mike Schmidt is a former third baseman who played his entire 18-season career in Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies. Schmidt was a 12-time All-Star and a three-time winner of the National League MVP award, and he was known for his combination of power hitting and strong defense. As a hitter, he compiled 548 home runs and 1,595 RBIs, and led the NL in home runs eight times and in RBIs four times. As a fielder, Schmidt won the National League Gold Glove Award for third basemen ten times. Schmidt was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995 and is widely considered to be the greatest third baseman in baseball history.
Career highlights and awards:
12× All-Star (1974, 1976, 1977, 1979–1984, 1986, 1987, 1989)
World Series champion (1980)
3× NL MVP (1980, 1981, 1986)
World Series MVP (1980)
10× Gold Glove Award (1976–1984, 1986)
6× Silver Slugger Award (1980–1984, 1986)
8× NL home run leader (1974–1976, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1986)
4× NL RBI leader (1980, 1981, 1984, 1986)
Hit 4 home runs in one game on April 17, 1976
Philadelphia Phillies No. 20 retired
Philadelphia Phillies Wall of Fame
Major League Baseball All-Century Team
Major League Baseball All-Time Team
National Baseball Hall of Fame (inducted in 1995)

In the first ever NLCS, (1969) the Mets beat the Braves 3 games to none.
After the series, Hank Aaron ran into a scout from the Baltimore Orioles.
The scout told Aaron, "the Orioles were thrilled the Mets had won because they would be an easy mark in the Series.”
Aaron replied, "you might not be happy with what you wish for because the Mets are for real."

March 8, 1956 - Pirates second-year man Roberto Clemente hits Pittsburgh's inaugural dinger of spring training in an in-house affair, coached by two key figures in Clemente's career: "Roberto Clemente slammed three hits today," reports the Associated Press, "including the first homer by a Pittsburgh Pirate, as the 'Sukeforths' defeated the 'Murtaughs' 9 - 3 in an intra-squad game."

Willie Stargell, 1962 Columbus Jets, international League,

March 8, 1930 - Babe Ruth signs a two-year contract with the New York Yankees for $160,000. At $80,000 per year, he becomes the highest-paid player of all time.

What a dream doubleheader this was. May 29, 1971. Mets against the Padres. In the opener, Tom Seaver started the game for the Mets and completed it, getting 10 strikeouts in 9 innings for a Mets 5 to 1 win. Seaver gave up a solo home run to Nate Colbert in the ninth inning.
Then in the nightcap, Nolan Ryan started the game for the Mets and completed it, getting 16 strikeouts in 9 innings for a Mets 2 to 1 win. The only run against Ryan was unearned.
So the only two pitchers for the Mets that day were Seaver and Ryan who went all 18 innings and struckout a combined 26 batters.

Bibb Falk . . "The University of Texas southpaw was a versatile athlete, undefeated in three years of varsity pitching and an All-Conference tackle in football. He succeeded the banished Joe Jackson in left field at Comiskey Park, and gave the Sox nine strong seasons, averaging .315 and three times topping 90 RBI. Traded to Cleveland for catcher Chick Autry in 1929, he had three more .300-plus seasons, the last two as the AL's most productive pinch hitter.
From 1940 to 1967 (except for three years as an Air Force sergeant during WWII), he was the aggressive, witty, sharp-tongued baseball coach at his alma mater. His 468-176 record earned 20 Southwest Conference titles and two national championships.

.

Buddy Bell is a former third baseman and manager.
After an 18-year career with four teams, most notably the Cleveland Indians, the Texas Rangers, and the Cincinnati Reds, he managed the Detroit Tigers, Colorado Rockies and Kansas City Royals for three seasons each and served as Vice President/Assistant General Manager for the Chicago White Sox. He was a five-time MLB All-Star and won six consecutive Rawlings Gold Glove Awards from 1979–1984.
He is the son of outfielder Gus Bell and the father of former third basemen Mike and David Bell, making them one of five families to have three generations play in the Major Leagues. When David was named Reds manager in October 2018, he and Bell became the fourth father-son pair to serve as major league managers, joining George and Dick Sisler, Bob and Joel Skinner, and Bob and Aaron Boone.
MLB statistics:
Batting average: .279
Hits: 2,514
Home runs: 201
RBIs: 1,106
Managerial record: 519–724
Winning %: .418
Career highlights and awards:
5× All-Star (1973, 1980–1982, 1984)
6× Gold Glove Award (1979–1984)
Silver Slugger Award (1984)
Texas Rangers Hall of Fame

All eyes on Jackie at the All-Star Game.
Jackie would play in 6 MLB all-star games in total, going to the mid-summer classic every year from 1949-1954.
His first official all-star game appearance was in 1945 with the Kansas City Monarchs when he was named to the West team in the Negro League East-West All-Star Game. While Jackie was hitless in that game, his first MLB AS Game in '49 was a different affair. Robinson would bat 2nd in the NL line-up, rip a double, cross the plate three times and turn a double-play with teammates Reese and Hodges.

.

Nine years before becoming the 1968 Olympic pole vault gold medalist, Bob Seagren, wishing he could skip the ivories and hit the diamond instead.

https://live.staticflickr.com/1737/2...df9cc3a284.jpg

Jackie Robinson kicking his glove in anger

Great photo!! Thanks for sharing!

The new pitching machine in operation during the Philadelphia Phillies spring training, Clearwater, Florida, March 1956. Photo by Transcendental Graphics-Getty Images

August 8, 1982. A line drive foul ball hits a four year old boy in the head at Fenway. Jim Rice, realizing in a flash that it would take EMTs too long to arrive and cut through the crowd, sprang from the dugout and scooped up the boy. He laid the boy gently on the dugout floor, where the Red Sox medical team began to treat him.
When the boy arrived at the hospital 30 minutes later, doctors said, without a doubt that Jim's prompt actions saved the boy's life. Jim returned to the game in a blood-stained uniform. A real badge of courage.
After visiting the boy in the hospital, and realizing the family was of modest means, he stopped by the business office and instructed that the bill be sent to him.
This is what a sports Hero looks like!

Roberto Clemente pictured here with his mother. He was hospitalized with Malaria. 1965

Shoeless Joe Jackson and Ty Cobb, 1913

Steve Howe was born on this date in 1958, in Pontiac, Michigan.
Howe's professional journey began when he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1979. He made a rapid ascent to the majors, making his MLB debut in 1980.
Howe's prowess on the mound earned him the National League Rookie of the Year award that year, as he racked up 17 saves and had a 2.66 ERA. In 1981, during the strike-shortened seasons, his relief work helped the Dodgers clinch the World Series title.
Unfortunately, Howe's career was plagued by alcohol and cocaine abuse. The latter resulted in the loss of his entire 1984 season due to suspension. Throughout his career he was suspended seven times in total.
Following his time with the Dodgers, Howe had short stints with the Rangers and Twins. He then had a four year hiatus from the majors before returning with the Yankees in 1991.
Howe had success again as a reliever with the Yankees, but had more issues with substance abuse and received a lifetime ban from baseball in 1992. He successfully appealed and went on to pitch a few more years with New York, with varied results.
After his retirement in 1997, Howe owned a framing business Lake Havasu City, Arizona. He, unfortunately, died in a car crash in 2006.

Johnny Bench holds a letter that asks him to prove he can hold seven balls with one hand.

Satchel Paige's tombstone

The Polo Grounds after a fire in 1911

Babe Ruth and Shoeless Joe discussing their bats.

Various Brooklyn Dodgers being distracted from baseball by tennis star Gussie Moran, Spring Training 1950.

Brooks Robinson in 1970 World Series..

https://www.facebook.com/reel/344567145241263

LOOKING BACK AT THE 1914 "MIRACLE" BOSTON BRAVES ...
THE GREATEST COMEBACK IN MLB HISTORY ... 110 YEARS AGO
The players had two more practices at spring training, leaving some of the men stiff and sore. There was more batting practice and manager George Stallings had each pitcher take a turn throwing batting practice. Catcher Hank Gowdy said that some of the young pitchers had good stuff.
After trying out with the Columbus Senators, Gowdy began his professional career in 1908 as a first baseman with Lancaster of the Ohio State League, remaining there for two seasons.
In 1911, John McGraw signed him for the New York Giants and gave him a seven-game tryout that September. With Fred Merkle firmly entrenched as the Giants' first baseman, McGraw advised Gowdy to take up catching if he hoped to remain in the major leagues. The following year he had appeared in only four games when the Giants traded him to the Braves.
Gowdy made the switch to catcher in 1912 but spent most of the season on the bench. In 1913 Stallings, sent him to Buffalo of the International League to hone his skills. There he batted .317, earning a late-season call-up.
In 1914 he became the Braves' regular catcher. He batted .243 during the season but became a star in the World Series against the A's.
In Game #1 Gowdy was 3-for-3 with a single, a double, and a triple. The Braves were down by two runs in Game #3 when Gowdy led off the tenth with a blast into the center-field bleachers. It was the only home run of the Series, and it ignited a rally that tied the score. Then in the 12th, he got his third hit and second double of the game, a bullet to left field to start the game-winning rally. In the Game #4 finale, he went 3-for-4, giving him a .545 average for the Series.
Later, Stallings would state that his mild-mannered backstop was his most valuable player during that season’s miracle run.

.

Today In 1953: The Brooklyn #Dodgers open Holman Stadium, part of the historic "Dodgertown" spring training complex in Vero Beach, Florida!

Wind-milling that sledgehammer in the on-deck circle, Willie Stargell, listed at 6'2", 190 lbs in his early years, looms so much larger in our memories.** While he wasn't the biggest man in baseball, he might have been the most powerful.
His feats of strength were legendary:
• He was the first player to hit a ball completely out of Dodger Stadium (with Mark McGwire, Mike Piazza and Giancarlo Stanton the only other players to replicate the feat) – and he did it twice.
• The Pirates called Three Rivers Stadium home for 30 years. In that time, six home runs made the right field upper deck. Stargell launched four of them.
• In the 61-year history of Forbes Field, 18 baseballs cleared the roof. Stargell hit seven of them. No one else had more than one.
• He hit the longest home run ever recorded at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia – nothing too unusual about that, as Stargell owned distance records all over the league. What is unusual is the fact that the Phillies commemorated the blast by marking the landing spot.
Yep. Mike Schmidt’s team commemorated a visiting player’s home run.

.

Today In 1963: "Meet the Mets", the official song of the New York #Mets is introduced to the public for the first time!

.

The Kid! Gary Carter.

The Mick, Roger, & Killebrew signing a young fan’s cast in 1961…

.

Praising God for His amazing grace and loving mercy in saving my life this evening from a heart attack. I am so happy and honored to report that all is well." ~ Baseball legend Darryl Strawberry (via Instagram)

Pepper Martin shows off his big lumber that he will be using against Al Simmons and the Athletics in the 1931 World Series

1980 National League Rookie of the Year, '81 World Series Champion, and '82 All-Star Steve Howe would have turned 66 today. He pitched 13 games for the Twins in 1985.

Bob Uecker talking to Hank Aaron pregame

Roberto Clemente making a leaping attempt at the wall.

Dock Ellis was born on this date in 1945, in Los Angeles, California.
Ellis signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1964 and made his MLB debut in 1968.
Throughout his playing career, Ellis achieved remarkable milestones, including pitching a no-hitter on June 12, 1970, while reportedly under the influence of LSD. His best year was 1971 when he was an all-star (& 19 game winner) and helped lead the Pirates to the championship.
Beyond his success with the Pirates, Ellis also contributed significantly to the teams he joined thereafter, including the New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Texas Rangers, and New York Mets.
After retiring in 1979, Ellis transitioned into a role that allowed him to use his experiences to help others, becoming a drug counselor focusing on substance abuse. Ellis also continued the work he did as a player in being an outspoken advocate for players' rights and against racial inequality.
Happy birthday to Dock Ellis!

Ty Cobb giving out hitting lessons to the Milwaukee Brewers. Hank Aaron listens intently.

Ty Cobb and Shoeless Joe Jackson

With Hank Aaron sitting on 713 career homers to start the 1974 season, the Atlanta Braves plan to sit their prized outfielder for their first three games at Cincinnati to give Aaron a chance at home to tie and then break Babe Ruth’s hallowed record of 714.

Commissioner and noted buzz kill Bowie Kuhn, though, nixes the plan 50 years ago today as he orders the Braves to play the 40-year-old Aaron in at least two of the three season-opening games at Cincinnati.


Aaron promptly starts the 1974 season on April 4 by tying Ruth’s record as he launches a three-run homer off the Reds' Jack Billingham in the first inning at Riverfront Stadium.

Aaron, though, reaches base on an error, walks and flies out in three other plate appearances that day against Billingham and reliever Roger Nelson before sitting out the series’ second game.

He then goes 0-for-3 against Reds starter Clay Kirby with two strikeouts – both looking – and a groundout in the series’ final game at Cincinnati.

The Braves return April 8 to Atlanta, where Aaron breaks Ruth’s record with a fourth-inning homer off Los Angele Dodgers starter Al Downing.

Kuhn is conspicuously absent from that record-breaker moment in Atlanta, opting instead to send one of his top assistants – Hall of Famer Monte Irvin – to represent the commissioner’s office.

During the 11-minute, in-game celebration after the historic homer, Irvin presents Aaron with a watch – yes, a watch – from the commissioner.

Then, as soon as Irvin begins to mention Kuhn’s name, the sellout crowd of 53,775 in Atlanta sets off a cacophony of boos for a commissioner who is not there to hear them.

“I was smiling, because of the boos he was receiving,” Aaron later says. “I hit 714 in Cincinnati. Somebody should have said, ‘He played, he did the best he could, why not let him hit 715 in Atlanta?’ I think I should have been given that privilege.”

Casey Stengel's Hall of Fame induction speech notes.

Al Kaline lies on the ground after getting hit in the head by a pitch, 1958

A young Babe with the Red Sox

Frank Howard playing Winter Ball in The Dominican Republic, 1959. Getty Images

After more than 30 years , Chief Wahoo came down in 1994 after the Indians moved to Jacobs Field.

Sandy Koufax pitches in game 7 of the World Series, October 14, 1965.

Birmingham Black Barons and a 17-year-old Willie Mays celebrate winning the 1948 Negro League World Series

George Foster, Joe Morgan & Ken Griffey

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 Al 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.

John Callison was born on this date in 1939 in Qualls, Oklahoma.
He signed his first professional contract with the Chicago White Sox in 1957 and made his MLB debut in 1958.
Callison was best known for his time with the Philadelphia Phillies, where he was a three-time All-Star (1962, 1964, 1965) and came in second in the MVP voting in 1964. He famously hit a walk-off home run in the 1964 All-Star Game and led the National League in triples in 1965. Callison was also known for his strong arm in the outfield, racking up assists and putting fear into baserunners.
After retiring in 1973, he worked as a car salesman and bartender. For many years he attended Phillies’ fantasy camps in Florida to the delight of both the fans in attendance and his former teammates.
Happy birthday to John Callison!

#OTD in 1981, the founder of the Negro National League known as the “father of Black baseball” earned election to the Hall of Fame.

A rearview of Babe Ruth ready to attack a pitch.

"Glove in back pocket”

Cesar Geronimo was born on this date in 1948 in El Seibo, Dominican Republic. He signed his first professional contract with the New York Yankees in 1965, but made his Major League Baseball debut with the Houston Astros in 1969. He later was traded to Cincinnati and became a key member of the renowned "Big Red Machine."
During his playing career, Geronimo was known for his exceptional defensive skills, winning four consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 1974 to 1977. He was also a part of two World Series championship teams with the Reds in 1975 and 1976, contributing to one of the most dominant teams in baseball history.
Geronimo's best offensive year was 1976 when he hit .307 with a .382 OBP and 22 stolen bases.
After retiring in 1983, Geronimo returned to his home country, where he became involved in youth baseball development, contributing to the sport's growth in the Dominican Republic.
Happy birthday, Cesar!

George H.W. Bush, captain of the Yale Baseball team and Babe Ruth. 1948

.